GONZO's The Tower of Druaga: Aegis of Uruk - Talkback

[River26]

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/9237/6372ck3.jpg

Premiering this Friday is the first of two GONZO animes. Set to have it's simulcast on the same day as the anime in Japan.

Here's more on the story

The Summer of "Anu": In a summer once every five years, demons in the mysterious Tower of Druaga lose their powers due to the magic spell cast by a god named "Anu". King Gilgamesh, ruler of the kingdom Uruk, uses the appearance of demons as an excuse to invade the tower and find out the construct's secrets. As 80 years passed, the Uruk army managed to fight back the demons and built a fortress city and safe haven on the very first floor of Druaga - Metz Kier. Thus begins the story of a warrior named Gil who, finding companions along the way, embarks on a quest for the fabled Blue Crystal Rod, a powerful artifact rumored to be in the highest floor of Druaga. However, other competitors, including the kingdom of Uruk itself, want the treasure, all for their own reasons.


2nd Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ismm2cZtmFs)
Official Site (http://www.druaga-anime.com/) (JP)
English Site (http://www.druaga-anime.com/english/)

[Lord Dalek]

They made an anime off that old video game? The heck?

[purplehairedwonder]

This is another series I have on my list to check out... though my hopes aren't especially high for it.

[GWOtaku]

They made an anime off that old video game? The heck?

Its from a game? Oh. Well, perhaps it will surprise me.

[Peter Paltridge]

They made an anime off that old video game? The heck?
It was a major hit in Japan, but it's never caught on here, mainly because it's extremely repetitive.

[Quarkboy]

It was a major hit in Japan, but it's never caught on here, mainly because it's extremely repetitive.

Slight correction: They made a MMORPG remake of the classic hit nintendo game, and are promoting it with an anime based off the remake game.

The original game is one of those "99 levels that are all about the same" sort of games like bubble bobble or gauntlet. Supposedly once you get to the top of the "tower" and grab the treasure you are warped back down 60 floors and have to climb it AGAIN indefinitely :).

[River26]

Well, regardless. It does seem kind of interesting :).

Cant wait to see this show.

[Zenze14]

what channel does this anime show air on?

[Beat]

Youtube.

Yes, that Youtube. And it's legal.

[Mandouga]

Unfortunately, I looked it up on You Tube, and all I saw was repeated entries of the trailer. I didn't see any episodes posted.

Oh, and Quackboy, it was an arcade game originally (you called it a "nintendo game"). In the U.S., it can be found on:

Namco Museum vol. 3 (original Playstation)
Namco Museum DS
Namco Museum Battle Collection (PSP) (I think...)


The original game is one of those "99 levels that are all about the same" sort of games like bubble bobble or gauntlet. Supposedly once you get to the top of the "tower" and grab the treasure you are warped back down 60 floors and have to climb it AGAIN indefinitely :).

Not if you get the Blue Crystal Rod (which entails getting two other rods). Then you can (try to) defeat Druaga, afterwhich on the next level, you can attempt to rescue Ki (pronounced "Kai"), the game's "D-i-D".

[Beat]

I guess it hasn't aired in Japan just yet. That's the main reason I see.

I heard this was actually supposed to be more along the lines of comedy as well.

[River26]

Actually, I think Druaga already aired. Because ANN lists it as airing on Friday, the 4th. And they're already on Saturday.

[GWOtaku]

Bost TV is saying it will be made available starting today (the 4th), so it ought to be online at every participating service soon.

[garfield15]

It's on crunchyroll so it should be on the other sites soon.

EDIT: Okay, I just saw the first episode. First off, I'm not sure if this will play for some people. It works fine for me but some other people's comments kept on saying it was giving the message "Sorry, we cannot show this in your country" or something like that. I don't know. But enough about that

I'll say it right now: Not what I saw coming AT ALL!!!

It's obvious that the first episode is not really the first episode of the series for reasons that I will not explain due to spoilers, however, I really did not see this coming. Why? Because the first episode of this is, well, funny. I'm not kidding. The entire episode is a parody off of video game plots in general. Bad guy/turned friend, teammates dying (in hilarious ways), The fact that it takes nearly five minutes to charge an attack. All of this and more is parodied. Oh yeah, and did I mention there is a tentacle monster scene. Yeah, I watched that like three times. Not because of the obvious but because the dialogue of the characters as this girl is obviously being put in certain positions is just funny. But at the end, it turns out that...well, you'll just have to watch it to find out but that is where the story begins.

Now for some technical aspects. The animation is spectacular and flows nicely into the scenery. The seiyuu fit their characters well and the comedy (for this episode) is delivered in such a way that anyone who has seen every cliched anime plot will laugh at this.

The ending song is nice but it's the opening that really grabbed my attention (even if the last part of the song reminds me of the end of the first opening of Eureka Seven). However, there was one tiny problem with this. NO SUBS. Yeah, they didn't translate the songs and that kinda pissed me off. Not just because I wanted to sing along but I think they could have taken the time to translate it. But, whatever.

