Fire Tripper. A 50 minute OVA by Rumiko Takahashi telling the story of a girl who somehow finds herself traveling through time to the Civil War era where she meets a high strung young man and she has to find out how she got there and what the story is, etc, etc. Sound familiar? Somehow this gem made it under the radar of even Inuyasha fans who pass it off as a rip-off of their favorite half-demon. Which is not only impossible, but a shame as this OVA is definitely worth the watch.
The story was set and concrete. There were no interruptions, no random visits to the beach with the 'gang'. The OVA moves forward and tells the story, and a great story at that. It's a bit hard to really get into without spoilers, but the story is not overly complicated. Anyone could easily figure it out just by looking at the synopsis and picture. Everything unravels nicely, and there were some very clever foreshadowing hints throughout the beginning. They're a bit hard to spot on your first watch, but it's fun to look out for them and then compare with the ending. One thing that Inuyasha can't compare with is that this story had a beginning and a solid ending. As much as I would love to see more of these characters, the end was very satisfying.
The characters were like a breath of fresh air. Suzuko, while a little annoying at first, was really very mature and I liked her as a character. Unlike a lot of characters who find themselves in a strange new world, she adapted well and the only major whining to be heard from her was justified. Shukumaru was an idiot. Gosh I loved him. He had a temper and was rough around the edges, but from the looks of it he seemed to be the most trustworthy guy in that village. Their relationship was natural and even with such a short time frame it never felt forced. Most of the character development was all Suzuko, but again it was gradual.
The art wasn't the best. For its age of course it's pretty darn good and it holds that classic Takahashi style that fans of Ranma 1/2 or Urusei Yatsura would be familiar with. Newer anime fans might be a bit thrown off because the show does show its age a bit, but it wasn't exactly a tragedy. It's never a distraction and some scenes are even quite beautiful.
It's probably true that this story inspired the series Inuyasha that people know today. Had this been a full length series and not a 50 minute OVA, I would without a doubt say this surpasses Inuyasha in every way. I still want to say that, just for the fact that it has a solid ending and an enjoyable story. Just for its short length and history alone I would recommend anyone giving this OVA a try. Fire Tripper has the feeling of watching a good movie, and is ideal for Inuyasha fans, Rumiko Takahashi fans, or just someone looking for something short but sweet.
