EP1 Analysis: Blue Dragon

When approaching a new series, the first impression is often one of the most important things in evaluating whether or not it is worthy of your time and/or money. With the proliferation of both new and classic anime and Western animation, it can be hard discerning which show fits personal tastes and deserves to be given a chance. While factors such as pacing and genre can greatly impact a first episode, they are generally perceived as an appropriate representation of the tone and expectations of the series as a whole. With that in mind, EP1 Analysis will be an on-going column that will review first episodes without prior knowledge of future events. The follow-up entry to Three Delivery will be the anime adaptation of the Xbox 360-exclusive RPG, Blue Dragon.

The original Blue Dragon game featured development by Final Fantasy creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi, composer Nobuo Uematsu, and Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama.


Blue Dragon was one of the first traditional RPGs to come to the Xbox 360 as well the first game to come from Final Fantasy creator, Hironobu Sakaguchi's new studio, Mistwalker. With long time Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu creating the musical score and Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama handling art direction, a team like this hasn't been seen since the SNES/DS RPG, Chrono Trigger. While there were mixed reactions to the game, most agreed that it handled traditional RPG elements very well. The story itself is also very traditional, as a group of heroes take on the evil Nene of the Grand Kingdom as they fight the on-going struggle between light and darkness. While the anime adaptation keeps the same overall look and backstory, the plots differ completely. And with a fresh new voice cast as well to start things off, only the English dubbed version is currently available in the US. The first volume of the dub-only DVD run is coming in September, but the series is currently airing on Cartoon Network. After getting some play time with the game and watching the first episode, the anime has an appropriately different feel while still staying true to the source material.

The anime design characters, from left to right: Shu (top), Zola, Bouquet, Kluke, Marumaro, and Jiro.

While Toriyama's art direction remains the same for the anime, it has a much different feel from shows like Dragon Ball because of the different director and studio. Headed up by Studio Pierrot, the show keeps that general appeal and atmosphere that made the game so traditional and universal. You immediately see how the story diverges, but the character personalities and chemistry are still as dynamic as ever. While the main characters are young children, the fantasy element and excitement still makes it fun to watch despite possibly being out of the target demographic. Shu, Kluke, Jiro, and Zola see most of the spotlight in the first episode and create a nice first impression. The mysterious power of the Shadows are teased as well as the bigger plot involving the evil Lord Nene, but most of the episode is used for introductions. The overall animation is very clean with a little more Western influence. The classic Toriyama design is a little jarring in the Blue Dragon anime, as it feels different from Toei Animation's Dragon Ball anime adaptation. But it still works well and manages to differentiate itself.

I have not heard the original language track, but the English voice overs give a strong performance that fits with the character personalities and the tone of the show. I actually preferred the English dub in the video game to the original Japanese voice actors, but the cast change isn't bad at all. The main characters reveal some interesting traits, as Shu's carefree, adventuring spirit and Kluke's more careful, technological personality bring some comparisons to DB's Goku and Bulma. Jiro's standoffish attitude hints at a tragic past while Zola is the older, wiser, and strong leader of the bunch. Nene only gets a brief cameo, but his army and evil intentions are felt. We get a preview of the power of the Shadows and some nice action, which should keep Blue Dragon fun and interesting. If that keeps up along with the strong characters, then things should be picking up pretty soon.

Whether you have played the game or not, Blue Dragon still looks to be a fun series to watch. The target audience may be skewed a little younger, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment at all. The show's Western influence can be seen as well, which isn't a bad thing. It is really unfortunate that the original Japanese version isn't being made immediately available, but the first English-only DVD volume will be out in September. You can watch Blue Dragon on Cartoon Network and Toonami Jetstream.

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EP1 Analysis: Three Delivery

When approaching a new series, the first impression is often one of the most important things in evaluating whether or not it is worthy of your time and/or money. With the proliferation of both new and classic anime and Western animation, it can be hard discerning which show fits personal tastes and deserves to be given a chance. While factors such as pacing and genre can greatly impact a first episode, they are generally perceived as an appropriate representation of the tone and expectations of the series as a whole. With that in mind, EP1 Analysis will be an on-going column that will review first episodes without prior knowledge of future events. The first entry will cover the Western-produced show about three teenage Asian heroes saving Chinatown, Three Delivery.