Now for the subs. They are...fine. Outside of the fact that the OP and ED songs are not subbed, everything that has a Japanese character in this show is. The title, the subtitles, the little pop-ups that come out at hilarious times. I still wish that they had put effects into the subs of the attacks like most fansubbers do, but it's only a minor thing.

Once again, outside of the OP and ED songs having no subs, other people should not see any fault with this. Check it out, not just for the show, but I think every anime fan should see the first episode if not just to say that they were a part of the new rise of anime on the net. And even if you don't like it, appreciate the fact that at least one Japanese company figured out what to do with their shows. Great job, GONZO.

My rating: 8.5/10 because as funny as it was, I wanted to see the main plot instantly.

[Baseball]

Just finished watching it. Let me say, wow. That was laugh out loud hilarious. I had no idea it would be a comedy, and I was pleasantly surprised. I really hope they'll be able to retain that feel for the rest of the series.

Edit: Here's the youtube link, for those of you who haven't found it yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vgQ6WJ8zhQ&fmt=18

[garfield15]

Okay I figured out why some people said they couldn't watch it. It's when you download it from any other country in the US. That's when you can't watch it. They're pretty pissed too because some people paid to download it and then the message came up that they couldn't watch it.

I feel their pain.

[River26]

So far, it's really good :).

Edit: lmao He says he has no girlfriend XD

[EscaflownePilot]

I quite liked it, though it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

Dialogue was clever with some very funny gags, facial expressions and seiyuu performances really made for some great scenes, and the animation in general was pretty well done. The opening and ending songs were catchy, the background music fitting (although not entirely memorable, yet).

Can't help but feel a certain emptyness over the way the episode ended - making it all feel for naught. But, then, clearly this is one of those "it's about the journey, not the end results" shows, so the faster I get that in my head, the better.

As for the release, Crunchyroll's stream was horrid and should be avoided at all costs - not just because Crunchyroll is unethical and deserves a hearty lawsuit, but now also because they've officially delivered some of the worst streaming quality I've ever seen for an "official" release of anything.

BOST TV's streaming quality was decent, and YouTube's was pretty well comperable, if not a bit worse. It's interesting to note that all three versions feature variations in the subtitle styling. I hate to say it, but as far as subtitles go, Crunchyroll's are the best, followed by YouTube's, then BOST TV's.

I have to disagree heartily with Garfield15 on the subtitles - I'm exceptionally pleased Gonzo didn't decide to do something stupid like slap a bunch of intrusive effects on the attack names or some obnoxious karaoke over the opening and ending - the whole point of watching anime subtitled is to get as close a feel of the original as possible, and having flashy effects all over the place merely serves as an intrusion and distraction from the show. Anytime you're looking at the subtitles and saying, "gee, that's pretty", you're being taken away from the show, which is a giant no-no. At best, using fonts to match stylized lettering on-screen is the most I'll go for, and that's exactly as far as GDH went with this, so A+ there. An OP/ED translation and romanji would be welcomed, but apparently that can't be helped due to licensing issues.

On the other hand, the downloadable versions on BOST TV (and, as I'm starting to hear, on Crunchyroll) all have subtitles placed outside the overscan area, making them absolutely useless for TV viewing. I can also tell that font size and weight are going to make TV visibility bad. So, bad job, there, Gonzo.

Overall, not a bad first effort into bringing legit streaming and downloading releases - the translation is solid, the overall subtitle work is well done, and the show itself is excellent. For the quality of encoding on all available platforms, I wouldn't pay a single cent for any of it (including BOST TV's streams and downloads) but it's more than acceptable for free.

[Mandouga]

Okay, I just saw the first half of the episode on You Tube Japan, and I have to ask.

Did Gonzo translate this themselves? Either way, I found one part of the translation to be predictable (late night airing or not): it has swearing (specifically an instance of the b-word that means a baby born out of wedlock, and an instance of the a-word). Now don't misunderstand me. It's not the swearing itself I'm complaining about, it's the predictability of the translation. It really isn't necessary to make a point. Couldn't they have had the "Sonic Arrow" guy just say "Why you...", and in the "Black Knight" scene. couldn't they have just said "Let's go get 'em!"? Still, I will watch the rest of the episode, and see what develops.

Oh, and BTW, so far while there are funny moments, it does appear to be a serious plot. Still, the second half will tell all...

UPDATE: Okay, this is weird. The entire first episode was all just a dream, and yet, it doesn't kill the whole series like in most situations. I guess it has to do with the fact that it is both a serious adventure story, while (and at the same time) being a parody of the conventions found in video games (especially RPGs). I will say however that that Star Wars reference was uncalled for (even though I did laugh like a hyena...).

Still, I don't know if I'll watch the whole series (provided Gonzo decides to release the entire series this way). To me it looks like it could be just one studio's personal vision of the Druaga "universe" rather than a true "sequel".

FYI: The Druaga "universe" I mention consists of (in chronological order):

The Quest of Ki (Famicom)
The Tower of Druaga (arcade)
The Return of Ishtar (arcade)
The Blue Crystal Rod (Super Famicom)

[Jave]

"If you want to fight me, you'll have to defeat me first!"

