In my review of the original anime, I mentioned how the voice acting was a big weakness. It was passionate and expressive, but also too high-pitched and samey for its own good. I gave a chance to the dub here (which is also used for the game) and was pleasantly surprised.
The dub for Neptunia is a prime example of how important voice-acting is. Each character has a voice that fits her, defines her up to the small differences. Neptune isn't just cute, but slightly tomboy-ish. Her voice has a little muscle to it. Blanc and Plutia both have a calm demeanor, but in different ways. Plutia is an airhead, speaking slowly and etherealy like a person not completely in touch with reality. Blanc is simply very polite. Dub gets a lot of flak in anime communities, but the dub for Neptunia doesn't just improve on the original but improves it.
As for the OVA itself, it's more focused than the anime. The story is simpler, and so more focused. It's actually accessible even if you're not familiar with the origins, since the characters are so well-defined. Since its scope is smaller, it doesn't suffer from throwing a hundred ideas per second. It sets up a single quest and gets through it.
Just like the anime though, it still feels like it doesn't take advantage of the material. Once the ending arrives, it's as if the whole thing only exists just to tie up the anime. Providing a bridge between the two dimensions is cool, but that's it?
What comes before is far from worthless. The characters are just as charming as before. Neptunia has a huge cast and every single one is a joy to watch. Their silly personalities, their unique reactions to every situation make it comedy gold.
The moments of self-awareness are just as brilliant. No one does self-awareness like the Neptunia seires and that's because it never pretends the self-awareness makes it special. It's not wink-wink, 'we know it's stupid' self-awareness. Rather, the self-awareness is a celebration of the silliness of video games and fiction. Neptune doesn't just point out she's the main character but it's connected to her narcissistic personality.
It doesn't offer much but another go-round with the characters, but it's still worth taking. It's a shame this is how the anime ends since there's plenty to do with these characters. Still, anyone who enjoys the franchise should find plenty to like here. The characters are still vivid, the self-awareness is like no other and the visuals are still beatiful.
