Orphen Volume 2: Super Natural Powers - Digitally Obsessed
- Digitally Obsessed
- Dan Lopez
- 08/13/01
- click here
"So, if you liked elements of the game's story, the series will probably feel more complete and substantive."
Orphen #2: Supernatural Powers (2001)
'Please, you must save my master! It is your duty!'
- Majic (Oumi Minami)
Orphen sees us revisting Orphen, Cleao, and Majic on their journey to locate the demon, Bloody August. Whereas the first volume did a great deal to establish the setting and plot, this set begins to open up the story and is actually more entertaining overall. More humor is added, and the tone is more adventurous rather than strictly serious fantasy. This change in feel is very much welcome, and eases us into the series.
Volume 2 begins with Orphen and his friends on the road. Depressed that the journey hasn't been very exciting, Cleao makes the suggestion that they alter their course and head for a local mountain range. Ancient myth has it that a mysterious monster lives somewhere in the mountains, and anyone defeating it will receive the 'Golden Blessing,' an enigmatic treasure. Orphen lets Cleao and Majic change paths, but he decides to pass on the opportunity. Unfortunately, Volcan and Dortin (the bumbling 'friends' of Orphen) are also after the treasure, and make Cleao's efforts much more difficult than they should be. Eventually, they all discover the mystery behind the legendary Golden Blessing, and it's not what you might think.
After this, we're hurled into an exciting two-part story in which Majic stumbles upon a strange forest community that despises sorcerers, or all strangers for that matter. Majic is kidnapped by their leader, so Cleao and Orphen follow suit, trying to figure out a way to help him escape. Along the way they discover that the mysterious leader of the village may not be all he claims to be, and that the forest contains a Deep Dragon's Child (in this case, a giant wolf-god). Unfortunately, Cleao gets friendly with a wolf-god cub which complicates things even further.
While I wasn't terribly impressed with the first volume of Orphen, this volume moves in a slightly different direction. It let's the characters be themselves a bit more, and loosens up on heavy story development. The central story, Orphen looking for the demon Azalie, is briefly abandoned in favor of some adventurous storytelling, and it works better. The first episode here, in particular, is a refreshing blend of fantasy and humor with a pleasant conclusion. If the rest of Orphen follows this trend of mixing the core story with more casual influences, it could certainly develop into an extremely fun and energetic series. It reminds me of older cartoons from the 1980s, actually, when marketing wasn't the central point of the show. Making things even stranger is the rather old-fashioned style of the artwork, which makes it seem much older than it is.
While I previously mentioned that Orphen is probably being marketed towards people who liked the video game, it would appear that the simplicity of the game's story (I've read detailed impressions of the game, having not played it myself) has little to do with the anime. So, if you liked elements of the game's story, the series will probably feel more complete and substantive. Also, considering the rather low opinion of the game that the majority of Orphen fans seem to hold, it's probably best to just head for the show anyway.
Rating for Style: B+
Rating for Substance: B+
Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001 (Archive on Thursday, September 13, 2001)