LOL

[GWOtaku]

Heh...

The Crimson Knight, Black Knight: I will stain the ground with your blood before you can pester Lord Druaga!
Jil: W-What did you say?!
Knight: ...Didn't you hear me?
Jil: Yeah, I heard you all right.
Knight: Okay, then prepare yourself!

[GWOtaku]

Okay, being the mecha fan that I am I know I'm biased, but just look at that scene with final attack toward the end. Horns on the Helmet, the look of his shield and the rest of the armor, how Jil literally uses the spirits of his friends to fight...that's without question a spoof aimed directly at Zeta Gundam. And a good one at that.

Possibly my favorite joke is the "by the way, I'm going to get married..." gag. Excellent slam against the "develop em right before they die" cliche.

For that matter, I'm impressed so many cliches were made fun of in just one episode. That's it, this is a series I'm following. This could be Slayers-esque, right here.

[River26]

It seems like it's a comedic twist on a fantasy anime. Like they'd throw comedic lines instead of serious "I'm gonna korosu you"-type of lines.

[Mandouga]

Okay, being the mecha fan that I am I know I'm biased, but just look at that scene with final attack toward the end. Horns on the Helmet, the look of his shield and the rest of the armor, how Jil literally uses the spirits of his friends to fight...that's without question a spoof aimed directly at Zeta Gundam. And a good one at that

Actually, that has happened in COUNTLESS fantasy anime, manga, and video games (the "spirit of ones friends" thing). I don't know where you got the idea that it was a Gundam reference.

When the hero faces the main villain of the story (e.g., Sailor Moon against Queen Beryl for instance), it looks as though he/she will lose, until he/she thinks about the people that matter to him/her most. The hero uses that as inspiration to draw inner strength from, and to keep fighting, ultimately winning what appears to be a losing battle.

The scene you refer to was a parody of that particular convention used in anime, manga and video games.

[ChibiGoku]

...Ok, this would explain WHY the series was originally listed as a 13 episode series, and now is listed as 12.

Ok, first off, the episode 1 you guys saw, is not the only version of the episode in existance. Apparently Gonzo created two versions of the episode, one where we see the dream sequence of Jil, while the other version, actually shows what is happening while Jil is knocked out. The later version is only available on a Japanese streaming site. To be honest, the episode you guys saw, is extremely misleading as to what the show is going to be like. The other version still has alot of comedy, but it seems to be quite more serious, and isn't a parody of the game the anime is based off of.

So if you enjoyed episode 1, because of it's comedy aspect, you might be slightly disapointed as to what to actually expect from now on.

[Beat]

Do we get the other Episode 1 next week then?

[ChibiGoku]

Well, it's available here (http://www.gyao.jp/anime/druaga2/) for free, (raw only) though I'm not sure if it's region restricted, though. Some of their videos aren't, while some are.

And it doesn't look like this version of episode 1 will go on air.

[Katsumara]

Oh man, that was actually pretty awesome. Jin is a funny character and the Dark Knight (BLACK KNIGHT!) bit was hilarious. Looking forward to more.

In other news, I loved the opening. I must find it.

[garfield15]

Did anyone else notice that the opening's (in all it's awesomeness) last 30 seconds or so were very similar to the last few seconds of the Eureka Seven opening

I also liked how there was a movie poster for the show as if it was a promo for itself in the opening. Maybe it means there will be a Druaga movie in september

[GWOtaku]

Actually, that has happened in COUNTLESS fantasy anime, manga, and video games (the "spirit of ones friends" thing). I don't know where you got the idea that it was a Gundam reference.

When the hero faces the main villain of the story (e.g., Sailor Moon against Queen Beryl for instance), it looks as though he/she will lose, until he/she thinks about the people that matter to him/her most. The hero uses that as inspiration to draw inner strength from, and to keep fighting, ultimately winning what appears to be a losing battle.

The scene you refer to was a parody of that particular convention used in anime, manga and video games.

In Zeta, the protagonist uses psychic abilites to literally call on the spirits of dead friends as he makes a final strike against the villain at the end. Also like I said his armor was awfully stylistically similar to a Gundam. So while its been done and its a general cliche they targeted, I do think they singled out Zeta.

[Katsumara]

Did anyone else notice that the opening's (in all it's awesomeness) last 30 seconds or so were very similar to the last few seconds of the Eureka Seven opening

I also liked how there was a movie poster for the show as if it was a promo for itself in the opening. Maybe it means there will be a Druaga movie in september\

Yeah, I noticed that. At the end of episode 1, Jil made a comment about a lack of girlfriend, which made me lol btw. The end of the opening has him and this brunette seemingly together or something, doing the whole Eureka/Renton thing with holding hands at the end. It was sort of bittersweet honestly, as I miss E7.

[Demonic Raven]

Hah, this was totally hilarious. I realize from now on it will probably be a bit more serious, but it was a great start in my opinion. The show was basically saying "Alright, you know all of these crappy cliches, right? Well here they are..all comically presented in a dream sequence, and we will never ever use them in a serious context." At least that's what I hope it was saying...