From left to right: Sue (Stephanie Sheh), Sid (Johnny Yong Bosch), and Tobey (Robby Duncan Sharpe).


There have been some interest and skepticism surrounding the series since its Nicktoons Network debut last month. While there have been many Western animation shows that have been influenced by Asian art styles and culture, this one is unique. Its mostly non-Asian* production crew is providing their interpretation of modern-day Asian-American culture, history, and lifestyle and fusing it with an anime/comic book style and odd mix of stereotypes. This action adventure sitcom decides to forego a traditional backstory episode and relegates the important historical facts in its intro. An evil apprentice named Kong Li has unleashed the power of a magical cookbook, spreading the potentially dangerous recipes throughout Chinatown. A mystical barrier keeping the magic sealed within the area limits has protected the outside world from harm, but now Kong Li has returned to unleash these powerful recipes and take over the world. Three teenage orphans, skilled in kung-fu, are recruited by Nana to work deliveries for a Chinese restaurant and protect Chinatown from Kong Li and recover the lost recipes. It sounds very stereotypical, especially knowing that it comes with very little first-hand knowledge of the culture, martial arts, and from Asians themselves. But it's not without its good points.

Episode one, "I Feel The Earth Move", jumps right into the action without much of a foundation about Nana, Kong Li, the magical cookbook, or other pertinent details. They do a good job of introducing the three main characters and orphans, Tobey and siblings Sue and Sid. You can immediately see the playful jabbing and chemistry that they have together, whether it's hanging out at the restaurant, making deliveries, or braving danger and trying to recover a lost recipe. You get to meet other characters at the restaurant, such as the old and wise Nana, the big storeowner, Mr. Wu, and the cool, laid back Barney. The characters look, feeel, and sound natural, which is partly aided by the mostly Asian voice cast. Stephanie Sheh (Sue) and Eyeshine's Johnny Yong Bosch (Sid) have extensive work in animation, both featured in the English dubs for Eureka Seven and Bleach. Robby Duncan Sharpe plays Tobey, and all three have clearly defined personalities. Sue and the jokester Tobey often get into playful fights while Sid is more like the straight-laced leader. The characters have a lot of personality, which is one of the stronger points of Three Delivery and why it seems to work.


The plot itself introduces the evil villain, Kong Li as he makes his re-debut unleashing an evil recipe to try and break through the magic barrier. The various nods to Chinese stereotypes felt a little hokey, but never demeaning in any way. However, you can't help but wonder why they have to be working at a Chinese restaurant making deliveries or that they know kung-fu and are training to go up against this unknown evil. You could see how formulaic and episodic the series could become, but it's fun and light-hearted so far. The flash animation is very clean with defined colors, creating a very smooth and anime-style look. The action sequences don't feel as natural, but that may be the fault of it being the first episode, the animation itself, or the martial arts background of the animators. They chose dark colors for the look and feel of Chinatown, which somewhat works. It felt like there should have been more explanation in the first episode, as they only sufficiently introduce the characters and assume knowledge on the story itself. They reveal important information as the plot develops, but I would have rather seen a true origin story.

Overall, it looks like the combo team of Animation Collective/Fatkat is targeting Nicktoon's younger audience rather than a more general appeal. There are still things to like, but there's not as much depth as I had hoped. The action and comedy are decent, combined with some fun characters and clean animation. It still remains to be seen how authentic the Asian culture and elements will be preserved, but it's not a bad interpretation. With what seems like a genuine desire to portray a fun and action-packed look into Asian-American Chinatown with a slightly silly story, Three Delivery warrants another view. New episodes premiere on Fridays at 7:30pm ET on the Nicktoons Network, but you can view the entire first episode and some teaser clips on their website.

*UPDATE: While many of the writers and executive producers, including creator Larry Schwarz are not of Asian descent, a good portion of the artists, animators, lead designers, consultants, and whatnot do have Asian and Chinese roots. Animation Collective is a New York-based studio and Three Delivery remains a US production, but hopefully the diverse crew will help contribute to a well-rounded and culturally accurate show. Very few Western animated shows out today try to tackle Asian-American culture and lifestyle, and hopefully Three Delivery will remain a fun series and continue to improve.

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