Ranked #1820

Tales of Symphonia The Animation: Sylvarant-hen

Story:
Well, this OVA of course comes from the video game Tales of Symphonia. So, the story is the same, however theres quite a few parts left out. However, I don't think it is quite right to say that just because of that the story isn't that good. This is the animation, not the game. Sure, it's based on it, but it's not gonna be an exact copy of it.
It starts really being a kind of 'save the planet' storyline, as a girl who is the Chosen One and her friends set out for a journey to a tower where she'll become an angel and rescue the planet. However, after Lloyd (the main character) learns something serious about becoming an angel, the story takes a pretty big twist, which it pretty interesting. The OVA ends really like only about half-way through the game, so it does not give you a feeling of closure whatsoever, but that's exactly why more episodes are supposed to be made at a later date.

Art:
The artwork is similar to the cut scenes from the video game. Which means it's pretty good. Everything is nicely drawn, and the motions are pretty fluent. It's more of a simplistic style, which is actually quite nice.

Sound:
The voice acting really couldn't have been better. The voices really fit the characters greatly. The background music isn't spectacular, but serves its purpose and is fairly good. The OP, I feel, couldn't have been better for this OVA. It, for some reason, just felt so perfect for the overall mood and tone of the show. The ED is actually a song that Collette, the Chosen One, sings in the series, so I guess it was a nice idea to have it as the ED.

Character:
The characters are all pretty cool, and each have a different personality, making them very likable. They didn't really get too develop themselves very much, which is unfortunate and disappointing, but I don't think it is fair to degrade the show for that, since it's simply 4 episodes.

Enjoyment:
Enjoyment would have been a 9 if the battles were better. That's really my biggest disappointment. The fights were very short and curt, and rarely involved a lot of intricacy or really just intensity, especially the battles against the seals. However, despite that, it's still a pretty enjoyable watch since there's a lot of emotion and, well, it's really just fun to follow it along, even if you haven't played the video game. read more

Story: This OVA is based off the game by the same name "Tales of Symphonia" basically there is a girl that is the "chosen" and she is to go on a mission to save her world from dying of a mana shortage. She is joined by her friends and they go on the journey for her to become an angel, which she needs to become to save the world. Now, I won't say this OVA won't be enjoyable if you haven't played the game, but you will notice that there are big gaps in time which they are supposed to be filled in in the game. And if you've played the game, you'll be disappointed only because it has sooo much potential to be a very good anime series, but it cuts short :( Assuming you haven't played the game, there'll be some plot twists, and should keep you interested.

Art: If you've played the game, then you've seen the movie cut scenes that show up every now and then, and seeing as how Gainax produced those scenes, it's understandable that it was high end animation. Although Gainax doesn't produce the OVA, the quality stays. The characters are drawn well, and all the animation is smooth.

Sound: I assume sound means the soundtrack and voice acting, both of which I felt were okay. I enjoyed the voice acting more than I did the music, mainly because of a very good cast. You'll recognize many of the voices, and I they fit the characters well. The soundtrack wasn't bad, but nothing memorable, personally, i got kind of bored the OP, and ED.

Character: The characters never had a chance to progress, mainly because the series was so short. There was some progression, such as with Sheena and Lloyd, and change of character with someone else..., but there wasn't much gradual change. The characters are fun to watch, there are many personalities, serious, nerdy, naive, kind, etc. with all of them complementing each other.

Enjoyment: Ever since I played the game a few years ago, I loved the movie cut scenes, and always said that they should make a series just from this, and now that they did, I had to watch. Although it did not nearly meet my expectations, I did enjoy it, in fact it had me wanting much much more. But as a person who has never played, I'd imagine that they would enjoy this series moderately, seeing as they'll obviously notice plot gaps, and a pseudo-ending.

Overall: I give this series a 7 mainly because I thought it had an unimaginable amount of potential, but alas, this OVA series seems more like a promotional trailer for the game. And seeing as it is an OVA, it's too short, making the creators progress the story too quickly. I'd recommend anyone to watch this, and it may even make you want to play the game. read more

Tales of Symphonia, the original being a video game, is probably the best rpg games out there for both Gamecube and PS2. From its epic plot to its memorable characters--one of the best villains of all times, Yggdrasill!--all the way to its awesome soundtrack, it is a masterpiece.

