Synopsis

While on an archeological dig with her father, Himiko and her childhood friend Kutani are transported back in time to the land of Yamatai by a magical pendant. The land is in the midst of a struggle against evil forces that are trying to consume it. Their only hope lies in a mysterious power called the Bokka, a power that seems linked to Himiko.

Review

Honestly, this series is one of the blandest representatives of anime I?ve ever encountered. The story mimics several more successful anime shows while still managing to be boring and hard to follow. Himiko is sent to the future by a mystical flame of light called the Bokka. Then she is summoned back years later to help save her country from the forces of evil.

While this may sound exciting (especially if you?re a 12 year-old girl), Himiko never really does anything other than whine, moan, and occasionally lose consciousness. Kutani actually puts on a better show, exploding with the power of the Bokka on several occasions, after which he also sleeps for days. Even the queen candidates, who are represented as a group of elite warrior women, don?t do much of anything except run from enemy forces.

The last two episodes are fairly exciting, but the rest of the series is so uninspiring that few people will care what happens. With such lifeless, boring, and undeveloped characters, you would think that the creators would incorporate more action, comedy, or romance, but that is sadly not the case. There are also several subplots that are begun but never resolved.

The series also switches between characters far too often to keep things coherent. In fact, it seems as if more time is spent on the villains and secondary characters than on the two main characters, which I guess is not surprising considering they never really do anything.

Great character designs or flawless animation might have saved this series from anonymity, but unfortunately, it possesses neither. The animation is not awful, but it is inconsistent and only average at best. It doesn?t hold up well against good animation from 10 years ago, much less today. The character designs, while not all unattractive, are simply bland, with nothing original to recommend them.

The soundtrack is equally unimaginative with an unnoticeable musical score and very trite and melodramatic vocal performances. The opening and closing themes are pleasant, but not worth repeated listenings.

I found myself almost wishing that this show was worse than it was, so that at least it might have some comedic value. Instead, the series just fizzles into an overcomplicated and uninteresting dud that fails in every respect. Nothing is horrible, but nothing is noteworthy either.

Conclusion

Those with less discerning tastes, or an insatiable appetite for magical girl dramas, may want to give this series a try, considering it can be purchased rather cheaply. I?m afraid this series should be cheap, and it doesn?t really have a good market. It?s too scary for small children, and too unexciting for anyone else.

-Review by Reptile (17 Apr, 2007)

Audio:	All right intro. The rest is forgettable.
Video:	Color and inconsistent animation
Plot:	Insipid plot with too many loose ends
Style:	Very unoriginal
Characters:	Bright, shiny, and flat as a pancake
Violence:	Not nearly enough to be interesting
Language:	Mild
Nudity:	None
Genre:	Fantasy
Episodes:	12
Rating:	2.5 of 5
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