Power Stone (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Takamiro Oomori
Character Designs by Tadashi Shida
Art Direction by Satoshi Miura

Features:

• None
  

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• gravity defying women’s pants
• asinine, incompetent villains
• ninjas you’ll want to smack silly

Rating: 12+ for some reason, probably safe for much younger

Anamorphic: N/A

My Advice: Skip it, unless you're trying to entertain eight-year-olds

Based on the video game, the anime series Power Stone is a similar romp through anime for younger viewers. Edward Falcon dreams of being a world-famous martial artist, just like his hero, Valgas. Edward’s father, however, an archeologist, has different ideas. He sends his son a magic rock, known as a Power Stone, which gives Edward the ability to transform into a super-powerful warrior with quasi-magical abilities, and there the adventure begins. Reluctantly, Edward finds himself wrapped up in the business of protecting his stone against the many factions who want the stone’s power for themselves.

Along the way, Edward is joined by a host of secondary characters, such as Rouge the oracle, Wang Tang the temple-instructed warrior and cook, and Ryoma, the samurai. All of these heroes eventually earn Power Stones of their own, each with unique powers and effects, but all powerful and useful. The ninjas who manage to be completely devoid of anything resembling menace (or, say, intelligence) also deserve a special mention, as do their physics-defying headgear.

This title has an interesting premise: a fantasy/mystery that travels all over very different lands in search of Pride Falcon, Edward’s father, and the other stones. Unfortunately, the execution is somewhat lacking. The characters never really gain a personality of their own, other than a brief caricature. For example, Ryoma is always “the one who wants to fight with Edward.” Aside for a subtle fling of sorts with Rouge, who has in turn stolen Edward’s heart, that’s all there really is to Ryoma, which is a shame. Even the episodes “The Black Crystal” and “Red Moon,” which should really give Rouge and her culture a chance to shine, just come across more as take-offs of The Arabian Nights, but not as interesting.

The extras are non-existent. How about a look at the parent game? An interview with the creators on what it is like to adapt a game for the television? Even a gallery? It is nice, however, to have four or five episodes on each disc. Would that more companies would go this route, especially when they don’t go to the trouble to add features.

In short, had the characters been deeper and more engaging and the cultures more differentiated, this could have been a truly thoughtful and interesting, not to mention fun, young teen’s anime title. As it is, however, it is really only engaging to younger children--younger than the recommended ages--who would be charmed by the bright colors and wild costumes. Children old enough to appreciate titles like Dragonball Z or Cardcaptors are sophisticated enough to recognize pabulum when it’s handed to them, and they won’t appreciate it. Had the creators decided to go a bit older and more menacing with this title, it would have been much better, but instead, Power Stone probably won’t do much more than distract its intended age range instead of making them love it, and even attracting older viewers as it could have done. Even Rouge’s gratuitously suggestive costuming can’t save this series. The series is not bad overall, but not nearly as good as it could have been.