Basically, someone has taken this story and though...
"How can I make this fairly well known story that bit more popular? I know! I'll make it a lot less mature (i.e. easier to follow) and conform to idealism by throwing in some well known cliche's - newbie's and the more impressionable viewers will eat this all up!"
... and her we have this hour long OVA. I'll expand on the above...
Originally, a young couple are at sea, when they see something highly curious; this 'horror' tourments them wherever they go - true harrassment via an unlikely offender. After acting in an arguablely unreasonable and paranoid manner - the girl soon becomes ill, her boyfriend, who is somewhat in the loop when it comes to science and has sceintific connections, works hard to find answers to this mystery whilst avioding constant peril and virtual isolation - it's a true horror story.
In this OVA, we have his girlfriend as the leading character - and isn't she an angel. She's on a hoilday with her friends - she is made aware of this horror, takes it in her stride, goes to 'rescue' her boyfriendwho's in trouble, whilst not knowing hat's going on and not really having a clue; erazing the formality that existed beforehand - along the way, she meets a pretty guy around her age who, like her, as a tragic backstory that has allowed him to be driven.
Basically, we have a role reversal that allows us to follow the 'hot girl' instead of the 'in the know guy' and the disease has been pushed on to lesser characters; the conveinent and 'more deserving'.
Now - I will forget all about he manga and treat this OVA as a stand alone story...
Still, not good!
Story...
We have a pretty female lead, on hoilday with her 'less likable' friends.
An obscure terror shows up and this girl must now leave her friends behind and 'leap into action' (she's no action girl, this is all suppose to be quite realistic) upon coming to the accurate conclusion that her boyfriend is in need of a hero. On her journey, she comes across a guy who is of much help and has somewhat of a similar backstory to hers (rocked by a certian loss).
This story leaves the more observant viewer asking a few questions, such as...
"The body count is massive, yet the main gets attacked often and is never phased - why is this?"
'If paracite monsters are killing and infecting people threwout a mulitude of area's, why are plains still opporating and sending people into the 'eye of the storm'?"
"The train the two mains are on has just crashed out of the blue, all on it look either dead or unconcious - why are the two 'mains' allowed to climb out, unscratched and unshaken before walking down an underground tunnel which I'm sure lacks oxygen, whilst maintaing energy to spare?"
Basically, the plot bends to the will of the famale lead - she's the main character and a decent person, so why shouldn't 'the unlikely' simply open it's door for her whenever she stops by?
This is the immaturity^, now, for the cliche's...
Character...
A typical case of possotive and negitive accossiation.
We have a pretty leading female who's 'sensible' persona arguabely borders on Mary Sue - she's the friendly mediator type; everyones friend who makes friends easily, yet she'll also do all in her power to protect those around her, she'll even speak for the unfortunate who don't have a voice. She always wants the best possible outcome, such as hoping officials will come out with a cure for the many infected, highly dangerous strangers roaming the streets, in favour of killing them. She doesn't get too scared or show a single hint of selfishness or hesitation when it would be perfectly natural to do so either. On a whole, she's ideal.
Her sidekick is a good looking, young (about her age) video photographer who has all the action recorded and is very interested - in a constructive way, in uncovering what is going on - he has a bit in common with the leading female and seems to have a crush on her.
We have the female leads two frineds - a promiscuous, overall stylish 'pretty' girl and a chubby, introvert girl with no particular styling in clothes, hair or facial features and no particular body shape - ofcourse they aren't going to be admirable or acheive anthing!
Art...
Fine, nothing spectacular, but nothing wrong scenery wise - the character design is lovely however; everyone looks different and fairly realistic.
Enjoyment...
It was fine as a stand alone series, not too complex; which is what you shoud really get from a plot like this, but the length was sensible and it did have what most would call an end?
I watched this and threwout I had the though lingering in the back of my head - it all reminded me of a tacky Hollywood movie where the pretty girl screems her way threw to the end (only, minus the screaming, this girl bough us little).
So on a whole - no, I didn't enjoy it personally.
Overall...
For me personally, a bit of a watse of time.
The manga was just 20 chapters long and it moved at a steady to fast pace - everything; begining, middle and end could have been covered in this OVA, why they changed it o something else, I can only put down to marketing?
There was no need for this (again, forgetting the original) to incorporate such cliche's as; character sheild, 'petty behaviour justifies death', 'everyone loves a tragic female lead' and 'mix gneder team with clear romantic feelings apparant' - whilst spoonfeeding information in a way that only fits a story 'aimed at all' (such as; data that answers everything, present on the desktop screen of a computer, which happens to be swithched on, in an importiant person's home, that happened to be easy to access).
On a whole, the simplification and writing tools (cliche's being the critical and more accure term at this time) spoilt things. :(
