Fam and Ihrie are willing to do almost anything to make a buck. So when these debt-driven damsels discover the potential profits to be hand in recovering a particularly dangerous mystical object, it means mortal peril for an entire civilization.
There's no guarantee that they'll live long enough to squander the fabulous wealth they've been promised, and danger lurks around every turn as they cross dark seas in pursuit of legendary evil. Haunted by an unspeakable curse, plagued by doomsday prophecies, plotted against by untrustworthy traveling companions and looked in desperate race to gain the Ultimate Power, Fam and Ihrie are the Ruin Explorers!
(Source: AniDB)
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
N41X
Ruin Explorers are just like the name states: Something you look at in hopes of finding a treasure but you need to first search it in order to see whether you´ll find a treasure or just piles dirt. So what does this 4 episode OVA hide inside ? Story: 7 The story takes us to a fantasy world where people called Ruin Explorers do their work in order to either stay alive by finding at least something valuable or they search for mythical treasures of immense power. In this world Ihrie and Fam are on a search for the “Ultimate Power” in order to fulfil their wishes.Along the way they meet a few other characters with the same idea on mind as them, a prince who wishes to avenge himself for the demise of his kingdom and you can pretty much guess how it all turns out. By now you may already think that there isn´t really much of originality in the story or the settings but the way the story is told and how it all unfolds is a rather refreshing return to the good old days when fantasy anime were still all about magic and monsters rather than fanservice and commerciality. But I would also lie if I said that this show is perfect. It has it´s minor setbacks and not all things are cleared or explained in the end but the ending is nice and satisfactory never the less.
Characters: 7
The number of characters in this show is rather low but who´d need more in a 4 episode OVA, right ? The main duo Ihrie and Fam are done nicely, each having their own distinctive personality which only contributes to the old days of fantasy anime. Ihrie being the headstrong tomboy with mild temper and swords flying around while Fam is the gentle and innocent type that would never hurt a fly and is the main source of “accidents” which put a smile on your face. The rest of the supporting characters are pretty much as you´d expect them to be. You have the rivals, the greedy merchant, the arch-villain and a handsome prince looking for revenge. The downside (more or less) is that none of the characters is actually looked at deeply. Meaning that aside from a glimpse of Ihries´ and the princes´ background there isn´t almost any character development.
Art: 7
The art is the same as the entire anime – old school. The character models, the backgrounds, the depth of the colours or the details. Everything is as it should be considering the age of this anime. It all smells of nostalgia and the good old days of anime like Slayers or Gokudou-kun Manyuuki. Of course, it´s no eye-candy like today's shows but it has it´s own ring to it and if you aren´t an addict to the modern looks of anime this will hardy be a distraction or a negative for you.
Sound: 7
The OP and the ED are nice but you´ll probably skip them after the first time hearing them. They too are in the tone of the old ways but that doesn´t mean they´re bad, just that they aren´t that good either, but how can you judge until you hear it for yourself, no ?
Enjoyment: 8
It was rather nice to once again see a fantasy anime that actually is a fantasy anime. Don´t get me wrong, I have nothing against modern fantasy anime but it´s just that the old ones seem to be a bit more true to the genre than the modern ones. All in all, the show was entertaining despite how short it was so I don´t see a reason why not give it a try.
Overall: 7
Ruin Explorers is a nice yet short anime that isn´t that great and doesn´t really stand out that much yet it still manages to bee good enough to entertain you for the entire run of the 4 episodes. The story is nice (yet maybe not so original), the characters are likeable, the art is nothing to be afraid of and the sound is also nothing horrible. So, what are you still waiting for ? ^^
Re-watchability: 3/5
(5)- Anywhere, anytime, as many times as you like!
(4)-Definitely worth seeing more than 3 times…
(3)-Once for regular viewer, 2 (or even 3) times for a fan.
(2)- Seeing once is more than enough.
(1)- Impossible to even reach the end…
AgentDuck
This is an excellent OVA series that exists in almost total obscurity, for while it is short it is definitely sweet. For a type of person like myself who is looking for something very specific in terms of good fantasy anime with a style unlike that of the hackneyed DND wannabes, with good character dynamics and excellent design, this series is a must. The story, while not exactly unique in it's themes (the search for the handwavy 'ultimate power' that possibly doesn't exist but possibly does.) is excecuted well, and the short series manages to get you invested even in it's fleeting duration, mainly due tothe fact the characters are both interesting and likeable.
The setting itself is also compelling, with great ruins spanning huge portions of the mostly wild landscape. Deserts and grasslands, jungles and oceans, this setting has it all, and all of it s beautifully drawn.
