Two epic tales part of one incredible epic journey. Tsubasa as you know it ends and begins again with Spring Thunder and Tokyo Revelations.
The Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE series from Clamp, published by FUNimation, is epic in scale and storytelling as well as sheer DVD length. Both magical and beautiful the story takes quite an investment from its fans but there are few anime that look and sound this good on Blu-ray. The latest release in the franchise is a collection of two OVA (think straight to DVD releases) which fill in so many plot points that it’s a must have for fans. As for gamers with Blu-ray and DVD playing in their favorite consoles and the ability to rent, your reason for wanting is as follows.
The Story – Two tales in this collection, each 2-3 episodes in length. They pick up where the larger, 50+ episode TV run ends and moves at lighting pace when compared to those episodes. From the amazing events and awakenings seen in Tokyo Revelations to the cliff hanger ending of Spring Thunder the world fans come to know gets turned upside down. Without revealing too much more it’s easy to say that bad guy motivations are revealed and each character is changed in drastic ways. A truly amazing set of stories but one that requires prior knowledge of Tsubasa to fully enjoy.
The Animation – Beautiful and outstanding in HD. The quality of Clamp shines through in the long limbed, pretty characters seen in Tsubasa and the action is flawless with well choreographed sword fights and magic attacks. From a desolate city to the beautiful cherry blossoms of Japan the full spectrum of colors and moods is present in this OVA collection.
Why Gamers Should Care – For those who invested in the excellent Blu-ray Tsubasa collection this continuation of Syaoran, Sakura, Fai and Kurogane needs to be watched. The amount of detail and main story points filled in is simple amazing given the animations length. Buying, renting or borrowing, both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 show off this series in amazing detail and is a great addition to those gamer’s anime libraries but also the type of storytelling is on par with the best told games today. Fans of RPG’s, or epic journeys and adventures will love Tsubasa as it embodies all that is wonderful about an RPG with none of the random battles.
Why Anime Fans Should Care – For the same reason as gamers, the continuation of the story is awesome. Tsubasa is one long and very satisfying tale … as long as it does reach a conclusion which these episodes don’t quite setup just yet. This is also the best example of the perfection that Clamp has produced so a true anime fan has nothing to lose with something for every taste … every normal taste we should say.
Overall the three episodes of Tokyo Revelations and two of Spring Thunder Chronicle take a grand series in a new direction and feels like the beginning of a new series. Gamers and anime fans alike owe it to themselves to take a look at what is some of the best anime available.
