Ranked #3144

Arad Senki: Slap Up Party

"WE ARE PARTY!"

There's a curious phenomenon occuring in the entertainment industry, one that blurs the line between what you read, watch and play, and while we may all be familiar with the weird, wonderful, and sometimes downright appalling world of the adaptation, in truth the dividing line between the mediums is beginning to fade.

Where am I going with this? Well, in recent years games and gaming, especially on consoles, has moved to the forefront of the entertainment industry, and in order to capitalise on the popularity of a given title various production companies and writers have begun to produce adaptations of games that have proven themselves cash cows. One recent example of this is the latest Hollywood release, "Prince of Persia", a movie which clearly signifies Hollywood's desire to make more money cashing in to the current games market, especially after the debacle that was "Super Mario Brothers" and the recent glut of superhero affairs.

The problem though, is that game adaptations aren't really the best source material, especially MMO games.

Slap Up Party: Arad Senki (or Slap Up Party: Record of the Arad War), originally began life as a Korean multiplayer fighting game called "Dungeon & Fighter" that incorporated certain role playing aspects, however the popularity of the game was such that it quickly expanded to include a more immersive RPG system. Now while the game itself is copmparable to the likes of World of Warcraft, the main problem with any adaptation is that in orderfor it to work, the story would not only have to fit into the game world, but also be accessable enough for those unfamiliar with the title.

Unfortunately, Arad Senki seems to have fallen into the same trap as titles like Ragnarok, Ar Tonelico and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, amongst others.

The story follows a young man named Baron through the land of Arad as he travels from place to place seeking a way to cure his particular affliction, namely a demon arm, which was caused by a curse that affected the land some time before (it's never clear when). Along the way he is accompanied by a small floating spirit named Roxy, and is later joined by several other companions.

Sounds familiar. right?

Like many anime of this kind, this tale oozes shounen sensibilities from almost every pore, from believing in one's friends to never giving up, and everything in between. The problem though, is that the plot has no real direction, and because of this haphazard approach the story proper takes a very long time to get going. However, even with the tale in full flow, there is still not enough substance to make one take the story seriously. Strangely though, this lack of focus and actual storyline doesn't impact one's enjoyment as much as one might think, as there seems to have been some realisation that the platform upon which the entire show stands is full of cracks. That said, these cracks have only really been papered over with a thin veneer of comedy that, in truth, is sometimes a bit hit-and-miss.

The main reason for the lack of focus is the fact that the anime is based on an MMOG, and because of this the writers have had to fit the story into the pre-existing world, something which limits their creativity. On the other hand, if this type of anime is approached correctly, then there is scope for improvement as the game allows for a phenomenal amount of content and ideas that could be adapted.

It's unfortunate then, that this hasn't been realised, however there is something about Arad Senki that makes it reasonably enjoyable viewing (more on this in a bit).

As far as looks go, the series is colourful enough, and the characters are designed reasonably well, however there is a comic element inherent in this that may not be obvious at first. The animation is generally pretty good throughout the show, and because of the nature of the series, Gonzo are able to show off a variety of styles, from comic to fast-paced action, something which serves the anime well come the end.

That said, the show lacks a degree of refinement where the visuals are concerned. While it may be argued that a good portion of the series is stylistically designed to enhance this or that comedy or action scene, the viewer may find that the show has a "rushed" feel for the most part.

Sound is also pretty decent throughout Arad Senki, with many of the effects being clear and well choregraphed. The acting is good for the most part, however some of the seiyuu really do ham it up, and in all honesty I can'tbe sure if this is by accident or design, as several scenes actually work better this way.

Arad Senki is generally well served as far as the music goes. The tracks used throughout the show enhance the atmosphere fairly well, however the comedy element means it's difficult to take the action scenes seriously, even with the ubitquitous dramatic music. The show has two OPs, "Party Play" by Sakura Nogawa and "Sokujin no Pandora" by Nogawa Sakura, both of which are decent J-rock tracks. The first OP is fairly typical with it's visuals, however the second takes a more innovative and humourous approach to golf (that's right, golf).

As for the EDs, "Hateshinai Sekai" by YMCK and "LEVEL∞" by Akiko Hasegawa, they are both made using music from what sounds like an 8-bit or 16 bit game. Of the two EDs, I have to admit that I do like the comedy Hateshinai Sekai's visuals, which feature the characters in a 16-bit game opening treasures and fighting monsters.

The characters are on of the issues with the series, as there simply isn't any real development given to them, and the little growth that does occur is often formulaic and "methodical". None of the characters really stands out in any way, however it's not all bad, as while there is a distinct deficiency in this department, they actually work fairly well when there's comedy about. Rather than focusing on developing the characters, the creators seem to have gone in a completely different direction. Essentially, the characters are treated as nothing more than toys that are wound up and let loose in a given situation, the results of which aren't always successful or effective.

