The show draws from the wealth of material surrounding the Final Fantasy games that have been popular for years and years but also invents a number of new characters and scenarios so as to keep from forcing the audience from having to know what went on in those long, and often difficult, games. In short, the series is almost homage to the games rather than an actual spin off. The show is set in the near future where a cataclysmic battle took place between two large monsters that came from a beacon of light. The area was devastated and the beings disappeared but a ghost train appears at regular intervals to transport people to another world, Wonderland, which is a series of interconnected cities floating in an ethereal place. Each city has its own properties regarding the laws of physics and its own set of characters, some of which are friendly while others are quite hostile. The show centered on a trio of young adventurers who were trying to search for people they cared about (two of them for their parents), as detailed below in my episode breakdowns:

Episode Thirteen: Meteor: Abominable Memory:
Fungus continues his fight against Kaze and the team. His world is dominated by his spore generating ability and both of the opponents seem to find that they are flip sides of the same coin. Fungus' past is explored and Kaze must resort to an especially powerful summon to combat him.

Episode Fourteen: Omega: Reunion And Departure:
This episode had a bit of a recap but unlike many other series, it wasn't solely dedicated to going over everything that had gone on before (something that might've helped me understand the context of the show since even watching it, I'm left with many questions). Cid, the inventive genius of the Camodeem rebels, hooks up with the team after the inter-dimensional train is attacked and damaged.

Episode Fifteen: Jane: The Moving Ocean Puzzle:
The team is now traveling with Cid and the Camodeem in a submarine. They are attacked by forces controlled by Pist and seem to prevail until they continue their quest. A nearly drowned Kaze is picked up but unconscious and unable to assist.

Episode Sixteen: Kigen Summon: Behind The Smile:
The group becomes trapped by Somosan, a mermaid working for Earl Tyrant, in an ocean puzzle cube where they must answer tricky questions in order to escape. When someone answers incorrectly, there are consequences, both personal and for the group. As Tyrant and his minions' watch from a distance, the crew is slowly destroyed, until Kaze provides a clue for Lisa.

For an anime buff looking for something way off the beaten path, I can still safely give this one a rating of Rent It although I thought the series broke away, a bit at least, from the formula where Kaze would use a summon to fight a monster. He did so once this time, but the rest of the crew didn't display much in terms of character growth and this causes me concern about the minimal possibilities of the series. It often looks good in how it combines CGI and traditional anime but style over substance is not my favorite type of anime.

Picture: The picture was presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The look of the show was quite unique in how it mixed more traditional styles of anime with modernistic CGI effects. I wasn't too keen on the limited drawn anime style of the characters (they often looked like low budget quickies) but after a few episodes, it grew on me a bit more than I thought it would. In any case, the picture always looked good and no problems were evident.

Sound: The audio was presented with a choice of 5.1 Dolby Digital surround English or 2.0 Dolby Digital Japanese with optional English subtitles. The English track was superior in terms of the ambiance, special effects and music while the voice acting was somewhat better on the Japanese track. Both were clear and crisp within the limitations of their source material.

Extras: The best extra was the audio commentary track on episode fourteen with voice actors Brian Jepson (Oscha) and Jessica Smolins (Herba). I think the commentary was okay with each of the performers telling a bit about themselves and the show. I'd have preferred more commentary about the show though since the comments were almost completely interview style, which might've made for a better extra apart from the commentary. There were a number of sketches and illustrations presented on the DVD as well as the usual trailers, and a double sided DVD cover. Lastly, there was a paper insert that a lot of characters, including the Summon that Kaze brings forth. Taken as a whole, the extras were pretty solid compared to most ADV releases.

Final Thoughts: I think the series is a minor effort with a lot of rough edges. It's good enough to watch but the confused story and lack of development on the part of the characters made me think this one was made up as it went along. I appreciate that it seems directed at a younger audience but it's a copout to suggest that you can't address a wider audience with thoughtful writing and better content. The animation styles are growing on me but the plot devices are overused and I'm not sure I enjoy this one all that much.