Synopsis:
Rusche is a young boy who's clueless
about his real identity. Sealed within him is the dangerously powerful
wizard -- Dark Schneider, and only a kiss from a virgin can set him
free. Rusche was raised by the great priest Geo and his daughter Yoko
-- the same great priest who sealed Dark Schneider away years ago. But
now Geo's land is threatened by dark forces, and it seems there is no
other choice left but break Dark Schneider's seal with a kiss from Yoko
and hope that he'll help defend the land against the invaders...
Review:
It seems that lately, a lot of people
make it a point to tell me just how good Bastard is. Add that to the
fact that I love RPGs, I didn't need much convincing to sit down and
watch this six-episode OAV series.
Bastard kicks off with the young boy Rusche,
and his teenage companion / caretaker Yoko. A crisis calls for Dark
Schneider's immediate release, and Yoko reluctantly complies. But interestingly
enough, the years Dark Schneider spent sealed inside Rusche seems to
have had an effect, and Dark Schneider is no longer the dreaded being
that he was years ago. He has become more compassionate, for even as
he is the ferocious Dark Schneider he is also the gentle Rusche -- who
loves Yoko. After Dark Schneider's release,
a chain of events involving various enemies ensue. Yet Dark Schneider
faces whatever comes his way with verve and humor... so things are never
too serious.
Needless to say, Dark Schneider is what makes
this whole series. He is the life of the party, so to speak. A complex
character which you can't fully relate to, and yet can't help but root
for. Bastard will dazzle you with a lot of spectacular action sequences
-- melee fighting, spell-casting, elemental-summoning... your standard
RPG elements. The art and animation are of good quality. The characters
are drawn very distinctly, and the fight scenes are quite impressive.
The English dubbing is okay. I didn't think it was anything exceptional,
but it isn't bad either.
So how does Bastard compare to the anime-RPG
"Record
of Lodoss War"? Bastard is more "rough and tumble",
erotic, and tongue-in-cheek -- poking fun as it goes along. Lodoss'
approach is much more refined and traditional. Both are perfectly good
titles, although I am partial to the overall style of Lodoss. I suspect
most guys would prefer Bastard though.
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