Also guys...I'm planning on getting married when I go back to my hometown!

*suddenly maimed and killed*

[garfield15]

NOOO Those words are taboo now. Say them and you'll die in a hysterical way

Why hasn't anyone said anything about the tentacle almost-rape scene. Best part of the whole episode

"We should help her"
"Not yet, It's just getting good"
(sensual screaming)
"Not yet?"
"Wait just a little bit longer!"
(sensual "Nooo")
"How long are you going to watch, you perverts!"
"Okay, everyone attack"

[Baseball]

I'm totally loving this anime on demand service. Honestly, I wish every show did this. Not only are the subtitled episodes lightning quick, but it's totally legal as well. Props, Gonzo. I hope more companies follow in their footsteps. At the very least, I'm now looking forward to watching this every week.

[garfield15]

(Begins to pray for SOUL EATER and Code Geass R2 to be like this)

[Anyone00]

This looks like it could be good.

The main character seems to be the party meat-shield and I'm guessing the black-haired girl seen in the op and end (that seems will be the main love interest) well be the party's heal-bot (every party needs a heal-bot).

[Rob_TF]

This looks like it could be good.

The main character seems to be the party meat-shield and I'm guessing the black-haired girl seen in the op and end (that seems will be the main love interest) well be the party's heal-bot (every party needs a heal-bot).

Hahah, according to the official website, here are the classes for the characters.

Jil's Party:
Jil - Guardian
Kaya - Oracle
Ermay - Lancer
Melt - Mage
Coopa - Servant

Neeba's Party:
Neeba - Archer
Fatina - Mage
Kally - Scout
Utu - Attacker

It appears you're right about the meat-shield and heal-bot thing.

Also, "Kaya", "Ermay", "Melt" and "Coopa" are not official spellings so don't be surprised if any of them are different when next episode's subs come.

[GWOtaku]

Hah, this was totally hilarious. I realize from now on it will probably be a bit more serious, but it was a great start in my opinion. The show was basically saying "Alright, you know all of these crappy cliches, right? Well here they are..all comically presented in a dream sequence, and we will never ever use them in a serious context." At least that's what I hope it was saying...

Hmm, that's very possible. It'll be interesting to see where it goes from here, but I have to say that even if the series is a flop this episode will stand as something pretty darn great.



Also guys...I'm planning on getting married when I go back to my hometown!

*suddenly maimed and killed*

Hey, me too!

*stabbed in the back*

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

[Mandouga]

Hahah, according to the official website, here are the classes for the characters.

Jil's Party:
Jil - Guardian
Kaya - Oracle
Ermay - Lancer
Melt - Mage
Coopa - Servant

Neeba's Party:
Neeba - Archer
Fatina - Mage
Kally - Scout
Utu - Attacker

It appears you're right about the meat-shield and heal-bot thing.

Also, "Kaya", "Ermay", "Melt" and "Coopa" are not official spellings so don't be surprised if any of them are different when next episode's subs come.

Especially Kaya. It could very well be "Kia", since she is a descendant of the bloodline of Ki (which again, is pronounced "Kai"), who, also again, was the damsel in distress from the original arcade game.

[bigddan11]

Well, I thought it was more serious thn everyone has been saying, but the phrase about being married means the hero should have been killed at the end of his dream instead of saving the world. I love how they had the three knights (which were 4 knights), the varous and unpredictable deaths, the knocking out of Neeba, and all these other unpredictable hero traits. It was enough to keep me interested at least one more week.

[FlyByNite77]

I thought the best part was the comedic dream sequence so I am a little bummed to find out it may have been the abnormality in the series and the rest will be more standard fare, but we shall see.

[garfield15]

Why isn't anyone talking about the hilarious tentacle almost-rape scene. Best part of the episode

[GWOtaku]

It was funny, but there isn't much more to say about it beyond that.

[Baseball]

The best character was obviously the Innkeeper. He needs to show up more.

[Beat]

After the reactions from just about everyone, I'm worried that if this show goes serious, it'll be the death of it.

[GWOtaku]

After the reactions from just about everyone, I'm worried that if this show goes serious, it'll be the death of it.

That'll depend. I went into this expecting a serious fantasy actually, so if it defaults to that I won't be feeling very disappointed.

[Kazoo]

Good first episode (very funny). Looking forward to the next episode.

The opening seemed to be a mix of other openings I have seen elsewhere (mainly Kamichu and Eureka Seven).

[bigddan11]

Why isn't anyone talking about the hilarious tentacle almost-rape scene. Best part of the episode
Could it be that not everyone found it funny. All I could think about was how perverted he was being by not saving her sooner and keeping everyone else at bay. If I had been there, I would have knocked him out, saved her, and then let the monsters have him for being such a jerk.

[Tash]

I almost hurt myself laughing when he knocked the guy out, then forgot which way he was supposed to be running. It reminded me of Gintama.

Then again, it seems the whole series won't be like this, so I'll have to wait until next week to decide if it's worth watching.

