I'm a pretty big fan of Namco's Tales series since the first time I played Tales of Symphonia with my friends. When I learned of this anime, I had to give it a go, especially since I have the corresponding PS2 game. Those of you who are interested in the game and the anime, I highly recommend playing the game before watching this - if for no other reason because its an awesome game! Though with a lot of anime that spawn from video games, a certain something is often left out from the original design. Tales of the Abyss is no exception.

Story: The anime follows the protagonist Luke fon Fabre through his ordeals pertaining his identity, feelings, betrayal, and the meaning of his own existence. Oh right, lets not forget about impending war, conspiracy, and threat of the destruction of the entire world. Once Luke gets spirited away by the ever so lovely Tear Grants, his life as a duke's son gets turned into an adventure of epic proportions. Over all, the anime did a great job capturing the core story from the video game. The progression was smooth and easy to follow, while still engaging and satisfying. The character development is a mixed bag; some of the characters, including the villains, have wonderful back-story and they grow as events unfold. Others have very little back-story or growth, making their motivations and actions seem out of place at times. In all fairness, the characters with little development in the anime also have little development in the game.The anime's plot will engross viewers and generally encourage them to see the anime through to the very end. Might I also add that the ending is actually conclusive and satisfying (depending on how the viewer chooses to accept it.

Dialogue: This is where the ball got dropped. I felt that the scripting was too ridged and predictable. There were many instances I felt the characters were too structured in their responses to certain situations. Anise and Guy were big offenders of such in my opinion. Their attitudes change so drastically during some conversations simply to fit the rest of the mood, even if they don't especially have motivation to change behaviors. I think its mostly because the anime writers tried to keep a lot of the game script intact, but failed to expand on the discussion like the game did. I was also annoyed at some of the cheesy and predictable lines exchanged during combat or stressful situations - though that also have a lot to do with me having played the video game prior to watching. The voice acting quality was average. There were some select scenes where the voice actors were strong, and others where even in Japanese I found something to be desired.

Animation: The quality is pretty good. The character designs are great, the backgrounds are drawn nicely, and most of the CG used still fit with the rest of the environment. I do, however, have one huge peeve with this anime: the execution of the action scenes. Anyone who has played any Tales game knows that combat can get intense and over-the-top real quick. The Tales of the Abyss game had a very engaging, fast-paced, and explosive battle system. Too bad that didn't translate into this anime very well. Most of the action was flat out bland in comparison, even Jade's flashy magic was muted. When the heroes clashed with the main villains, the viewer is rewarded with only slightly heightened action. A shame considering the potential of some really amazing battle scenes was left hanging. There are glimmers of strong action, however they are too few and far between. However, those who have not played the game may still find the action acceptable, though by no means will it blow your mind and get you pumped.

Entertainment: After reading how I ripped the action sequences of Tales of the Abyss, you probably don't think its worth watching. That's far from the truth. The anime itself is very engaging. This rendition focuses more on story and the characters rather than action. And aside from some occasional bad lines, the anime accomplishes it very well. I wouldn't put this up with prime time material, but its a good Saturday morning anime that will entertain. Its easy to follow, even without having to play the video game, so any level of anime fan can enjoy it.

Final Verdict: Tales of the Abyss is awesome! If you're a fan of the game, you'll probably be a fan of this anime as well. If you're not, then chances are you'll still like it enough to watch all the way through. The dialogue is the only real problem I had with the anime (though certainly not as bad as some instances of Bleach), but even those flaws aren't so glaring where it ruins the experience. I'd say Tales of the Abyss is a good one to watch; an even better one to play if you can get a hold of the somewhat rare game. (show less)