Reviews

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.