I am a huge fan of the Virtua Fighter video games and when I saw that there was an anime based on it, I thought I'd check it out to see whether it is worth seeing again.
Compared to the King Of Fighters and Streetfighter anime movie and the TV series, this one is up there with the best. Akira Yuki, who is the main protagonist of the games goes on a quest to see the 8 Stars of Heaven. In addition, Sarah Bryant- Jacky Bryant's sister gets kidnapped by Koenkan (in the game's plot, they are known as J6) and is brainwashed by a evil scientist named Eva Durix, who uses her fighting techniques to create the ultimate android known as Dural.
Along the way, Akira with Jacky, Pai Chan meet up with French teen Lion Rafale- whose family have struck deals with terrorists over illegal arms, ninja Kage Maru, Aboriginal Australian fisherman Jeffry, Canadian wrestler, Wolf and herbal doctor, Shun Di to help defeat Koenkan.
It's almost as faithful to the actual games and beats the Tekken: the motion picture anime and has been praised by a number of critics and I can see why.
It's funny, well- animated, the story-lines and the characterisations throughout are excellent. The Virtua Fighter anime is one of the very few video game screen adaptations, which rightly and faithfully sticks close to the original source material and doesn't divert from it. It helps when the developers, SEGA had a hand in the show.
Even if you have never played the games before, the story lines will hook you in and the fighting scenes are sure to get your attention.
If there is one thing I wish to point out though is the characterisations of Akira and Jacky are slightly off and reversed; likewise, in the series Akira is goofy, jokey and enjoys to slack off and Jacky tends to be more serious. In the game, Akira comes off as the more disciplined one and Jacky is more brash, confident and upbeat than his anime counterpart. But these are just minor in discrepancies that do little to tarnish the series.
The first series was televised in Japan back in 1995 and there was a second series that followed after that. The only English dubbed version was the first season, which is a shame given it is such a good show. Virtua fighter did air in the West but due to falling sales, the company who distributed the rights of the show outside of Japan, decided not to dub the second series in English. Alas, no western licenser picked up season 2.
I'd like to see a new VF anime in English but a more up-to-date one with characters like Eileen, Aoi, Jean Kujo, Brad, Goh, Lei Fei and Vanessa from VF 4 and 5 added to it.
Undoubtedly one of the better video game anime's produced, Virtua Fighter certainly packs a punch. And a kick. If you are a fan of the games, be sure to give this a watch.
Rating:
*8.5 out of10
Compared to the King Of Fighters and Streetfighter anime movie and the TV series, this one is up there with the best. Akira Yuki, who is the main protagonist of the games goes on a quest to see the 8 Stars of Heaven. In addition, Sarah Bryant- Jacky Bryant's sister gets kidnapped by Koenkan (in the game's plot, they are known as J6) and is brainwashed by a evil scientist named Eva Durix, who uses her fighting techniques to create the ultimate android known as Dural.
Along the way, Akira with Jacky, Pai Chan meet up with French teen Lion Rafale- whose family have struck deals with terrorists over illegal arms, ninja Kage Maru, Aboriginal Australian fisherman Jeffry, Canadian wrestler, Wolf and herbal doctor, Shun Di to help defeat Koenkan.
It's almost as faithful to the actual games and beats the Tekken: the motion picture anime and has been praised by a number of critics and I can see why.
It's funny, well- animated, the story-lines and the characterisations throughout are excellent. The Virtua Fighter anime is one of the very few video game screen adaptations, which rightly and faithfully sticks close to the original source material and doesn't divert from it. It helps when the developers, SEGA had a hand in the show.
Even if you have never played the games before, the story lines will hook you in and the fighting scenes are sure to get your attention.
If there is one thing I wish to point out though is the characterisations of Akira and Jacky are slightly off and reversed; likewise, in the series Akira is goofy, jokey and enjoys to slack off and Jacky tends to be more serious. In the game, Akira comes off as the more disciplined one and Jacky is more brash, confident and upbeat than his anime counterpart. But these are just minor in discrepancies that do little to tarnish the series.
The first series was televised in Japan back in 1995 and there was a second series that followed after that. The only English dubbed version was the first season, which is a shame given it is such a good show. Virtua fighter did air in the West but due to falling sales, the company who distributed the rights of the show outside of Japan, decided not to dub the second series in English. Alas, no western licenser picked up season 2.
I'd like to see a new VF anime in English but a more up-to-date one with characters like Eileen, Aoi, Jean Kujo, Brad, Goh, Lei Fei and Vanessa from VF 4 and 5 added to it.
Undoubtedly one of the better video game anime's produced, Virtua Fighter certainly packs a punch. And a kick. If you are a fan of the games, be sure to give this a watch.
Rating:
*8.5 out of10
