I don't envy those that choose to climb the notorious Tower of Druaga, just as I don't envy RPG players hopelessly obsessed with the dungeon crawling catacombs from which this story's inspiration rockets forth. Don't get me wrong, I respect them, sure, but it takes a special kind of masochistic perseverance to make it to the top, the bottom, or wherever it is those dank, grinding hallways may lead.
Jil, a young would-be hero, is aiming for that fruitful end game himself...along with the rest of the kingdom. The infamous tower looms tauntingly, challenging anyone bold or stupid enough to enter, vanquish its challenges, and ultimately end the curse brought on by the colossal Druaga. Not everyone is looking out for the kingdom's salvation, though. Some people want treasure, others want personal glory; the impetus for taking on such a dangerous task varies drastically from person to person.
Thankfully, there's actually a glimmer of hope for all, because the current season, a period known as the Summer of Anu, finds the demon's power in a weakened state. It's not going to make Jil's quest that much easier, but the fewer monsters and traps he'll have to contend with the better. After being kicked out of his first party—his older brother Neeba's party at that—Jil is forced to scrounge up his own crew. The story of both parties frequently intersects as they climb ever higher, and Jil's splintered relationship with Neeba often plays its way into the proceedings.
The structure of Druaga closely follows RPG conventions, but not without a healthy sense of levity. Actually, the series is heavily front-loaded with comedy, and while it rarely gets overly dramatic, it does attempt to balance the tone more in that direction as the first twelve episodes come to a head. On the way there, though, Gonzo uses the setting well, not shying away from very direct references to Namco's original 1984 arcade game; even the logo is straight off a Japanese arcade flyer.
This story takes place many years after that of the game's. The classic hero GIlgamesh is now an aged king, and the original Tower of Druaga that he ascended is so small in comparison to the current one that it actually fits inside, serving as a mid-point challenge of its own. Here's where one of the most straightforward game references comes in, as Jil climbs all sixty floors of the tower-within-a-tower while his party members control him via a tabletop arcade cabinet, feeding in coins to start from stage one whenever he fails. Cue 8-bit sprite effects stiltedly wandering around the screen for at least the second or third time in the series.
The production values are fairly high in Druaga, which is either a testament to Gonzo's budget for the project, director Koichi Chigira's (Last Exile) knack for getting the most out of what he has, or both. Though the action typically involves the slaying of small-fry slimes or other basement-level nasties, the true battles of the series are fluidly animated affairs. Druaga is also pleasantly light on jarring CG, and it only takes over when large armies of knights march robotically, or the somewhat awkward looking Druaga stomps, gurgles and growls at the top of the tower. Despite a few uninspiring character designs, there aren't many bones to pick with the show's appearance.
By the time part one was spiraling toward its climax, I was starting to think they would do just as well to call the whole thing off, because it was on its way to a potentially smooth, if predictable, finale. Maybe the way things turned out would have been more surprising had I not already known to expect a twelve-episode followup in the form of The Sword of Uruk. At this point, I'll definitely stick around for that one. Something about Druaga really works for me, and I suspect it will do the same for anyone that finds some form of enjoyment, or even comfort, in familiar but well-executed RPG trappings.
Studio/Company: FUNimation
Available: Now
Rating: TV14
© NBGI/Izumi Project
Be the first to leave a comment.