I already mentioned that there's something about Arad Senki that makes it reasonably enjoyable viewing, and that something is the tongue in cheek nature of the show. Where series like Raganrok take themselves far too seriously, Arad Senki has made a concerted effort to add some fun to the mix. While the result isn't everyone's cup of tea, there's enough variation in the anime to keep the viewer interested at the very least.

Okay, so as a straight forward story the show doesn't work all that well, however if one treats Arad Senki as a series of short stories rather than one complete tale, it becomes far more palatable, and that's one of the things that it seems to actually encourage during the early part of the show. Unfortunately, there's only so far a series can go using this format before the viewer needs something more substantial to maintain their interest, and in this department the show doesn't quite deliver.

It's a shame, as the idea of making an MMOG based is a good one provided the effort is put in to make everything work. While Slap Up Party: Arad Senki may not be great, it's actually a lot more enjoyable than the likes of Ragnarok, and although it may not be to everyone's tastes, there are occasional flashes of what this show could have been like.

Still, at least it's not Super Mario Bothers again :) read more

Arad Senki is one of those series that are often overlooked because they do not appear interesting or already received a 'Deemed for Failure' stamp the moment the preview crawled its way to the wonderful i-net. Granted, the moment I found out Gonzo was behind this an alarm bell did ring in my head, but I still decided to have a go at this anime. This was not before recalling the wise lesson I have learned from watching Gonzo productions over the years:

Never put high expectations Gonzo, for it shall ruin your your expectations the most. Instead, expect the worst so it can only seem better.

After 18 episodes of Arad Senki I can tell you that wise lesson still applies. Want to discover how I came up with it? Watch Kaze no Stigma while expecting a good show. I'll be taking the time how long it takes for you to crawl back to me and admit you were naive. Anyways, review time.

[Story 6/10]
The plot in Arad Senki is kinda based on your default RPG story; grow strong and the defeat the ultimate evil to grow into a SAVIIIIIOOOOOR. In this case it is a demon that has cast a curse over the continent, awakening monsters and causing any people that have witnessed it to slowly turn into Demons. The story focuses on a young man named Baron, who also received the curse and looks for a way to undo this.

Nothing wrong with that. I have seen anime series with an overused or boring plot still pull off something interesting. The problem with Arad Senki though is that there are too few plot related episodes, and that there usually are ~5 useless or 'stand-in' episodes between them. At the moment I am writing this I have watched up until episode 18 haven't seen much plot development at all. Only something involving a huge flower. Well this may change later on, so I'll leave it at this.

[Art 5/10]
The art is, in my opinion, rather poor but somehow it fits the overall rpg-ish feeling of the series. Not to mention, Gonzo doesn't have a big budget so this may be the best they can pull off. If you have to decide between a good story with crappy art or good art with a crappy story I'd still go with the first option. The reason why the rating is 5 instead of 3 or 4 is not because I think that is where the art quality stands compared to other series, but because this is a Gonzo series. Their budget is low, they can't match the better anime companies anymore, they have a wife and kids at home...so lets show some sympathy. 'I am a compassionate person' as Hime from Princess Resurrection would call it while adjusting her hair.

I don't want to get started about the art used in the second OP for the series, so just drop that question.

[Sound 5/10]
Not much to see here. The soundtrack pretty much fits the overall show with a few RPG battle and 'route xxx' tunes, but its nothing too outstanding. However, it isn't bad either. The tunes go well with the battles and other scenes, so that's a plus that covers up for the lack of originality.

[Character 7/10]
A sword user, a melee user, a gunner, a mage and a priest. Now, where have I seen that before...

The characters individually are a bit boring, but in a group they're a fun bunch to watch. Baron is the lead guy on a mission that doesn't mind a fight, Ryunmei is your damage dealer and source of the little bit of fanservice that passes by sometimes, Cabensis is your ranged support that is at the center of pretty much all comical parts with his expressions, Ixia is your mage with a sometimes childish attitude and Jeda is your priest sidekick with the muscles.

What I also like is the fact the the 'bad guys' are not just your average bunch with some insane/evil masterplan that try to stop you. They also get some development which allows you to get a better view of what situation they are in, how they feel etc. Especially after one of the recent episodes that was focused on them (although the main part was comedy again) I really felt for them.

[Enjoyment 7/10]
Arad Senki isn't too popular, but it does have its own charm. And that is its comedy. It never fails to give me a good laugh every few episodes. The only problem I have with this series is the fact the emphasizes is a little bit too much on the comedy and useless stand-in episodes and too little on the plot. A 12-episode slot may have been better, but that means they had to go with either comedy or plot development. With 26 eps it is both, and although that isn't too bad here you can just tell that some episodes really have no real use other than stalling the excitement until the antagonists execute the next stage of their plan.

My recommendation: watch this show while not expecting anything too special and when you have nothing else to watch at the moment. If you take on Arad Senki with that attitude you'll be just fine. Even for a Gonzo production.

Final Rating: 6/10 read more