Sidewinder51
Rate a 7 English Dubbed Story Use of tapestry and voice narration made for a delightful introduction. As for tapestry not only illustrated time era of story but added royal mention. Both of which vital to story's plot. When one watches a story they expect a criminal and a hero. Little do they know both of which were heroes in their own way. Sadly, one grew stronger than the other. Although, in the end it all worked out. Would have been nice to see what would have happened if story matched up to 'alleged ending' but this ending was just as good. For while it did lack in comicspin as original could have brought instead demonstrated a more selfish cause and slight emotional impact.
Art
No complaints. Although, legs of a character or two appeared to be stick like. Not bad just a little abnormal to the eyes. Perhaps it had something to do with the light and setting it was in. After all we all have our good sides and our bad. Ask your neighborhood professional camera person if you don't believe me.
characters
While not fully developed in all characters having an in-depth view of their past, there was a backstory on the villain aside from what was earned by his powers. Also, one might find one of the main male characters as well as female to be quite enticing. Not just from artwork construction but how they carried themselves.
Paraturtle
Story: Stereotypical classic JRPG nonsense. Heroes are on a quest to retrieve a set of magical items that a powerful villain is searching for as well. Beyond that are plot points that become disposed of quickly and by the end of the 2 hour run-time you're comfortable not knowing the ending to a few sub-plots. The narrative doesn't take itself very seriously with a plethora of jokes hackneyed throughout, and at the points it becomes somewhat serious it's still rather basic and doesn't try anything fancy. Straight forward, but not schlock. Thank goodness. All of this comes together to become a check-list of classic fantasy adventuretropes that get checked off one by one. That's alright, since I wasn't really asking for much more after 2 episodes in. It satisfied me enough and I found it pretty enjoyable, even if one episode ends with the characters ship-wrecked and the next episode starts with them in the middle of a desert.
Art:
I really enjoy the 90's rough sketch look of this anime but with that comes some other lazy animation decisions. For instance, the action is non-existent. It became very evident that after the first episode I wouldn't be witnessing a shred of combat. I believe there are roughly 3 sequences of actual hack-and-slash while the rest are the heroes surrounding by creatures (a very limited bestiary, by the way) and then the next scene the creatures are defeated. Again, not to bothersome. None of it really questioned my intelligence or made me feel like I missed out on anything. Rather, it's like a check-list similar to the tropes that needed to be knocked off in the story.
The setting is largely barren and uninspired. Deserts are easy to animated. Oceans are easy to animate. Destroyed locations are easy to animate because it's rubble. I would have appreciated some more, I don't know, 'definition' to the setting, but that would require another episode to elaborate on some certain aspects, such as "this swamp has X history and Y lore and so we must be careful." And then it turns into filler. More of a story critique, but how the art is handled can affect the story.
Sound:
The Soundtrack was actually pretty good, but after 4 episodes it's repeat songs that lose their effect. Unfortunate, as the directive approach towards the music was pretty fantastical and had adventure at it's core. Very cool, but wears thin quick.
Sound effects were forgettable and all stock stuff everyone has heard before. One creature repeated the same battle-cry over and over and it became less so intimidating and more-so irritating. I couldn't wait for it to die.
Character:
Sufficient. Ihrie was quite interesting but the narrative shifts its leads haflway in and she gets put on the backburner. A shame, but nothing could be done. The narrative introduces Lyle in the second episode who becomes the backbone of the stories progression, so it couldn't be helped that the original 2 characters get knocked back.
Everyone is stock. There's nothing all that interesting here. It's just basic but in the end gets the job done.
Enjoyment:
Content. It was neat. Had the run time been more than 4 episodes I can guarantee that my interest would have waned.
((If you liked this review, friend me for new reviews on other works, both manga and anime!))
SgtSalamander
Listen to me. The fact an anime like this can exist in total obscurity is proof that there are priceless treasures lying in wait for anyone who dares to go looking. The overwhelming catalogue of anime is like a vast and teeming ocean, and as new seasons add yet more to this unfathomable magnitude, some treasures are bound to go unnoticed, and perhaps be lost forever. Ruin Explorers Fam & Ihrlie is one such treasure. Indeed, with a clumsy name and under 9,000 members on MAL, chances are that I probably would have never known of its existence, were itnot for finding it on an interest stack. It was short and seemed like fun, so I filed it away for when I had some time to kill. Then, from the very moment the intro ended, I was met with nothing short of a masterpiece. Over the course of these 4 episodes, I would be taken along for an epic journey that would give me chills. With every flawless scene, with every perfect note, I scoured for mistakes and waited for it to slip, but my prying efforts were met with quality upon quality upon quality. It left me speechless. It is imperative that I impress upon whoever reads this review the sheer excellence that awaits them. Beginning with the story, we are presented with a classic kind of tale, filled with magic and monsters and a lost kingdom, but it is what it does with this story that is so impressive. Namely, it manages to be both adventurously grand and shockingly efficient. It has an absolute command over its material, putting every minute to its proper use, cultivating a sense of potent immersion which doesn't let up for a second. When I finished it I was devastated to find the manga only has 2 volumes. Indeed, the only mark against this anime is that there isn't more of it.
