Synopsis

Orphen, Cleao, Majic and the gang set out on another adventure in the continuation of the original Orphen series. Flameheart?s twin brother, the super maniacal, fashion-challenged Flamesoul, seeks to destroy Orphen using magically-created monsters, but a darker force is at work behind the scenes, controlling even Flamesoul.

Review

This series is a huge departure from the previous series in many ways, but it still retains the charming original cast. Orphen 2 is much more of a comedy than the original, and less of a serious drama. Don?t expect an extremely in-depth or philosophical plot this time, or you will be disappointed. Fortunately, I entered with low expectations, as I did with the original, and I found that there were some worthwhile elements to be found.

The story is rather far-fetched and doesn?t even really come into play until half way through the series, which is probably just as well, since it doesn?t really add much.
I would say that the original series is not required viewing in order to appreciate Orphen 2, although it is a helpful introduction to the personalities of the characters involved, which are shown in a much less dramatic light.

Comedy is the hallmark of this show, and, although I may be ostracized for saying so, I felt that it made better use of it than its predecessor. It?s not all simple-minded slapstick, either. Some of the droll remarks and comedic timing was among the best I?ve ever seen in an animated series. The episodes where Volkan is possessed by the ghost of Miriam Bergman and where Majic becomes a dancing queen are hilarious, in both concept and execution. The show?s best material comes when it parodies itself, although this may cause the underlying storyline to lose some of its believability.

The characters are back and are once again the best feature of the show, providing an ample supply of funny situations. Cleao is usually the catalyst for exchanges of sarcasm and is never at a loss for words. Majic is an even more pathetic nancy-boy than before and is the resident punchline of the bunch. He even wears a dress and enters a beauty contest, if you require further proof of his gender confusion. As before, Orphen?s lackadaisical attitude and propensity for blowing things up helps to round out the comedic troupe. New Black Tiger and his apprentice White Club make regular appearances that are almost always hilarious. There are also some new characters, Lycoris and Esperanza (can you say bad taste in names?), who add some variety, but really don?t help things all that much.

The animation is really inconsistent in Revenge, with some parts looking very smooth and others looking like a Crayola accident. The first intro, for instance, was excellent, but certain elements of the show, especially backgrounds, looked like they should be hanging on a refrigerator somewhere. The character animations ranged from nice to rather deformed. The character designs also all looked younger for some reason than the previous series. Even Leki looked younger and actually shrank in size from the previous series. That?s not to say they necessarily looked bad, but I can?t understand the reasoning for the change. I won?t even go into the fact that this series would almost certainly win the award for ?Worst Dressed Characters?.

Musically, there wasn?t much outstanding, in my opinion, although the first intro tune was oddly enjoyable. The rest of the soundtrack was good, but didn?t stand out, which could be a good thing, I suppose. Overall, the sound quality was fine, and the voiceover work was above average, with all of the original voice artists making a return, as far as I could tell.

There was quite a bit more action in this series, although it was hampered by several problems. My biggest gripe was the fact that, despite some of the spell effects looking rather nice, they were almost always the same ones repeated endlessly. This was also a problem in the previous series, but I think it was even worse in this one. Worse than this was the addition of totally ridiculous abstract patterns that were flashed on the screen every time Orphen cast a spell. I?m not sure what this was supposed to represent, but it did nothing but look hideous and distracting. Bad move. In a few episodes, there were some sequences that departed from this horrible trend and actually included some movement and variety, similar to the intro video. Unfortunately, these were few and far between.

Conclusion

Fans of the original may or may not like this sequel. I feel this mixed reaction is mostly due to the fact that it probably blindsides many with its unexpected transformation. I?ve heard almost nothing but bad hype directed at this series, and I feel that its tarnished reputation is somewhat undeserved. True, it lacks the depth and overall finish of the original, but it brings some worthwhile contributions of its own if you give it a chance. Definitely worth a look if you?re in the mood for something different, though. Go ahead, root for the underdog.

-Review by Reptile (17 Jun, 2006)

Audio:	Very catchy intros, the rest is forgettable
Video:	Very inconsistent
Plot:	Almost non-existent until the latter half.
Style:	The characters need help getting dressed...
Characters:	Very funny but shallow cast.
Violence:	Mild
Language:	Mild
Nudity:	None
Genre:	Fantasy
Episodes:	23
Rating:	3.0 of 5
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