Reviews

Merc Storia feels like a very underrated anime to me, and I think this has to do with the expectations with which people approach it. The story basically begins in an idyllic cabin near a village. The protagonist, a boy, comes from a lineage of "healers", people who help tame the monsters of a world. His father, an oft-journeying healer decides to visit him one day and gives the lad a bottle with a miniature watery girl. As the story proceeds, we find out the boy is actually afraid of monsters unlike his father, who is always gone, much to the dismay of his mother and himself. Eventually, he decides to go on a journey to uncover the mystery of his friend, the girl in the bottle. During his journey, he tames monsters and gradually overcomes his fear, becoming more empathetic in the process.

Now, while this may sound generic, its execution has more charm, much like a wholesome JRPG. The villages he visits on his way all have a story-book charm and great visual appeal. He explores a cheerful fairy village, a bird kingdom where its avian looking inhabitants enjoy singing, and much more. In each village, there is a problem that arises due to a monster that has gone out of hand, which the boy ultimately tames with his healing powers. The anime has about 6 story arcs in separate novel villages, and each one contained nice artwork, an interesting quest, and allegorical message.

What makes the anime great is how the background art has so much detail and charm, giving off the same feeling of being lost in Zelda-esque world. Each village looks distinct from each other and truly gives off a wholesome JRPG feeling. Moreover, the various inhabitants of each village have unique designs that makes the world feel alive, as if one is really on a Zelda-esque journey. Likewise, the problems that arise within each village are interesting and resolve in unique ways. The monster designs also have a lot of appeal, which reminded me of Breath of the Fire 4's dragons in some respect. They have a pleasant style to them.

Overall, I feel as if people should approach this anime as if they want to relax with Zelda or a cozy JRPG. Approaching this anime for a complex story will lead to disappointment. Instead, it is best to keep in mind the stories are minimalist much like Zelda Breath of the Wild's quests in Rito, Goron, Gerudo, Kakariko, and etc. villages. They all have their charm and sense of idyllic ambiance, which is really this anime's high-point.

Besides Merc Storia, I have yet to come across an anime that has captured that wondrous adventurous feeling found in Zelda.