English Dub Review: I’m Standing on a Million Lives “The Ancient Ruins of Hosszu Banyazait Alagut”
Overview:
Yusuke (Zeno Robinson), Iu (Jeannie Tirado), Kusue (Valeria Rodriguez) and the rest of the heroes are betrayed by a group of knights as they make their way to complete their next objective. They then must band together and figure out how to escape the underground death trap they find themselves in.
Our Take:
Yuka, initially, struck me as a one note character with little interest. While I have not done a complete 180 on that one yet, “The Ancient Ruins of Hosszu Banyazait Alagut,” has, at the very least, laid the groundwork for some decent characterization which will hopefully be a sign for more to come. More often than not, personal trials and tribulations shape how we understand those around us. The profound effect those tragedies have had on Yuka as she is able to relate to a small country’s meager power dominated by bigger and stronger foes is not lost on me. The underlying attention to detail will greatly expand on particular characters later on should the series continue down this route.
The show has, thus far, used simple (emphasis on the simple) 2D animation the majority of the time. It has not done anything too miraculous with the medium. That has not changed. It is the same simple ol’ stills. But the character art is nice enough to look at so I suppose that is something. One thing I was not expecting this time around was the amount of CG animation and how much I actually liked it. To set the record straight, there is nothing notable in regards to a huge action set piece. There is some cool unique fantasy architecture though that CG compliments very nicely with good detail though. A bit boring perhaps like the lack of fluid animation but also similar to character art in that it’s not bad to look at.
As this chapter winds down, the group eventually becomes separated from their fearless leader. This was a choice decision showing how Iu, Kusue, and Yuka function without Yusuke. For the most part, Yusuke has been the backbone of the gang both in his sharpness and his diverse range of powers too. To have all that stripped from them put them in a precarious situation that becomes that much more engaging. Coming together to use their own wits to progress further in their mission is satisfying considering how much they have been playing support up until now. Yusuke being apart from them will no doubt have ramifications leading into the next episode as it sets up for an inevitable and albeit formulaic showdown as a late arrival from the young hero and a win soon after, seems like it’s all but a given at this point. I’m curious to see how it unfolds but I’d be excited if I knew there was any chance it’ll be animated well. But who knows?