[macattack]

I could not help but chuckle at the appearance of The Crimson Knight: BLACK KNIGHT. :D And, BTW, it's not Dark Knight for the last time! :sweat:

Utu you fool! Never say you're going to get married right before a battle! You forgot a cardinal rule!

Poor Fatina. You know, with friends like those . . .

That's one of the better burned-to-a-crisp gags I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them.

Stupid Dar-er, I mean Black Knight. :sweat: Why do you have to committ the worst verbal taboo of all time like Utu there?

Did anyone notice how freaking big that key was in the reflection of the water?

They're called the Three Knights, but there's four . . . okay . . .

Eh, doesn't matter. They get blown away and vaporized in a nice big explosion.

Neeba, left behind because Jil doesn't make sense. What a tragedy.

And now JIL committs the stupid "let's get married" taboo! Don't you idiots ever learn? :sweat: And why does it always have to be the males who say such stupid things?

Princess=Ancient History. Oh, the fickleness of love . . .

Wow . . . for a god . . . he's not exactly imposing . . .

"Jil, I AM YOUR FATHER!" Why did it not surprise me when they resorted to that?

Fatina . . . really doesn't like the father-in-law, does she? I liked how they organized the subtitles with her background rants on top while Druaga talks normally . . . about THE SAME FREAKING TABOO. Wait, since Jil committed the taboo too, does that mean they kill each other?

DBZ powerups apparently don't work in this anime. Ouch.

And there's the innkeeper . . . and there goes the innkeeper . . .

I am suddenly reminded of a certain recent Gainax production . . .

Okay, inspiration overload . . .

Enough summarizing. The whole episode was just priceless. 100% priceless.

I love Gonzo's blend of 2D and 3D animation, they seem to get better with it every year.

The soundtrack was a bit on the generic side but it was passable for me. It was better during the goofier moments than the pseudo-serious ones, though.

[Ultra8]

..........Awesome............

You can just tell they had fun making this , and I had just as much fun watching it. Sure it was a dream seqeunce and the next episode will probably be different, but I'm looking forward to it just the same.

Highlights:
-Cool Op and weird intro(quite unexpected)
-say the taboo word and suffer the consequences:evil:
-The Tentacle incident was hillarious, I'm surprised they got away with some parts of that.:eek: :D
-Jil's logic isn't really logic
-The End Boss sure is small, and is your father, and is getting remarried:D :D
-Use the strength of your friends, enemies, and random passers by to physically beat the End Boss.
-Cool ED

[Anyone00]

"Why can't we hurt this kid?"
"Because this is a no PvP area."

I know he was injured but that's what I was thinking during that scene.

Meat-Shield + Heal-Bot = A match made in heaven. (http://emperorjustin.deviantart.com/art/Team-Fortress-Pals-66690074):p

[Jave]

Episode 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kksLqVjn_u8&feature=user) was posted yesterday. Definitely not in the same mood as episode 1, but the plot started to kick in, and I like it. I'll be following this one.

[bigddan11]

So the hero Jil is actually the younger half brother of Neeba. I guess it makes sense why he'd knock him out and leave him behind. He probably wanted to get revenge for anytimes he might have been picked on. Jil gets fired but gets put into a new party. His fighting actually seemed better this time. I'm glad we've got our oracle and lancer introduced now. Those are always two of my favorite fighters. We also get the revelation that Jil wants to be the hero because he has always had a problem saving anyone. Does anybody get the sneaky suspicion he might blame himself for his parents death? I know that's jumping to conclusions, but it would make sense when you look at his current desires.

The beloved King didn't last long. At least he didn't bring his charming daughter with him. There were some cool comic moments, though it wasn't many compared to episode 1. I look forward to episode 3 next week.

[Baseball]

Good episode. I was really interested in the plot, so hopefully I stay that way. I don't want the characters falling into any general clichés.

[River26]

Yeah, at least they entertained us with the start of the anime ^^. With ep 1 being all comedic.

[Captain Highwind]

It's been a while since I've watched an anime that advances several plots in the first three episodes. Also, I like the subtle humor.

Gonna keep my eye on this...

[Anyone00]

That's what every mage needs: a caddie.

[Ultra8]

An interesting 2nd episode.
Jil loses a group and gains a group in the 2 new girls(though that Kayaa, seems to move to the beat of her own drum), encounters an assaination plot, and looks like he might be in even more trouble come eps. 3. Man talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Looking forward to the next one.

[Katsumara]

Episodes 2 and 3 were great. D: I'm really enjoying this series.

[Mandouga]

I just saw episode 5, and it was clearly a filler episode--a comedy episode that does nothing to advance the story, AND a bad one at that.

The 4 8-bit tributes were okay I guess, but in this episode which involves traps, there was this "gender-switching" trap which went on for several minutes near the beginning. I ultimately started going "URUSAI DA!" (loosely translated: "Shut up, already!"). Then there was the bit where they had to give a "funny performance" to get through the door. It ended with Jil-tachi having to turn back...because not even the "legendary Roper dance" worked (since Neeba had already used it!).

