Based on the PC game of the same name, Baldr Force is a short, four episode OVA which looks into the world of hackers and the consequences of a virtual future.
Plot Summary
In the world of the future exists the Wired, a virtual place where anything imaginable goes. Many people choose to live their lives in the Wired instead of reality. But the Wired has come under attack by an unknown assailant which absorbs data and kills everyone who comes in contact with it.
Baldr Force EXE
Steppen Wolf, a group of amateur hackers, has made it their calling to hack into the Wired and uncover data from encrypted sources. When a hack goes lethally wrong, one of the hackers, Tohru, is scouted by the elite protection force FLAK to help them uncover the mystery of the Wired killings. Now Tohru must discover the root of the problem, which is connected to him in ways he could never imagine.
Review
This OVA is average. The ideas are average, the animation is average, the whole shebang- average. I’ve never played the PC game, nor have I ever heard of it before watching the series, so maybe the game itself is above average.
The series seems more geared towards fans of the game than to anyone else. The concept is overworked and reminiscent of a hundred other anime. Ideas are crammed into the series which might have been good if they were fleshed out more, but they weren’t. They were just average and very blah.
Baldr Force EXE
Character Development
There is no character development. There are no characters to relate to except to say, “I’ve seen this somewhere before and it was done better.” Watching the OVA, I felt nothing towards any of the characters, simply apathy. I was merely watching the anime, I wasn’t engaged or involved. I was slightly annoyed at times, but even that measurable emotion faded back into, meh.
Character Design
Character designs are also at an average level. Nothing stands out as memorable or dreadful. The world in Baldr Force is a semi-bleak mechanical one, but it isn’t unique. Even the simulacrum used in the Wired look absolutely recycled as do the uniforms for FLAK.
Animation
The animation wasn’t average, it was bad. Lines are mismatched, motions don’t glide smoothly, the actual drawings themselves are not so good and are hazy. Some of the CG is decent, but it’s overruled in quality by the poor animation. It was a chore to sit through the anime due to the uneven nature and sub par quality of the animation.
Music
Baldr Force EXE
The OP, Face of Fact, by KOTOKO is a charming, catchy electronic number, but the animation for the opening is head-scratching. Why are there nude women crawling out of suits when there’s no such thing in the anime? In fact, why is there more nudity in the OP than in the entire series?
undelete was the ED by Mami Kawada, is slightly charming. The animation for the ending is actually better than the entire series. I’d have rather watched the ending ten times than the series in its entirety.
Voice Acting
Amazingly, the English voice cast isn’t all that bad and neither is the Japanese. Neither one is better than the other, however. It’s the one above average bright spot in the OVA.
Conclusion
Baldr Force EXE was slightly entertaining, but only because it’s so reminiscent of so many other better anime. As an anime, the concept is too familiar and poorly done. The OVA is almost instantly forgettable. For fans of the game, however, this OVA may be perfect.
Rating
Baldr Force EXE gets 2 outta 5 Hammies!
Retail Info
- Publisher: Funimation
- Release Date:May 20, 2008
- Retail Price: $29.98
- Number of discs:1
- Episodes: 1-4
- Run Time: 120 minutes
- Rating: TV-MA
- Language: English, Japanese
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
