Tales of the Abyss - 03
Oh God, this episode (and it’s counterpart in the game… and the manga) is all I ever hated about Luke. I remember literally cringing when I first saw this in the game - and the second playthrough, and the third. Seriously, can Luke be any less manly? Sure, the whole kidnapping thing messed his brain up and he was cooped in a mansion for years, but… ugh, grow some balls, Luke. You know what makes me happy about this episode? Bloodshed. I mean, no censorship, at last.
Anyway, they figure out who Luke is (he’s part of the royal family, whoaaa) and after some sarcastic ‘begging’ from Jade, Luke agrees to help Jade and company, who are actually on their way to meet Luke’s uncle (the emperor) in order to fulfill a planned peace treaty. But (of course there’s a but) they’re attached by a bunch of monsters, and the Six God Generals are introduced, who are after Ion. In the process, after Luke tries to run away like the wimp he is, Jade’s sorcery is sealed by a lumberjack named Largo. Tear is able to immobilize Largo and Jade stabs him with a spear, and Luke freaks out because of the blood.
Meanwhile, Anise and Ion are caught by the enemies. Anise is thrown out the window, and Ion is later forced to open a strange, sealed door. After Luke freaks out when he’s ambushed by an enemy, he accidentally kills said enemy and can’t stop thinking about it. Jade, Luke and Tear somehow get overpowered and are taken in as prisoners, but they’re able to escape. Outside the Tartarus, they ambush Legretta (may I use that spelling, please?) and Arietta, with help from Guy, who suddenly appears. Jade makes them go inside the Tartarus, and the group (now with Ion) try to get as far as possible. They have to face enemies again, but Luke freaks out once again because they’re going against humans… and Tear takes a blow for him, which he hadn’t seen coming.
Impressions: Does this not annoy you too much?
Anyway, is it just me, or is the animation degrading a bit? I think the only times the characters look okay is when their face is straight/placid. When they’re actually showing emotion, it gets a really warped feel to it. Take that image I just linked, the one with Luke’s cowardly face. That’s one of the ugliest frames I’ve ever seen, and if it weren’t for the sake of mocking Luke, I wouldn’t have even taken a cap of it. I really do hope it gets better.
I am thankful for the anime, though. Most (if not all) of the scenes shown in this episode looked ridiculous in the game. If you want to know what I mean, you can probably check it out here. Another thing I’m thankful for is that they’re adding kind of meaningless scenes in, which were skits which you could have skipped in the game. Because, honestly, they’re one of the most entertaining ways to see the characters converse.
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