(disgusted grunt) Is GONZO always like this?! If they're going to make a filler episode, can't they make one WORTH watching? Oh wait...filler episodes are NEVER worth watching (IMPO), never mind. Really though, I ask you: was this trip really necessary?

In any case, I think I'm beginning to understand how Japanese viewers feel. They have to watch this stuff on a regular basis...

[garfield15]

Hey I thought the traps were pretty funny.

Did anyone notice that the guy who was telling them all to do a funny act was the same voice as the narrator from Hayate the Combat Butler.

[SigmasonicX]

I too thought this episode was very amusing.

And I believe the stage guy was voiced by Norio Wakamoto, aka one of the most manly voices ever. Some of his other (JPN) voices include Victoreem (Gash/Zatch Bell), the Emperor (Code Geass), and Cell (DBZ).

[Anyone00]

You at least have to give them credit for the Coopa trap :p

[garfield15]

You at least have to give them credit for the Coopa trap :p

Almost as deadly as the hammer-gun I would say

[v1cious]

i personally wish there more like this, the epic 8 bit roper battle had me cracking up. that was the best episode since the first one in my opinion.

[Katsumara]

I too thought this episode was hilarious. D: I for one don't mind fillers when they actually contain something funny, and I loved this. The gender-swap was awesome.

[Joe]

This series looks like it might be silly enough to give a shot.

[Ultra8]

Hillarious.:D :D
Gotta love the Gender-swap trap(and all things that spun out of that), 8-bit, Coopa, Animal-costume, Kemono, ect. not to mention to Roper Song from lil' Jil & Neeba flashbacks.

[garfield15]

Today's ep was spectacular. From some much-needed closure between Jil and Neeba, to Coopa's sales pitch, to an awesome dragon fight (even thought it fell down a hole so everybody got screwed out of their money). This series gets better and better

4 things though

1. Everytime I look at Coopa, all I think about is the Coopa trap from the week before last and I crack up

2. Okay that blue girl at the end is really starting to creep me out. (You know, the one who looks like they based her design off of KOS-MOS?) However, does anyone else think that it wouldn't be too far from the truth to say that she may or may not be Druaga itself?

3. One-winged Dragon...Well there had to a Final Fantasy reference somewhere

4. I was literally screaming at my computer "AIM FOR THE GIANT GLOWING SACS OF FIRE IN HIS CHEST. ITS RIGHT THERE." Seriously, why the heck couldn't anyone except Neeba get that. It was big and flashy and I mean come on...ANY video gamer could have figured it out. It didn't take a whole episode.

The cameo from the creator of the game during the preview was funny. "How did you people beat this game without the Internet?" That is a very good question.

[Katsumara]

Today's ep was spectacular. From some much-needed closure between Jil and Neeba, to Coopa's sales pitch, to an awesome dragon fight (even thought it fell down a hole so everybody got screwed out of their money). This series gets better and better

4 things though

1. Everytime I look at Coopa, all I think about is the Coopa trap from the week before last and I crack up

2. Okay that blue girl at the end is really starting to creep me out. (You know, the one who looks like they based her design off of KOS-MOS?) However, does anyone else think that it wouldn't be too far from the truth to say that she may or may not be Druaga itself?

3. One-winged Dragon...Well there had to a Final Fantasy reference somewhere

4. I was literally screaming at my computer "AIM FOR THE GIANT GLOWING SACS OF FIRE IN HIS CHEST. ITS RIGHT THERE." Seriously, why the heck couldn't anyone except Neeba get that. It was big and flashy and I mean come on...ANY video gamer could have figured it out. It didn't take a whole episode.

The cameo from the creator of the game during the preview was funny. "How did you people beat this game without the Internet?" That is a very good question.

You pointed out pretty much everything I'd point out if I was reviewing the episode, Haha. This episode was so great. I loved the last one just for the fun of the episode, but this was great too. The Dragon fight and what not was fantastic, and the Neeba/Jil stuff was good too.

The Blue Ghost-like girl.. yeah. She gets me too. She's clearly an important character, and yeah. Maybe it is Druaga? Then again, Neeba seems to know her from somewhere, like she was a past lover or something? Who knows. We're only through seven episodes, so we have to wait and see!

[Mandouga]

The "blue-haired" ghost girl is "Succubus" who appeared in the original arcade game in the form of "fake Ishtar". She doesn't appear until until near the end of the game. You had to destroy her to get the chest to appear. If you picked her up, you were forced to either go back to an earlier floor or start the game over from the beginning (don't know which; it never happened to me).

The creator of the original game (the one who did the next episode preview) is Masanobu Endoh. He was also the original designer of Xevious, another Namco game. Personally, I thought it was a well executed non-sequitur (in consideration of the previous next episode previews).


4. I was literally screaming at my computer "AIM FOR THE GIANT GLOWING SACS OF FIRE IN HIS CHEST. ITS RIGHT THERE." Seriously, why the heck couldn't anyone except Neeba get that. It was big and flashy and I mean come on...ANY video gamer could have figured it out. It didn't take a whole episode.

