Maze: Megaburst Space - OVA

Summary: >

Stuck in a land of sword and sorcery, Maze is a girl with enough charm to gather a band of companions. Until nightfall when she changes into a lecherous male and then everyone prefers to avoid him. Recently the group has encountered a kingdom under the rule of a man obsessed with building a monument to his greatness: the tower of Babylon. He has invited the group to stay at his castle, but what is he really after?

Thoughts: >

I have a fondness for the Maze: Megaburst Space - TV series, even if it's pretty mediocre. For a run of the mill 1990s anime it's okay. The OVA is in fact the first release of Maze, and more in line with what the show was intended to be. And it's simply too much. The TV adaptation tones the show down considerably, improving things quite a bit by not going overboard on fan service. So much fan service... The style and animation are good, but not on a level that they'd stand out.

The DVD release sits in a pretty weird spot. The OVA takes place in the middle of the story, and basically gives you a 15 second rundown of the setup, which you're already expected to know... except you (probably) don't since neither the TV series or manga were released in America. Actually the first episode of the TV series was released here; tacked on to the end of this DVD. It's pretty much the perfect pile of incompleteness you could have in a release. There is also the cringe worthy dub I won't mention further.

As a run of the mill Maze story, it's fair; with some decent action and a few funny moments. However, by missing the setup and story, it feels pointless. For those not already familiar with the series (which I'm guessing is almost everyone these days) there is nothing to see here. The TV version offers a complete story, which may be worth looking into.

Screen Caps: >