With its cardboard characters, totally unimpressive musical score and dull storyline, "RG Veda" succeeds where
many others fail by offering a foolproof cure for insomnia. Since the story plows ahead without taking time to
develop sympathetic characters, little intrigue remains in which the viewers can invest. But each of the main
characters, or warlords, has different powers. Neat. No exclamation point
Yasha and Ashura's relationship, that of protector and protectorate, easily transferred to a father/daughter
type relationship, forms the basis for the most complex dynamic between any of the characters - which involves each
promising always to be there for one another. Yasha and Ashura experience a litany of worn-out and tired emotions
as they journey together, leaving no common expectation unturned. CPM's cover art for the tape evokes more emotion
than the anime ever does.
And CPM's dub does little to compensate for weak emotional stakes. A near sardonic narrator opens the title
with all the believability of a used car salesman and, dry as a desert, the cast churns out clotted, non-enthused
performances.
Nick Wood's synthesizer rich musical score rivals elevator music for redundancy and blandness. More time
has already been spent reading about "Veda's" music than will ever be recalled musing on it after the credits roll.
Like many of Clamp's titles, "Veda's" plot stems out of a contrivance to showcase the quartet's art. Though,
this is not even a particularly good sampling of Clamp's characteristic Romanticism.
And not even trying to follow the plot will keep a snooze from creeping in. The 'fate of the world' plot and
fighting over heaven ... blah, blah, blah ... does not contain even the most plastic of original hooks to distinguish
this story from the primordial soup of fantasy-themed anime. The main goal has something to do with fulfilling a
prophesy of six stars uniting to overthrow the evil warlord in charge of heaven. And the leaders of certain clans
apparently represent the stars. At the end of the second episode, all of the stars have united, but for some
reason they chose to fight the bad guy later. The bad guy laughs the usual ominous bad guy laugh (muyha, ha, ha,
ha, ha) at the end, and arrogantly states his invincibility. The good guys will probably win. But who really
cares?