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Written by maehara
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Sunday, 11 May 2008 16:00 |
 Druaga goes back to its comic roots with this episode - although in a way that's different enough from episode one's shenanigans to make is a different and altogether more enjoyable experience. Be prepared for the cuteness overload that is the Coopa Trap...
With the Tower being a long and difficult climb, it's only natural that Jil and the gang should take a shortcut when one is offered. Unfortunately, the shortcut seems to have been well littered with traps by a mischevious and long-dead magician known as Ziusudra (something Ahmey seems to have known about for forgotten to mention) - nothing dangerous, just simple short-term magical transformations that major on embarrasment, like gender swaps and cosplay outfits. But the gang are unaware that the worst trap of all awaits them at the end of the path. Meanwhile, Kelb and his massive army are having similar problems with their own ascent of the Tower, while Neeba seems to have this trap business sussed...
Well, this was a lot of fun. Seriously. I slated the first episode for trying too hard to be funny, but falling flat on its face - this episode tries equally hard, and nails it. I was laughing almost constantly throughout, as each trap the gang triggered just got more and more bizarre, and I loved every minute of it. There are even a few scenes which slip into an 8-bit RPG graphic style ("I feel all blocky and flat.."), referencing the game roots of the series in a way you can't help but appreciate. It's all very well done.
Of course, all that fun comes at the expense of story - there's really nothing here, apart from a (suitably funny) brief look into Jil & Neeba's past - away from that, it's all just setup and payoff for one visual gag after another. Given this is only a 13-episode series, I'm beginning to have my doubts that anyone will reach the top of the Tower before the end of the series - but if the rest of the series is this enjoyable, I really won't care.
It's not all Jil & co that are having problems, of course - Neeba's group is also caught up in the traps, as is Lord Kelb and his Earth-shaking army. Kelb becomes more of a caricature everytime you see him - from his appearance in episode 2 as a serious adventurer, head and shoulders above the rest of the Tower climbers, he's now reduced to someone who manages to get his huge army lost. In a straight passageway. Whether he's meant to be a serious contender for first to reach the top or he's just there for comic relief, I don't know - but he's not doing a very good job at the moment. The real mystery is with Neeba's group and the true intentions behind his little adventure (which may or may not include the other members of his group) - there's still the odd hint dropped here that there's something he's not admitting to, but it's never really dealt with, as there are far funnier things to be dealing with.
Druaga's first episode was comedy done badly; this episode is comedy done right, and it's perhaps a lesson in how fine a line that comedy has to straddle that there's very little difference in tone between the two. It's a difficult thing to really nail, but for me, they've nailed it here. Your mileage may vary - but if Druaga keeps this up, it's in with a shout of being one of my favourite shows of the year so far.
Watch this episode
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