However, this legendary adventure would not be nearly as engrossing without my favorite aspect of this anime, the art. Every visual aspect of this show is lovingly crafted and eminently engaging. The world is colorful and detailed and alive, the background characters are fully realized and animated in their own right, the main cast boasts striking and visionary character designs, and the animation is smooth as butter, bringing epic fight scenes to life, while breathing a kind of deep, abiding tranquility to scenes of peace. Everything has this sense of presence and scale, it feels like you could go on forever in one direction or the other and then keep going. To reiterate my point about scale, nothing is beyond the reach of this anime. The minute detailing on coinage, the rivets and straps in a suit of armor, the wear and tear on leather and stone, all the way up to colossal architecture, vast ranges of natural beauty, threatening skies and raging oceans, nothing is too big or too small for this art direction to handle, and envelop it all in this unified sense of style. There's even this dedication to choreography which grabs the viewer. When someone is fighting off a group of dungeon constructs, or when an evil wizard glories in his wickedness, or even when friends talk around a campfire, it feels different, almost like they're moving more like real people. Exceedingly few anime manage to look this good outside of major movie releases, and even when compared to them this is one of the best looking anime I have ever seen.
The sound is another contributing factor to this masterpiece, standing on its own as this operatic, theatrical score. Similar to the art, it has this same sense of presence and scale, and nothing is beyond it. From the quiet serenade of a nighttime scene, a jaunty theme of a voyage by sea, the pitched strings of a life-or-death struggle, and finally to the triumphant brass of a trial overcome with a mind for the next one in store. This isn't just an OST, this is a score. Masterfully composed down to the final note, you will get chills. Everything else about the sound design steps up to the plate as well, with impassioned voice acting and fully realized sounds of life that make the world feel real and lived-in.
Then, of course, there are the characters. On their own, they meet the standards of quality for their day, mostly embodying skillful executions of well-worn archetypes, like the tomboy, catgirl, and the blustering B-list thief duo, but they deviate from these archetypes without you noticing, until the next thing you know they've grown as people. In my opinion, what really vivifies them and makes them special is how the story handles them. It weaves the lives of its characters together with an artistry and authenticity which is rare to see not just in anime, but any medium. It handles their human natures so carefully and plays them off each other at the perfect times, ensuring maximum impact, and ultimately, maximum investment. Overall, Ruin Explorers Fam & Ihrlie is one of the most underrated anime I have ever encountered, and as far as I'm concerned, you owe it to yourself to watch this, and then to keep looking through the decades of anime history for others like it.
Brave_Owl
It's some good 90s fun. The english dub is serviceable, the animations are nice and I especially love the designs of the characters. The artstyle is very reminiscent of the late 90s series like early Pokémon and especially Slayers given the fantasy setting. The story is like a mash of every JRPG you've ever played so it's nothing unpredictable, although that isn't a bad thing, honestly it was a fun watch and the length of 4 episodes was the right choice. I think it's a good show to put on when you don't want to pay too much attention and have a bit of light hearted fun.
Inverse81
Note: I watched this a few days prior to writing, so i may be a little hazy on a few details. And first review :D I heard about this anime a long while back and in a fit of boredom and curiosity, i decided to take a look. Unfortunately the 2 hours i spent watching this could have been used to watch something more interesting. The plot is fairly straight forward, the two main protagonists, Fam and Ihrie, are two female treasure hunters or "Ruin Explorers", on the quest to find the Ultimate Power One of the main problems i had with this series is it's short length.At only 4 episodes (each around 30 minutes, so around 2 hours in total), i feel that the story could have been much more interesting and memorable if they had more time to flesh out the characters and show us some more scenes of actual ruin exploring, which is surprisingly lacking in the second half of the series. It also doesn't help that the story is incredibly generic, the art style is nothing to write home about either. Just typical mid 90s anime style that is similar to Slayers.
The supporting cast is rather forgettable, and i found the antagonist to be very generic. The final battle is pretty forgettable and the ending is very bland.
The music, is unfortunately no different. The J-Pop intro didn't leave an impression on me at all and the rest of the soundtrack is...like i have been saying a lot in this review, generic and forgettable.
But one thing i can say is that Ihrie and Fam are fairly likeable protagonists that actually have weaknesses, something which i appreciate immensely and we should have seen more of them doing actual ruin exploring.
Overall, rather forgettable. But i can see some people possibly enjoying this more than i did. Fans of 90s anime and fantasy might get a kick out of this.