The OVA does an excellent job in capturing the most important aspects of the videogame, although, leaving out some major side plots that are very significant to the overall theme. Even with it's fast paced, and sometimes obviousness that is not present in the original game, the OVA allows fans to relive that heart-rendering experience with the characters in control. Although, we, the players, have no more role in revealing the destiny of their Worlds, it would seem as the characters have evolved from our level of direction! Awesome OVA, 10/10. read more

This is what caused me to start loving anime in the first place. I was excited when the video game I liked so much was becoming an anime. It may not be in the top 100 animes, but it sure wins my heart!

Everything in the anime is just like the video game! Same characters, same plot, it does have some differences in the scenes that play out. The characters look the same as they did in the game. The music and sound are great for the anime. However it sucks how the entire story is split into three different animes and is shorten to only 4 episodes in the first two and only 2 in the third one. But I will always love Tales of Symphonia no matter how it's made. 10 out of 10.

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i just got done watching tales of symphonia and i must say, wow. i know, 4 episodes for a whole rpg game can't do it justice right? well honestly, i watched a lets play of the game up to the part where this anime stops before continuing so i was able to understand everything that was going on. for someone who played the game and watched this, yes there are parts that were left out and changed but in all truth, i really enjoyed it none the less. it was rather amazing to see what they did manage to do in the 4 episodes that were made to this point. i can honestly say that i loved this anime and even though it didn't follow the game 100%, it satisfied me. the true emotion in the anime brought tears to my eyes and inspired awe that i got while watching a lets play. i can't wait to play the game and continue with this because i can't honestly say, i loved it. read more

I came across Tales of Symphonia almost by mistake after noting Lloyd (the main character)'s Seiyū was none other than Katsuyuki Konishi. It should also be noted that I haven't played the Tales of Symphonia game this OVA series is based on, but given the fact that I played 'Tales of Vesperia' and loved it I decided on a whim to give it a go. Oh boy, am I glad I did! Epic sword fights, a heart-wrenching story and beautifully designed characters in a fantasy setting? Yes please!

Tales of Symphonia (as a series of 3 OVA chapters) is very much a story of 'heart', the belief in oneself and friends against seemingly impossible odds with some amazing plot twists along the way. The way the story was told had me in tears on numerous occasions and some parts really make you think.

I really enjoyed Lloyd as a character, he is determined, passionate and charismatic, but he is also human. He's overly trusting, he feels pain and questions himself but despite these struggles always manages to overcome and stay true to his ideals.

The art and music were both beautiful and complimented the genre, certain tracks in particular were just amazing. Voice acting from all characters is top notch! The animation is a little dated, it doesn't have that 'shine' that a lot of new anime are displaying but it worked really well for the earthy, honest feel that the series had.

Tales of Symphonia: The Animation has definitely made it into my top 10 favourite series. read more

(4)Story:
Well, it's a really good plot, BUT for only 4episodes it's horrible.
It's not like you get to much info on a small about of time, it's just that you want to see more. And not just rush through it all.
But, then again.. the other aspects of the series made me want more.

(10)Art:
What I really love about Tos is the scenery, you always know "where" you are.
You always know the surroundings, and they are GREAT. Alot of beautiful colors and some of the best drawn landscapes I've seen.

(8)Sound:
The opening on ToS tells you all you need to know about the sound.
It's really not a typical way to use sound in animes. "Ghotic and peaceful"

(5)Characters:
Being only 4espisodes you get a real ide of how the chars are, and how they react to certain things. But still, you dont really "feel" for them.

(9)Enjoyment:
Now this is a good one. The fighting in ToS is the best fighting EVER, you can tell the anime is based on a video game (not in a bad way). It's raging awesome, you dont really need to know the story behind the fight to enjoy.

(8)Overall:
It's a really good anime, and it's good a good rewatch value.
Although you cant stop thinking how it could be better, it's an overall good anime. Not great, but good. And if you watch 1Episode, you can decide if you like it or not.
(And BTW, its NOTHING like tales of the abyss... that show sucked balls) read more