Wait a second. A fantasy adventure without a whole lot of action? Well, there are a few action scenes (at least once an episode), which are for the most part capably handled (with named attack moves, and "Crystal Spirits" which facilitate elemental magic spells - and even tips on which spells to use!), but since for the most part the cast is marooned on a tropical island, there isn't a whole lot of exploring or monster mashing to do. High-powered moves take a back seat to character interaction, and while the development of the plot seems only the enhance the archetypal nature of the characters, it's still done effectively and a nice change of pace from series like Bastard.
Of course, a lot of people might not exactly care about the whole adventuring bit, as the concept of a gaggle of cute girls on a tropical island means lots of scenes where the girls are less than fully clothed.
Of course, when you get to the actual plot (which does eventually kick in), it's occasionally (and thankfully) clever and innovative, and it's helped immensely by the glossy, colorful, and generally pretty animation, which only rarely goes into the territory of stock or degraded footage. Even the seemingly filler episodes advance the story in subtle ways, and while we could've done without a couple of the clinches in here, it's forgivable. And while the background music isn't buy-this-soundtrack-now good, the opening and ending tracks are very nicely done.
Being as short as it is, Tales of Eternia is unlikely to be a magnum opus of fantasy anime. But it's pretty, cute, and has a good sense of humor, which is definitely enough for the dedicated fantasy anime viewer. Enjoy!
A solid series that is consistently entertaining, gently funny, and very cute. Those who aren't big fans of fantasy with lots of pretty anime girls may remove one star.
Rate: 7.5/10
09/10/05
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