Battle Arena Toshinden (A VHS Review)

I stated when I started this site that I would be writing about more than just video games. So, if you were under the false impression that I'd only be reviewing old video games for the Atari 2600, here it is, my first review of something else. Although, I'm sticking to something that does seem appropriate for a site called the Atari Ninja, in that this is a review of a program based on a video game, it's also a Japanese animation, and it does involve martial arts. So, this review of the Battle Arena Toshinden anime seems like a very good fit for the Atari Ninja.

For the record, I love fighting games, and Battle Arena Toshinden is one of my all-time favorites of the genre. It was one of the American launch titles for the original PlayStation and it was one of the biggest reasons that I broke down and bought that console in the first place. But, this is not a review of the video game (I'll write one of those later), this is a review of the two-part original video animation that was released in 1996.

This is not a dramatization of the actual game, because it does not actually feature the tournament that was featured in the video game. Instead, this takes place one year after the tournament, and gives some background to the reason that the competition happened in the first place. 

The story centers mostly on the characters of Eiji and Kayin and they are clearly portrayed as the real heroes of both the game and this program. Our two heroes are out to stop an evil group known as the Organization. The Organization are hunting down the competitors from the tournament and challenging them to fights so that they can develop a computer program that can predict the martial arts moves of any possible challengers. Along the way we are introduced to all of the characters from the first game and characters from the second game as well.

The story is incredibly convoluted and surprisingly harder to follow than it should be. If any show demanded a simple-minded plot, it was this one. In their attempt to add layers of sophistication to the story, the writers bog down the program in exposition, and unnecessary character development. Ordinarily I would find these devices to be beneficial to a show's narrative, but in this case they are not at all needed, nor are they particularly welcomed.

This show was not well received when it was released. It was panned by both critics and casual viewers alike. But, I didn't find it to be as bad as I had heard it was. Was it good? No, but it was fun to watch. And, at a running length of less than an hour, I can't say it isn't worth a viewing. Particularly if you are a fan of the video game.

-Jay