Xenosaga: The Series

Xenosaga: The Series is an all too faithful anime version of the video game Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht (The Will To Power). Although it does gloss over many of the plot points from the original game and changes some of the character personalities, the main thrust of the story remains unchanged and the anime is much the worse for it. It often feels rushed and hurried, while the video game felt far more cinematic. Some of the changes bring new depth to characters that were after thoughts in the video game. Virgil is given time to grow and to find redemption by the end of the series. The Kirshwasser is given a far bigger part and a far better treatment as well.

The very existence of the human species is being threatened by the Gnosis, an inter-dimensional group of aliens who are hostile to all human life. To combat this threat, Shion Uzuki helps create KOS-MOS, an anti-gnosis weapon in the form of a female android. When the ship she is on is attacked by Gnosis, KOS-MOS is awakened to protect her creator. Although the ship is destroyed, and other ship called the Elsa saves her along with characters Alan and Virgil. On the ship are Ziggy and Momo, a cyborg and a 100-series observational realian (a artificial human) designed to detect and combat the Gnosis threat. She also carries what is called ‘the y-data’, research material from her creator. The y-data is coveted both by the Federation, who want her back, and an organization called UTIC. Much of the story is based around a strange marriage between western religious metaphors and basic Nietzchean philosophy, which is usually represented by a religious symbol here and there and German names (and maybe a sprinkling of Will to Power and all that jazz).

The main difference between the video game and the anime is in the characters. This is where the anime both rises and falls. On one hand certain characters are given far more room to grow than they did in the video game. Virgil, who is killed off in the first act of the video game, stays with the group for most of the anime. The Cherenkov character, however, is given a few lines and quietly dies off screen. Which is sad since he was a fairly sympathetic character, even though he betrayed the main characters.

The Kirshwasser, the predecessor to the 100-series, is perhaps given the best treatment by the anime. You couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards her need for love, a connection to the real world, and her desire for a will of her own. The series would have been better served if it had focused more on the realians and KOS-MOS and what they represent, rather than on all of this religious mumbo-jumbo that’s barely given any depth at all. The idea of a disposable citizen is an interesting concept and it’s a shame that they don’t develop it any further in the anime. The best parts are where they are trying to deal with the morality and justice of creating a second class of citizens. What that would mean for the type of compromises we would need to make and the psychology of last years model that is pushed aside for the next update. Even a few stand alone episodes focusing on the realians and their place in the world would have improved the anime immensely.

The animation, for the most part is pretty piss poor. The only characters that look somewhat interesting are Shion and Momo. For some reason the animation seems to favor their characters more than the others. The rest are at best forgettable and at worse just awful. The music is also pretty bad. The end credit song is one of those j-pop songs that you never want to hear again and the title sequence song is an easily forgettable orchestral oohs and ahs that is meant to be quasi-religious. Even ‘The Song of Nephilim”, which was a pretty unsettling piece in the video game, is lacking any punch. For the most part, however, the voice acting is pretty good.

In the end I’m not sure whom this anime is for. The fans of the anime may watch it, but they’re going to complain about it mercilessly. And anime fans may also watch it, but will invariably compare it to much better space operatic anime. It’s not horrible and there are some very nice bits hidden through out the series, and the last two episodes are probably the best of the entire series. But two really great episodes don’t save an entire series from being dull, uninteresting, and a missed opportunity. It’s watchable, you’ll enjoy parts of it, but it’s not rewatchable.

But is it for kids?

For older kids, maybe. But there’s a lot of violence and questionable language for this to be appropriate for a younger audience. There is quite a bit of death as well. Not to mention one of the main villains, Albedo, as a somewhat unhealthy obsession with the Kirshwasser. Honestly I don’t know who this anime is for. On one hand the subject material is fairly adult, but it’s animated to appeal for a younger audience.

I would have loved to have watched an anime that explored the realian’s more; what place they have in our society, the ethics of creating biomechanical slaves, how they interact in our society and the different view points of their existence. Or maybe even delve a bit more into the Miltian Conflict. Or, and here’s a crazy idea. Between the second and third game there’s a lot of back-story we’re not told. Why not tell us that story?

If you’re a fan I’d check it out on Netflix and watch the last two episodes. Otherwise, you’re safe to give this one a pass.