I believe that was the point of the whole gag. It's an obvious weakness, but the hero (Jil) has to have it spelled out for him. It's a parody of boss fights from video games, which lends itself to the fact that The Tower of Druaga was a classic arcade video game originally.

At least I think that's how it works...

[Mandouga]

Okay, this thread is long overdue for an update, especially since it concerns something that may be of importance regarding the YouTube showing.

I was watching episode 10, and all throughout, I saw a while banner which as the episode began (w/o the Gonzo logo, which was shown at the end) said "Thanks for watching", after which it went to advertise Gonzo's Crunchyroll site for the show.

Now, this worries me. I hope we will be able to see the last 3 episodes on YouTube. I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't want to have to go to Crunchyroll to watch the show, what with it's somewhat bad reputation (well, YouTube's is somewhat better, I guess...). Also, I don't want to have to pay to see the show at BOST TV's website if I really shouldn't need to.

As for the episode itself, we finally learn why Neeba doesn't think Jil has what it takes to defeat Druaga. Neeba is essentially the stereotypical "expert/veteran" who has no faith in the rookie/newcomer, probably stemming from personal experience, or some kind of personal tragedy. In this case, the fact that Neeba and Jil are brothers makes it even more dramatic. Neeba thinks that it isn't enough to want to climb the the tower just to "be a hero" as he believes Jil does (which he also says is why their father climbed the tower, implying that their father died climbing the tower). Neeba thinks Jil can't do it because Neeba essentially thinks Jil is a slacker; thinking that Jil doesn't have any "ambition", and is really just being "selfish". If anything, Neeba is the one being selfish. He even went so far as to tell Jil not to try to help him again (Jil saved his life in one scene). That said, I think Neeba is just being a crybaby, and an ungrateful one at that. In any event, Neeba is convinced that Jil will fail. However, something tells me that as serious as it looked, it may actually be part of the gag. After all, the hero (in this case, Jil) always wins, right?... :)

Anyhow, here's hoping we can see the remaining episodes on YouTube...

EDIT: Oh dear. I just realized I double posted. Whoops...

[garfield15]

However, something tells me that as serious as it looked, it may actually be part of the gag. After all, the hero (in this case, Jil) always wins, right?... :)


The way this show has been going, that wouldn't be too far from the truth.

So there is a good Ishtar (I'm guessing the red one is Ishtar) and a bad one (Succubus). Oh yeah and 10 guys fighting a giant CGI monster in the next episode. Cool.

My list of ******bags in anime

1. Sasuke
2. Suzaku Kururugi
3. Gemini Spark

And newcomer

4.NEEBA

Man, I used to think this guy was cool. I mean, how many badass male archers do we get in anime these days. I mean the last one I remember was Uryu. This episode proved that I now hate Neeba. Oh and that kiss was so fake.

[Demonic Raven]

Episode 12...the big finale!

That was a pretty big cliffhanger. Of course we will be getting a sequel, "Sword of Uruk" in 2009.

Overall not bad, but it left a lot of questions open.

[garfield15]

For those of you who thought that the first season of Code Geass had the worst cliffhanger of all time in anime...I'm sorry to say

WE WERE SO DEAD WRONG

Okay, this has got to be one of the worst if not the worst(and by worst I mean kickass) cliffhangers in anime history. I mean this looked like it was actually going to have a clean ending, but nooooooo. They added the following plot twists

1. The "Druaga" that was defeated is just a guardian for the real threat. That's right. That CGI monster that they spent 3 freaking episodes fighting was the guardian
2. The Blue Crystal Rod is actually a key for an even bigger tower
3. King Gilgamesh has the real or maybe first Blue Crystal Rod (he also killed someone)
4. There are some new bad guys on the way

and to top it all off

5. NEEBA AND KAAYA BETRAYED EVERYBODY. I mean, I kinda saw it coming with Neeba and I thought Kaaya would probably do something messed up but to this degree? Garfield15 sure didn't think so.

To top all this off, Jil has been separated from everyone except Fatina (bow-chika-wow-wow) and ended up back in Meskia. He also has resolved to re-climb the tower. Now I probably would have been pissed but luckily after the credits it showed an image for Season 2 coming in 2009 entitled The Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk. And if I must say something it is this.

GONZO, if you would, please, please subtitle this again. I mean you don't end a series like that and then decide not to do the second one the same way you did the first. That's just wrong. Overall a delightful series with a messed-up cliffhanger (or is it cliffhangers?) I pray that they do Season 2 just like they did this one

(And yes Kaaya and Jill kissed...and it was awesome)

[Mandouga]

I don't know if you could tell, but Kaaya actually regretted what she "had" to do. It's not like she was a bad person like Neeba is. She really cares about Jil and everybody. I think she and Neeba have some kind of connection to either the Tower or to Druaga which of course we won't know until the next series comes...next year...which us non-Japanese may or may not be able to see (and presumably in July...just like the poster said in the opening).

I also now see that Neeba doesn't believe in heroes, and that's why he hates Jil's guts (and not just him either, but also their own father). However, what really gets me is that Neeba had played everybody (including his own party)from the very beginning (especially since he knew exactly what was coming, and knew exactly what to do in every situation), even his own brother, and while Kaaya was part of it, she truly regrets her role in the whole thing; she was truly sad about it.

