Ozanari Dungeon: Kaze no Tou

Well, i,m honored to fill up ´another´ empty review page, and this time its about one of those ova´s that is IMPOSSIBLE to collect on dvd,hardly wellknown to maybe a select few and stands somewhat on its own.
At first the story itself is based on rpg elements of oldskool platform fantasy videogames like Wataru, Record of lodoss war,Ys, Far East of eden and more.As for the art, for the time it looked nice and very colourfull, a bit chibi like if u want , bit goofy but funny enought to enjoy it, even for the few villians it has for 1991 it seemed ... the handdrawn animation loosened some of the bad 80´s habit other ova´s and serie´s had.
I din´t paticulary putted that much attention to the music though it was funny to listen at some part´s, like then a treasure chest of a magical relic got unsealed, or a saving throw.
The cooperation between a speechless fox like spellcaster Kiriman, a hotheaded amazonewarrior Moka( female warrior) and a Raccoonlike scaredy cat thief called Buruman to get a magical item named Dragons Head,it sooo damn funny that it has those You f88ked it up moments, things go right, but more things go very wrong, that makes at least some charachters memorable.
Throughout the ovs´s that was childish in a positive way, and colourfull animation, it is enjoyable for a good night laughing with some beer and crisps or just watching it with younger audience that can put up with oldskool animation. in a way i laughed hard

Ozanari Dungeon is a rather obscure 90s OVA which exhibits an admirable level of creativity and impressive production quality throughout. Beginning with the story, it strikes a fun balance by combining a classic fantasy adventure tale with a unique world that has an extremely distinct character. The worldbuilding, from the architecture, to the animal people, to the magic, to the religion and culture glimpsed within, feels completely original in ways that many stories, especially ones which are quite so short as this one, fail to. Though, the story itself, by way of being quite so predictable story-wise, runs the risk ... of losing the viewers interest during rare moments where the action dies down.

That's why the art is the strongest aspect of this anime by far. Not only does it execute a completely unique visual style in terms of the fantastic world in which the story is set, but it also is technically impressive, with smooth, fluid animation throughout, as well as a lavish use of color and striking character design. The art elevates this whole anime, right down to the little things like specific elements of visual comedy.

The sound is fine, meeting all standards of quality for the time, and featuring strong voice work.

The characters are quite fun, managing to maintain their agency within the story, feeling much more engaging than the characters in many similar OVAs of the time. Of them, my favorites are Moka and Kiriman, each for very different reasons. Moka is a fiery protagonist who fits well as a maverick adventurer in her world, with enough idiosyncrasies to make her feel distinct and lighthearted while also capable enough to survive. Kiriman, meanwhile, is a funny dog wizard, and that bit which carries throughout the show of him holding up signs with messages on them, Wile E. Coyote-style, had me rolling every time. Overall, Ozanari Dungeon is a fun 90s anime with a higher than usual production value, which makes it easy to recommend.

There is nothing quite like this show, and stumbling across it as I did through a typing mistake on a rainy summer night, the show immersed me in a way I had not ever experienced before.

The Setting of Ozanari Dungeon is not a wholly unique one, but it feels so fresh compared to others in it's genre, perhaps because it came out within the era of grand fantasy and the advent of roleplay games, from which it draws greatly. It is compelling, with a feeling of humanity in a world that is far greater than that which we see, the bumbling characters comedic and likeable ... lend the setting of the anime a sense of extra grandeur, in a way it is hard to describe. It is almost as if seeing the world through the lens of someone who does not fully understand it, and thus capturing the feeling of wonder and excitement therein.

It is undoubtably a comedic show, but you can get more from Ozanari dungeon than a couple of cheap laughs. It is indeed a shame that this did not get any more episodes.