|
R1 DVD Reviews
|
|
Written by maehara
|
|
Tuesday, 18 January 2005 12:31 |
 I'll admit, Rune Soldier definitely can't be considered a 'current' release - but it is a fun little show. Inhabiting the same basic genre as Slayers (comedy in a fantasy world), it takes the cast of a typical Dungeons & Dragons game and has a little fun with them. Check that, a lot of fun with them...
5 - Inexperienced Extracurricular Lessons
Louie's got a new magic wand - although despite strict instructions
from his father never to break it again, you get the feeling it may not
last much longer than the last one. He's itching for a chance to
try it out, so when Melissa reluctantly asks him to join them on a
training mission for some of the girls from the temple, he's keen to join
in. Just so long as no-one mentions that he's Melissa's 'chosen
one'. That would really ruin her image with the cadets...
Annoyingly for Louie, the only chance he gets to prove his hero
credentials is when no-one but Melissa is able to see it - and even
then he still can't quite manage it...
6 - Die for Love
The other man in Melissa's life definitely seems to fit the description
of 'hero' better than Louie does. Conrad, her 'excessively
self-conscious and mental exhibitionist' former fiancé (according to
Ila) is in town, and determined to win her back. Apparently the
word 'no' isn't in his vocabulary. Needing an excuse, she
mentions that she has already found the hero she's meant to serve -
Louie. Unwilling to accept defeat, Conrad challenges Louie to a
duel - in seven days time. At first Melissa's keen on the idea -
the Conrad she knew was always hopeless at fighting - but it seems he's
had some practice since then. Is she doomed to marry a man she
doesn't love? Is Louie destined to become Conrad's whipping boy?
7 - Merrill's Jar
There's nothing Merrill loves more than money, except possibly more
money. She's made quite the killing after running a book on
Louie's duel with Conrad, and now it's time to enjoy her misbegotten
gains, which she's been keeping safely in a jar in her room. Or
at least, it was safe until the inn burnt down. A daring run back
into the burning building saves her 'darling jar' this time, but after narrowly
missing being hit by a falling plant pot, she begins to get a bit paranoid -
is someone else out to steal her gold? Seems Louie may have
picked a bad time to track her down. Just what lengths is Merrill
prepared to go to, to keep her fortune safe?
8 - A Tearful Festival of Mylee
Louie's been spending so much time adverturing that he hasn't been
bothering with his classwork from the magician's college, and his
tutors are beginning to lose their patience - in particular Foltess,
who gives Louie five days to find a particular magical artifact, or
else. A little mental arithmetic tells Louie that of he doesn't
complete the assignment soon, he'll miss the Festival of Mylee - and
since that only happens every five years, he doesn't want to do
that. Meanwhile, the girls down at the temple are preparing for
the Festival, and Melissa's having some trouble dealing with a rival of
hers (Isabel), while Merrill's attempts at running at hot food stall don't quite turn out as planned...
It's been a long time since I watched the first volume of Rune Soldier
- well over a year - but the first thing that surprised me was how easy
it was to remember what had happened on the first disc & where the
'story' (which is flimsy at best, at least this early in the series)
picks up. That's a good sign - it takes a good show to be
memorable.
Poor Louie gets a bit of a raw deal with these episodes, as apart from
episode 6 he's more of a plot device than a cental character.
Poor guy. There's some good comedy moments that come from his
desire to be the centre of attention & the indispensible hero,
though, so it what sucks for him works quite well for us.
Highlight of the disc is easily episode 7, with Merrill's antics while
trying to protect her 'darling jar' being a comedy classic, for me at
least - it's worth buying the disc for that one episode alone.
Otherwise, it's pretty much by-the-numbers for a D&D-style comedy,
but the characters & the way they play off each other give the show
something of a kick away from the ordinary. Well worth checking
out.
|
