Directed by Takeshi Mori back in 1995, released by ADV Films (R.I.P.) in the late 90s on tape, and re-released in 2004 on DvD, Ruin Explorers tells the tale of Fam and Ihrie, two adventures out on a quest for the Ultimate Power. The Ultimate Power is a fantastic magical energy said to grant the wish of anybody who finds it. Ihrie desires it because of a curse placed on her by her former master (more on that later), and Fam desires it so she can create a place where she & her spirit friends can live in peace. At an inn one day, a greedy merchant by the name of Galuff tells them a tale about a possible location for the Ultimate Power, and happily gives them a map to it's location...for a fee, of course.
Fam and Ihrie set out to the location where the Ultimate Power is supposedly located. While they wander around, they run into numerous traps, including a pair of armored golems. They finally come across what they believe is the Ultimate Power, but before they can obtain it, another pair of explorers comes in, along with Galuff, who was using them this entire time. This group of explorers is composed of the sorceress Rasha, a rather arrogant yet beautiful woman, and Miguel, a swordsman who's not incredibly smart, but incredibly strong. After a quick battle, Fam & Ihrie are temporarily defeated, and the other explorers take what everyone thinks is the Ultimate Power.
Rasha, Miguel, and Galuff travel to the ceremony room, and attempt to summon the Ultimate Power. While they successfully managed the summoning, they don't quite get what they expected. Instead, they called up the queen of the castle they're in, and she tells them that the object they used is part of a 3 piece set that calls up the Ultimate Power. After this, Fam & Ihrie corner them once again, and successfully take back the item. Since they heard the whole thing, they set out on a journey that is much bigger than themselves or anybody (well, just about anybody) else they meet.
As usually, there's a whole list of positive things about the show that I'm obviously going to put down. This time, however, things are going to be put in a different order. Hopefully it won't trip you up too much.
First positive thing about Ruin Explorers is it's characters. Fam & Ihrie are the first two that we meet, and right off the bat, you know exactly what kind of people they are. Ihrie is a no-nonsense tomboy, who'd rather rush into battle than plan things out. Despite her gruff exterior, she's a kind soul that would always do the right thing, and is loyal to anyone who gains her trust. To balance out her rougher side, whenever she casts a spell, she turns into a grey-haired mouse with blue eyes and a squeaky voice. Fam is just about the sweetest, perkiest girl you can come across. She'd rather play with the spirits and enjoy a peaceful life that be violent, but can be persuaded to join in on a fight if need be.
The other main characters are just as interesting. Galuff is exactly what you'd expect from a medieval fantasy merchant: greedy, cowardly (for the most part), would do anything to make a quick buck, and always on the lookout for someone new to sucker. His character is augmented by his dog, Gil. The two are never far apart, and they always seem to feed off of each other. Rasha is the haughty character in the show. She's pretty, powerful, and arrogant. About the only person that can stand her for any length of time is Miguel, who seems to have qualities of Rasha & Ihrie combined, minus a few brain cells.
There are two other characters in Ruin Explorers, but I can't get into them. Revealing too much about would ruin your experience when watching the show. Suffice it to say, they are crucial to the story. Even the story I can't really get into, cause I might ruin certain story pieces for you.
Secondly positive aspect of the show is the music & voice acting. An entire orchestra composed the music for Ruin Explorers, and it is some of the most impressive sounding stuff you'll ever here. There nice melodic pieces for the more tender moments, loud pieces for the show's numerous action sequences, and happy music for the happy scenes. It all feels very fluid, and is help a lot by the voice acting. Despite being dubbed in the late 90s, it transitioned well into last decade and the beginning of this decade. Each of the characters has a voice that is distinctly perfect for them, with Fam's voice in particular being especially charming.
The third and final positive aspect of Ruin Explorers is the setting. A fantasy fan in general is gonna like it, but if you're a DnD fan, you'll really like it. It has just about everything that's in Dungeons & Dragons: high action, intrigue, magic, swordsmanship, old ruins, some highs seas sailing, and one of the most infamous villains you'll ever encounter. All of it works well together, and it'll have you want to see more of Fam & Ihrie's world. It's tragic that all of this is stuffed into 4 episodes, but more on that in a little bit.
Now that the positives are out of the way, it time to take a look at the negatives of Ruin Explorers. We got 3 things on our plate and their not particularly appetizing.
First off is the show's length. Like is just said above, there are only 4 episodes, making this a show that you can watch in about a single sitting. It's not that the story is bad, cause it's actually a good one. It's just that you can tell and feel that the show could have been longer. Everything goes by fairly quickly, and you can see that certain things were left out. If the show was made into a 12 or 13 episode series, then certain aspects would be a bit more clear for viewers.
Secondly, Ruin Explorers isn't necessarily a widely available show. Given the fact that it was released in 2004 by ADV Films (R.I.P.), a new or used copy can be somewhat hard to come by. Your best bet is to go to Amazon (the best place to find old & new anime, in my opinion), and that's where things may get tricky. I got my unused copy back at the start of this year (I think it was the 3rd week of January, to be more specific), for a measly 10 cents. Now, although I didn't notice back then, but there must have been a surplus supply for it to be that cheap. As of right now, a unused copy of Ruin Explorers will set you back just $5.05, which isn't too bad if you ask me. Used copies are 3 cents cheaper, but with the price being that little apart, it really doesn't matter whether you buy a used or unused DvD. If you're an old schooler and want to go for the tapes (1 episode across 4 tapes), then you're in for an even harder time. The complete show isn't up for sale, and the tapes that do exist are only for the first 2 episodes. You are better off buying a used tape: it might be a bit more fragile than a fresh tape, but you are saving some impressive amount of cash in the meantime. How much saved money, you ask? Well, let's just say that you're saving a good chunk of change.
Ruin Explorers gets a 8.5 out of 10. It has a strong story & cast, a good music score & dubbing, and the setting is very fantasy, but the show's length can be off putting, and finding a copy can be a bit of a hassle.
See you next week when I review another Essential Anime Classic. Until then, stay otaku!
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