Search - Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles: Volume 12- The Soul of Memory on DVD

Good series, but runs out of steam.

T. Bonds | places | 03/23/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Tsubasa started out very promising but unfortunately, by the beginning of season two, the story was already starting to crumble and collapse under the weight of its own dragging plot. The first season was interesting and progressed at a healthy pace, but that sense of urgency is simply lost by the beginning of the second season and by the end, you're just simply left scratching your head. The very few fights are decent but certainly nothing special. There are a few comedic moments, mostly between Kurogane the bitter ninja and Fai, the impish stoner wizard. At times, they're genuinely funny, but at some periods seem overly forced, especially in the English dub.
I'm not telling people to avoid this series by any means. My suggestion would be to read the manga, then watch the anime series. The manga is absolutely incredible. It's very well drawn and the plot itself is much more intense and dramatic. Also, as far as the anime goes, it appears they opted to completely omit the more adult-themed direction that the manga has since taken.

So, in short, read the manga and then watch the anime if you feel inclined to do so. The manga will fill in any annoying plot gaps and also leave you feeling much more satisfied whereas the anime just eventually falls flat."