It wasn’t too long ago when the general belief amongst anime fans was that video games just could not pull off a good anime. Now, that’s not to say all video game-based shows were bad, for we had decent works such as Sakura Wars and Darkstalkers. However, nothing ever broke into the truly good zone. The most obvious reason for this is money; in that since the name alone will sell well, why spend time to try to actually make it good? However, the times are changing my friend, and with works such as Himiko-den (Translated as the literal but clichéd “Legend of Himiko”), Comic Party, and Final Fantasy Unlimited, video games are beginning to seem like a ripe source from which to get the material.

The basic story of “Himiko-den” is actually fairly average for your regular fantasy anime. In a fantasy dimension not of our own (And yet the architecture is a direct rip-off of old Japan), one night brings about two important events. The Bokka, the holy flame that governs the world, has chosen a new Heir to the title of Guardian of the Bokka in the form of a baby named Himiko, and also seven girls (Each following the archetype of warrior, flirt, bookworm, priestess, ojousama, etc.) have been chosen as possible candidates for the next Queen. However, during the election process, General Shikara of Kunekoku (Cue evil overlord theme) comes in and attempts to steal the Bokka for his own kingdom, which would give them holy power. However, his plans are forced to change when the Bokka protects both the Queen Candidates and the Heir, by scattering the former across the world, and sending the latter to another dimension (Ours, if you haven’t been able to guess). Thus the Bokka then separates, leaving its power with the Candidates and the Heir (each of the Candidates have their own item which holds Bokka, for example the bookworm’s Bokka is in her glasses).

Here's Himiko with her magical amulet that is the key to the entire story. Did I mention this was based on a video game?	No, That's not High Priest Zagato. Really.

Fast forward a few years later and we meet Himejika Himiko, daughter of a Dr. Himejika, an archeologist. However, it seems he’s recently revealed the truth to her, which is that she is in fact not his real daughter (Gasp! Shock!). It seems her childhood friend, Kutani, had found her in some ruins. She then, with Kutani, goes back to the ruins, and predictably gets teleported into the alternate dimension along with her friend. Back in the fantasyland, it seems the Queen Candidates (Minus one “traitor”) are regrouping to attempt a coup d'état. And now that Himiko has appeared and is revealed to be the Heir to the Guardians, and her friend seems to also be connected to the Bokka somehow, things are beginning to get interesting.

I’ll be the first to admit that the story is following the tried-and-true pattern of most fantasy anime. It has our “girl with a destiny she never knew about,” “evil overlord who seriously needs a new tailor,” and countless other classic clichés. However, while I could not look past such formulaic storytelling in Steel Angel Kurumi, I still found a lot to like here. The show has a fast-paced feel, enough side-stories to keep me interested, and very likable characters. Certainly everyone here is just following their preset archetype, but I still found them to be enjoyable and even slightly mysterious. Himiko herself is average, but reminds me of Hitomi from “Escaflowne” in her interactions with this new world, and I found myself rooting for her once the disk was over. Sure, her introduction and back-story were cheesy, but once it actually got into motion I began to like it quite a bit. The others in the cast are varied and range on the interest meter from highly interesting to only moderately, with no one stepping into a completely boring area. However, one fault I do find is that the show has such a big cast and I’m not quite certain they will all be developed to my liking, but for that only time will tell.

Another thing this anime has going for it is that they had a hefty budget and it shows. The character designs are beautiful and highly varied, but this should be expected considering its video game origins. Each of the Queen Candidates has their own unique style and movements, and the animation is fluid enough to capture them perfectly. Color flourishes in the series as well, with even the darkest dungeon having a certain magical charm to it. Probably the most hyped part of the series is the OP, which is the song “Pure Snow.” That one song became a cult hit in the Anime MP3 world, and there’s a reason. It is a perfect mixture of mysterious chords and an angelic voice that makes it a delight to just sit back and listen. The ending and background music, as expected, do not match up to the quality of “Pure Snow,” but are pleasant enough not to bother you. The voice acting, however, left something to be desired. I realize that the writing isn’t Shakespeare, but sometimes the seiyuu actually seem bored with the script. This was very much a disappointment, as the cast includes some very well known names.

U.S. Manga Corps is producing “The Legend of Himiko”, and the presentation itself is rather average. The cover is bland, with a picture of Himiko and Imari (The warrior Queen Candidate) facing opposite each other and looking pensive and affable, respectively. The overall effect is rather corny, and the standard fantasy-style logo doesn’t help things. As per usual with Manga Corps releases, there is no insert, but instead the case is clear and all of the information is on the backside of the cover and back cover. Personally, I found this to look rather tacky, but I doubt it would prove to be too bothersome for most.

The menus are likewise typical, with nothing creative or the least bit stylistic. Really, any fantasy anime could replace all of the “Himiko” logos and pictures and it would look fine. I found the lack of creativity to look rather amateurish, and cement my doubts of just how much faith they had in “Himiko” as a product. One disclaimer I should note is that every time you change the audio selections to the disk, it automatically plays the anime, which can be rather frustrating. On the side of extras, there is nothing special. Along with the regulars, they included two short character biographies and a very short clip of the Big Apple Anime Fest (That had nothing to do with “Himiko” I might add), but the overall feel in the presentation is one of total disinterest.

The bottom line is that “The Legend of Himiko” is a charming, adventurous show that has proved itself to be highly enjoyable. This show has gained a cult following of female fans, mostly thanks to the strong female cast, but also anyone who sits down to watch it should greatly enjoy. At times its faults are apparent, and Manga Corps’ exhibition of it is mediocre at best, but as long as you don’t go in expecting more than a great, light-hearted fantasy anime, you shouldn’t be disappointed. I know I wasn’t.

Distributor: Central Park Media
Creator: Hakuhodo/Amuse/Red
Released: 1999

Video Quality: A
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: B
Content: A-
Overall: A-