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44 of 48 found the following review helpful:
 Not So Final Fantasy, but Good NonethelessDec 08, 2005
By Antonio D. Paolucci
"Collector of Entertainment"
I'd have to say I was disappointed when I first saw the first episodes of Unlimited. It was named Final Fantasy, but very little linked it to the incredible video game series of the same name. The story seemed immature and generic and not interwoven with many character driven side stories; only the Final Fantasy mascots appeared (Chocobo, for one); and the music didn't reflect the classical style that went with the games. So, needless to say, I didn't bother buying anymore of the DVDs in the series.
Then the box set came out, and I admitted to myself that I was at least curious about how this series would end, plus I had learned that Gonzo made Unlimited, and Gonzo has yet to fail me in any of my anime endeavors. I bought it, and I watched the first episodes again. I cringed, because suddenly I felt the same way and even found a few more things I disliked about it. But I didn't stop, and continued to watch, and found that, slowly, this series evolved. It became emotionally driven, with a lot of elements that made Final Fantasy great. There were mascots galore (the stated chocobo, cactuar, moogles, summons, and Cid). Some of the music heard can be heard in previous games (the opening song--not the title song--and the battle victory).
Still, it wasn't as Final Fantasy as its namesake, but I found that in watching the anime the entire way through that that was okay. Though it isn't a good chapter in Final Fantasy, it's a great stand-alone anime nonetheless. It has great animation, a strange style that seems both classical and cutting edge (Astroboy with CG). The story deepens as the two main characters search for their parents, and other story lines reveal themselves as well, such as Kaze's story, the main character in charge of a powerful gun capable of summoning creatures into battle, and Lisa, a martial artist with the power to control elements. The antagonists also turn into something more than they had been in the beginning. A deeper, more sinister foe appears later, one that adds a sense of dread to the story that wasn't there previously. All in all, it adds up to one decent anime. And the value itself can't be beaten. Twenty-five episodes of anime for less than fifty-bucks.
It's difficult, however, to recommend this anime. I'd only recommend this to Final Fantasy fans who don't take the game too serious. If you do, you'll be disappointed with this anime. I'd also recommend it for anyone who enjoys experimentation in their animation. If you enjoyed Kid's Story in the Animatrix, you'll enjoy this.
25 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 Behind the CurveOct 30, 2003
By Marc Ruby™
"The Noh Hare™"
When I first heard that there was a Final Fantasy series that was to be introduced as a DVD series in the US I was quite excited. Certainly, as a game series, Final Fantasy has consistenly hit high marks in both story and graphics. It seemed reasonalble to expect that the series, coming out at the same time as other series that have shown landmark levels of quality would be something to watch. Alas, that is not the case.A great tower of light suddenly plunges into the modern world, and titanic monsters appear in epic battles. The world changes subtly as a darker presence begins to take possession of the shadows. A pair of research scientists start an investigation, but disappear right after they publish a book about a strange underground world that seems to have appeared right under our feet. Now it falls to Yu and Ai Hayakawa to try and find their parents. The board an odd subway train, and are transported to...Wonderland. In this DVD we take our first tour of wonderland, as the young children discover the mysteries and threats that surround then and acquire new companions like Lisa, who has her own special variety of 'martial arts,' and Kaze who uses a magical gun to carry out his role as a summoner (remember FF8 and FFX). At present the story stays focussed at this level, a bit more fight and adventure oriented, although I expect that the serious story arcs will gradually become more important. While the work is acceptible as standard Saturday morning cartoon fareit really lakes the flair that marks most Final Fanasty work. In fact, other than some creatures like Chocobos, it really has very little in common with the Final Fantasy game series. Scripting and character development are minimal, aimed at an audience that isn't quite ready for the complex relationship building which marks the show's namesakes. And the artwork is interesting in spots, but more cartoon-like, reminiscent of than the originals. A quick glance at the credits shows that there is very little cross over between the game creators and the series staff. This explains many of the little gaps that make the show confusing for a long time fan. If one approaches this as an independent work rather than as an heir to one of gaming's greatest lineages, then it is an acceptable and entertaining series. Buy if you are looking for the world of Gaia, peopled with Yuna's, Strife's, and Vivi's you are going to be disappointed, as I was.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Really Good Series... Not Long Enough ThoughJul 19, 2006
By Brock R. Joncas
"funkyness"
Ok... this series isn't exactly like the Final Fantasy games, but the elements are there. For instance, you have chocobo's, you have cactuar's, you have the summoning of Guardian Forces (which by the way look really cool), you have character's which have too much power for their own good, and a journey. This journey is that of Ai and Yu's search for their parents, where they are accompanied by Lisa Pacifist, a woman who possesses the cool power of Kigen Arts. During their journey, they see and do many wonderous things in wonderland (I wont say anymore, I dont want to spoil too much of the plot).
