XENOSAGA
It's like playing an RPG without all that annoying button-pushing
Review by: Craig "Blow Up the Vending Machine" Norris
Length: 12 episodes
Genre: Action, sci-fi
Watched: 1-12, subbed
In the universe of game-to-anime conversions, it's hard to find a specimen that remains true to its predecessor. It's somewhat easier with RPGs because they are so plot-driven, but even then many liberties are often taken with the story line, and many useless characters and/or situations are tacked on to the root story that have nothing to do with the original game (take Star Ocean EX, for example). Thankfully, Xenosaga breaks away from that form and includes only what was revealed in the game. Just not all of it.
Plot synopsis: Shion Uzuki, head of Research and Development for Vector Industries, is aboard the battleship Woglinde in order to test the battle systems of Vector's latest creation, a combat android named KOS-MOS. But the entire Galaxy Federation fleet comes under attack from an ethereal alien race called gnosis. When Shion is put in danger, KOS-MOS self-activates and states her mission to protect the Vector staff. Shion and the friends she meets along the way begin investigating the gnosis, and stumble upon a plot to control them, as well as the schemes of the U-TIC organization that could put the entire universe at risk.
Artwork: The CG work in the Xenosaga RPG was really top-notch, and the artwork more than does it justice. The characters all look identical to their original anime-style illustrations in the guidebook, as are the major vehicles and mechs. In fact, the responsible studio proved that they studied the game meticulously, reproducing every last detail flawlessly in the transition from 3D to cel. Action scenes are excellent, with good use of blurs and shaking frames. The CG that is used in the series looks just a bit more refined than it did in the game, as well. Basically the animators for Xenosaga took everything the game gave us, and made it better.
Music: The soundtrack is pretty decent, and makes sure of it by recycling some of the better songs from the game OST. The opening is simplistic and haunting, and never ceases to raise the hair on the back of my neck every time I hear it. The ending is okay, but to me it sounds a bit too sentimental to fit well with the series. In-episode tracks are mainly instrumentals with a very full, rich sound that accentuate the moment very well. With a good mix of old and new tracks, the music for the series shows the kind of emphasis that was placed on production values.
Characters: One thing that game fans will not like about the series is its abbreviated length, which leaves precious little time for character development. In fact, if one has no prior knowledge of the game, some of the characters seem woefully flat. Shion is head if the R&D section of Vector, and becomes embroiled in the conflict between humans and gnosis mainly because of her association with KOS-MOS. However, it becomes apparent that she has other connections, as well. Shion has serious abandonment issues, since it seems like everyone she has ever cared about has met an untimely end. Because of this, she seems to completely immerse herself in her work, but she can't hide her desire to make friends. KOS-MOS is the brainchild of Vector, and has been given an agenda that Shion does not know about. KOS-MOS does not concern herself with anything that is not related to her directives, and if anyone should get between her and something she wants (or something she wants dead), that unlucky soul will probably not live to see the next millisecond. Though she is not murderous by design, since she is a machine built for combat she does not fully grasp the value of human life, something that Shion tries desperately to teach her. Allen is one of Shion's underlings at Vector who has a huge crush on her. However, knowing some of Shion's difficult past, he's afraid to say anything to her. He tries to support her as much as he can, but he finds it quite difficult as the situation escalates far beyond his own abilities. Junior is the director of an organization called the Kukai Foundation, and works toward finding the Zohar, a device that is believed to attract the gnosis to our plane of space. Though he looks about ten years old, he is much older than he appears. He has a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him and run headlong into conflicts. Ziggy is a cyborg who was resurrected under the life recycling program. He meets up with Shion and company when he hitches a ride on the same ship that picked up her escape pod. Ziggy's mission at that time was to rescue MOMO, an artificial human called a realian that contains valuable information regarding the Zohar in her brain. MOMO has the innocence of a little girl, and appropriately looks the part. She believes that she is not just a tool, and that everyone, even realians, can act of their own will. Chaos is an enigmatic character who was on board the Elsa, the ship that picked up Shion. Not much is known about Chaos, and he seems to be particularly interested in KOS-MOS (can't say I blame him; KOS-MOS is hot). Albedo is the maniac villain who is currently working for the U-TIC organization, but acts like he has his own agenda. His main goal is to acquire MOMO and extract the information that is within her brain. He is what is technically referred to as a total nutball, which makes him despicable and highly entertaining at the same time. There are some other characters that play supporting roles in the series, but their characters aren't developed much at all, so they're not worth mentioning here. Besides, looks like I covered all the people in the party.
Plot: Let me put it this way: if you've played the game, there is no reason for you to see this anime. The story sticks exclusively to the game's plot, but doesn't go into nearly the detail, especially about character history. A few minor changes were made for the sake of fitting everything into 12 episodes, but nothing so important as to warrant watching it when you already know everything that happens in the game.
CHICKS!: Xenosaga presents a tandem of hotness and cuteness that ranks among the most drool-inducing in game/anime history. Let's start, as I so often like to do, with the cute. Shion is a clear subscriber to the Ami Mizuno Formula for Anime Chick Success©: intelligence + sweet smile + anxiety + cute hair style + glasses = millions of slobbering fanboys. There's really not much more that can be said, because even being able to mention her in the same sentence as my beloved Ami-chan pretty much guarantees that she's one of the best chicks ever. Poor Allen is out of his league on this one, as is just about everyone else. Now, onto the hotness that is KOS-MOS; the sexiest android this side of an episode of Saber Marionette J. It's nice to see a robot chick who isn't all about housework once in a while, especially one that can kick someone else's ass as well as she swivels her own. Her lack of outward emotion, her pale skin, and her red eyes give her an almost vampiric appeal that can effortlessly seduce anyone who has a drop of testosterone in his blood. Even though these two chicks are more than enough on their own, it's kind of disappointing that they are the only ones who show up regularly, because of the high-quality animation. Any chick so rendered would undoubtedly be hotter than before. I think I'll send the studio a letter and petition them to remake Hanaukyo Maid Tai.
Overall: Fans of the game will appreciate how close the anime stays to the plot, while those who have never played the game will be able to appreciate Xenosaga as an entertaining series. However, if you've already played through the game, there's no reason to bother, as it shows you nothing you haven't seen before. Though the anime covers only what was in the game, it doesn't cover nearly as much, and if they truly had done it right there would have been another 12 episodes at least. If you haven't seen either, then it all boils down to time and money, i.e.: if you want to save time, watch the anime; if you want to save money (provided you already have a PS2), play the game.
In a Nutshell
+ Fabulous animation
+ Sticks closely to the game
+ Good (though reused) soundtrack
- A bit short on character development
- If you've played the game, you've seen it all
Rating: 7.5/10
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