Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Final Fantasy, and Star Ocean. What do each of those titles have in common? They are anime series that got their start as popular video games that's what! The latest to join their rank is the cult fan-adored Nippon Ichi Software's Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. Originally a strategy role playing game for the PlayStation 2 system, Disgaea charmed gamers with a sarcastic whit, lively characters, and a fantastic musical score. Of course it didn't hurt that the game was a lot of fun to play as well.

When I first heard that a 12 episode anime was being produced I, like many others, was naturally excited. I'll admit that I didn't quite know what to expect when I started watching the show. I found myself pointing out differences between the game and the animation quite frequently, though there's nothing too "out there" in case you were wondering. The fantastic sense of humor and abundance of personality was still present so thankfully that is one thing that remained intact.

If you have not seen the show or played the game then you're really going to be left out in the cold unless I explain a few things. You see, the universe is broken up into different realms and one in particular, The Netherworld, is full of nasty power-hungry demons. Laharl is a young overlord who aspires to take over the entire Netherworld and rule everything beneath him. Joining him through a series of circumstances are his vassal Etna and an angel in training named Flonne.

During their quest to see Laharl's ambitions through to fruition they meet many a strange folk. For instance we can't forget about Captain Gordon, Jennifer, and Thursday who are all pronounced Defenders of Earth. Even still a demonic guy named Mid-Boss lurches around the corner and an army of Prinnies (penguin demons) wait on Etna hand and foot (or is it flipper?). Other forces are stirring against Laharl though and all the way up in heaven (Celestia) a twisted plot by Seraph Lamington is about to unfurl.

This third and final volume takes place right where the second one left off with the main trio simply trying to find their way to Laharl's castle. Episode nine starts with Gordon and his cronies flying by and getting duped by Laharl into taxiing them the rest of the way. Naturally Laharl reneges on his promise to fight with Gordon because once in the castle he is bestowed with the power of the Demon Tome. Granted it's filled with naughty cheesecake pictures but there's some power inside the book nonetheless.

Out of the blue Thursday begins tweaking out and launches a program that splits the Netherworld's sky. Approximately two million Earth Defense ships break through the barrier and begin attacking Laharl's realm viciously. With Jennifer's father leading the assault there seems to be more at play here than meets the eye but before we learn about it a familiar fellow (to fans of the game) named Kurtis steps in and wallops Gordon. Meanwhile Leharl has taken to the sky and begins destroying Earth's fleet single-handedly.

Through the fight it's revealed that Seraph Lamington has conspired with humanity to destroy the Netherworld. Naturally Laharl and company heads towards Celestia to confront Lamington which leads to some enjoyable moments with Flonne. The plot remains as light and goofy as it has to this point so if you're coming to the show looking for an in depth character analysis or thought-provoking sub-plot you're going to be left wanting. Like the game, Disgaea the anime has proven itself to be irreverent and quite simple at its core.

This is a show that has gotten by on its personality alone and while that's not necessarily a bad thing; it just leaves the series feeling hollow in the end. As a fan of the game I enjoyed the anime but mostly in the sense that I had fun spotting references between the two. This is a fun little series that is strictly meant for those of you out there that liked the game but if you venture into it as a newcomer you'll find a few laughs thanks to the charming personality.

Disgaea the anime was released in Japan only last year so the transfer we get for this DVD is piping hot and fresh. The 1.78:1 anamorphic image is incredibly vibrant and captures the very essence of the game's universe. Everything from the character designs to animation and surrounding world has a certain "Disgaea" feel to it. The picture quality is strong for the most part with a relatively reliable image. There were many occasions where grain was noticeable and even more so where bouts of compression popped up. Overall it's not a bad looking image but it's certainly a transfer that could/should have been far better.

Instead of opting for a 5.1 English presentation Geneon has provided 2.0 stereo tracks for English and Japanese. It's unfortunate that we didn't receive a more technically impressive and immersive language track but it's not necessary to enjoy the dubbings. Both tracks hold up surprisingly well with the English dub containing some of the original voice actors from Hour of Darkness. The sound quality for both selections was fine and I didn't encounter any problems with the audio.

Disgaea's third volume follows in the footsteps of its predecessors. There are few special features here to talk about apart from some Geneon Previews and a Promo for the show. Essentially all you'll find here are two more "Special Talk" episodes which are interview segments with members of the original Japanese cast. They sit around and talk about some of the things that went into the workings of Disgaea but aside from light information there's not much value to take away from here. This inclusion is certainly appreciated since it's above the standard that we typically see but it's rather meaningless in the end.

Disgaea the game was like a breath of fresh air. It struck a cord with gamers and left a lasting impression. Unfortunately I can't really say the same thing about the anime. I mean, I had a good time watching it and all but the simplistic presentation of the story didn't really hit me as being memorable. I love the characters, I laughed a lot, and I was reasonably entertained but this certainly has turned into a series that didn't pan out quite as I expected.

If you liked the game then you'll definitely want to check it out because it's essentially more of the same great sense of style. Sadly it just didn't live up to my initial impressions. Recommended

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