I have this product rated as 4/5 stars, but actually i think there it should be 4.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed this series, but I dock it .5 points because the time length ADV gives the series to be is inadequate. They say it is total 625 minutes, where actually each episode is 22min 45 sec, thus 22.75 min * 25 = 568.75 minutes long total length of series.
Anywho, if you like final fantasy, i suggest watch this series.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Great but slowAug 08, 2006
By R. Torres
This is a great anime, will keep you entertained and guessing until the last episode. But be warned, the story line and action are a bit slow. And the main character's summoning gun takes at least 10 seconds... just for him to fire it. Sigh. But don't let this keep you from buying this product. It is still a great anime, hope you enjoy.
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 I gave it a chance but...May 17, 2005
By A.J. Dill
I have not heard much good about Final Fantasy Unlimited, but I decided to give the show a chance since I am a Final Fantasy fan. The show did bring in many bits and pieces from the game series such as Chocobos, the character Cid, many summon creatures, and did a pretty good job with the fantasy setting. Another positive for the show is the voice acting is overall, very good. The voices fits with the characters and the dubbing is well done. Unfortunatley, these are only good remarks I have about the show.
What is wrong with the show- quite a few things. First of all, the animation is odd. The combination of 3D graphics and 2D graphics did not fit together. Also, many different animation sequences were used over and over again through the entire show. The show would have been better if all their time was spent on the 2D animation- adding shading, looking to see if characters looked proportional, and definitely better character design. Of all the anime shows I have seen, this series takes the cake for the worst looking characters. I'm not talking about the main characters for they are fine, but the secondary characters and enemys look like they belong in a kiddy show. Because of this horrible character design, it was difficult for me to get into the show. Here is an example- the army of good guys are dressed in gray body suits with bulky black gloves, boots, and hoods; they have no muscle or facial definition at all and some of them appear fat; worst of all were their weapons- long pipes with which they blow darts out of. I often found myself laughing at the characters since they looked too ridiculous to be menacing or realistic.
Another big problem with the show was it became very predictable. In every single show, an enemy attacks the good guys and Kaze uses his weapon, the magon, to save the day. The show quickly became boring. What annoyed me the most was the overkill with the chocobo pulling the little heroine girl's piggy tails. It wasn't funny the first time and it was dang annoying by the tenth time. Another predictable thing was each time the show showed the evil emperor, he was eating some odd meal and loosely going over their evil plans. The writers had plenty of things to go more deeply into such as the conflict with Makenshi and his brother, Kaze's past and romance. I have seen tid bits of the manga and I believe a lot was left out.
Speaking of leaving things out, this is the last problem I had with Final Fantasy Unlimited. At the end, there are many things I wanted to find out, mostly who died and who survived the final battle. It is left unknown if the kids, their parents, and the other main characters survived the ordeal and return home. Also, the show never tells if the destroyed planets are restored. Then there is the whole thing about the horrible monster Omega and how his crystal fragments are scattered about Wonderland. The show needed an extra episode or two to tie up these loose ends.
I came with low expectations for the show and even then I was still disappointed. I highly suggest you don't waste your money on buying the dvd set or renting it.
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