Call me crazy, but something tells me that in some extent or another, Neeba may actually be the "bad guy". Further, if King Gilgamesh is what I think he is, this battle may be more personal for Jil then we are being led to believe.

At any rate, I'm not so sure we can count on seeing the sequel series streamed like this one was. We can't even be sure this "experiment" will be repeated again (let alone with this one particular anime), especially after how Gonzo messed up on their delivery of episodes 10 and 11 to YouTube. So, let's just hope Gonzo will even consider doing this again...

[garfield15]

I don't know if you could tell, but Kaaya actually regretted what she "had" to do. It's not like she was a bad person like Neeba is. She really cares about Jil and everybody. I think she and Neeba have some kind of connection to either the Tower or to Druaga which of course we won't know until the next series comes...next year...which us non-Japanese may or may not be able to see (and presumably in July...just like the poster said in the opening).

I also now see that Neeba doesn't believe in heroes, and that's why he hates Jil's guts (and not just him either, but also their own father). However, what really gets me is that Neeba had played everybody (including his own party)from the very beginning (especially since he knew exactly what was coming, and knew exactly what to do in every situation), even his own brother, and while Kaaya was part of it, she truly regrets her role in the whole thing; she was truly sad about it.

Call me crazy, but something tells me that in some extent or another, Neeba may actually be the "bad guy". Further, if King Gilgamesh is what I think he is, this battle may be more personal for Jil then we are being led to believe.

At any rate, I'm not so sure we can count on seeing the sequel series streamed like this one was. We can't even be sure this "experiment" will be repeated again (let alone with this one particular anime), especially after how Gonzo messed up on their delivery of episodes 10 and 11 to YouTube. So, let's just hope Gonzo will even consider doing this again...

I will be pissed beyond all hopes of recognition if I never get to see the second season.

[Katsumara]

Yeah. You two nailed it. This was a bad cliffhanger (in a good way) that has me wanting more and excited to see a second season. Not as excited as I am about 00's second season, but it rivals it. It was so awesome.

The JillxKaaya kiss was all I hoped for D: That and she apologized for something she'd have to do, but never got the chance to say what exactly. That does show me that she regrets betraying Jil and the rest of her friends. Neeba on the other hand can rot in hell. Something tells me he's got alterior motives up in the next tower and could come across as a hero in a sense, but another part of me tells me that he could truly be the villain and selfish.

As far as Gilgamesh goes, I think he just killed the people who didn't believe in Climbers or the expedition to the Tower of Druaga. I'm not sure on that though. There's some backstory to Gilgamesh that we aren't getting, and some sort of relation between the Pink Kaaya-ish spirit (whom I assume is Ishtar) and Gil. (It's funny that there's a "Gil" and a Jil too.)

As far as Jil and Fatina goes, who knows what will happen. Maybe they'll find their old party members and team up to go back to the top? Maybe she won't even want to go back to the Tower. Then again, maybe Fatina will start to fall for Jill since he saved her and all... /sigh. We won't know until the second season, which I hope we can see in the same way. =[

[Mandouga]

"The Pink Kaaya-ish spirit"? It sounds to me like you're describing Ki (pronounced "Kai"); she was the "damsel-in-distress" in the original arcade game. She referred to herself as a "ghost of the tower" in a previous episode. Although I don't remember any pink.

Or were you describing someone else?

[Anyone00]

So the prize at the end wasn't the Blue Crystal Rod but an expansion pack.


As far as Gilgamesh goes, I think he just killed the people who didn't believe in Climbers or the expedition to the Tower of Druaga. I'm not sure on that though.

And I think the advisor he killed was one of the ones that conspired to have him assassinated.

And we see that wind mage was working for a evil killer loli.

Well I waiting for the next series.

[Demonic Raven]

The sequel series/second season, Sword of Uruk, will be coming next month. Gonzo released this PV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjHWhd-Lk0) today, but it doesn't reveal a whole lot. Still, it should be pretty good. I need to rewatch Aegis for sure, though (it's been a while).

"One more time!"

[Rob_TF]

The sequel series/second season, Sword of Uruk, will be coming next month. Gonzo released this PV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjHWhd-Lk0) today, but it doesn't reveal a whole lot. Still, it should be pretty good. I need to rewatch Aegis for sure, though (it's been a while).

"One more time!"

Well, the whole website was updated for Sword.

http://www.druaga-anime.com/

Season 2 characters on the character page, in order of their icons:

(All names that have no officially translated names have been left in direct romaji readings. Asterisk marked characters appear to be the ones in Jil's party for the second season.)

Jil*
Kaaya
Melt
Coopa
Neeba
Fatina*
Utu*
Kelb
Ethana
Henaro*
"The girl who calls herself 'Ki'"* (In the summary for the first episode, she's referred to as "Girl Ki" or "Shoujo Ki." I've nicknamed her "Loli-Ki".)
Akura
Uraagon
Guremia
Shiera (Anime Magazine Original Character)