Sorey and the others move from location to location, performing singular tasks that either don’t lead into the next in a plot-related fashion or aren’t resolved at all. In essence, the anime is a bunch of random quests strung together that lack any worthwhile connection. The biggest being something fundamental: what actually goes on. And it is downright unacceptable.ĭisregarding these two episodes, Zestiria’s narrative has its own problems. It would be as if, in the middle of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the story spent forty minutes on a set of characters named John, Mark, and Tammy as they go to the wizarding school of Pigblisters, only to have them and their exploits never talked about or shown again. From the events depicted to the characters themselves, what happens is never mentioned again. This diversion would have been at least warranted had the anime afterwards referenced these episodes. The Berseria diversion is unacceptable on a narrative level It follows a woman named Velvet Crowe as she escapes from prison with the plan to avenge her younger brother who was murdered before her eyes. That is, a completely new iteration of the Tales of series, entitled Tales of Berseria, takes the focus. After the first four episodes, once Sorey officially (and expectedly) becomes the Shepherd, and right after a cliffhanger, the anime spends two episodes on an entirely different plot.
Its most obvious blunder occurs during the middle of its run. Unfortunately for the anime, way too many problems prevent it from following that path correctly. The fantasy structure, the Malevolence motif, and the mixture of the two give it a solid (albeit tried-and-true) setting. Zestiria has enough there to start it off on the right path. Regardless, the anime makes it clear that negativity breeds more negativity, and the only way to stop it is for righteousness to reign. Mikleo will sometimes comment as such, and Lailah warns Sorey of the difficulties he will face at the hands of purging human-bred Malevolence. Because people have lost sight of goodness, the Seraphim remain unknown to almost everyone. The severed connection between humans and Seraphim also gets at the overabundance of Malevolence. Men turned into hellions due to conflict and despair. A hidden antechamber filled with the souls of executed prisoners. Such thoughts, such Malevolence, seep into the very fabric of the world and its denizens, summoning forth hellions (the anime’s word for the demons), inciting mean-spirited-ness and restarting the cycle anew. What creates these monsters and causes the townspeople to succumb to sickness are negative emotions. Their fights against monsters, the idea that goodness prevails over evilness, and a plethora of otherworldly elements turn the anime into a common yet classic fantasy adventure.Īs they traverse the land, Zestiria focuses on a major plot point that ties into one of its biggest themes: Malevolence. Alisha, Sorey, Mikleo, Lailah, Edna, and Rose join forces in a world filled with dragons, magical transformations, and a capital city sprawling with festivities. The cast and the plot change with each iteration without much (if any) crossover between them. Each game (more or less) features a group of likely heroes, a fantastical setting, and an adventure to take out some great evil.
#TALES OF ZESTIRIA SOREY HAPPY SERIES#
This anime is based on a very popular video-game series known as the Tales of franchise. Upon “discovering” a secret alcove and running into Sorey, a young boy living among the Seraphim, destiny’s wheels start to churn. Alisha finds herself within a set of ancient ruins dedicated to the fabled Shephard. Zestiria begins shortly where the prequel episode left off. Sadly, I won’t be remembering Zestiria quite as fondly. Tales of Zestiria the X instantly reminded me of Symphonia for obvious reasons. It gave me an excuse to play the opening sections again and enjoy the experience once more. But I liked the game so much, I didn’t care. Thinking back on it, it was not a good move to do that at all. Being unable to pass up on such a sweet deal, despite being well into the game at this point, I erased my file, started anew, and became the “Eternal Apprentice.” (Not the most flattering of achievements.) I read a strategy guide that stated (and I had to go online to make sure I was remembering this right because I wasn’t) if I only used Lloyd’s wooden blades up until a certain point, I would unlock a special title. But I do recall something silly I did with it. I don’t remember it all too well now, having not gone through it for many, many years.
Tales of Symphonia is one of my favorite GameCube games that I played when I was kid.