Cheap Rune Soldier - Adventure for Dummies (Vol. 2) (DVD) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Rune Soldier - Adventure for Dummies (Vol. 2)

Louie the Lost
For some reason most of the anime on my shelves is serious in tone, running from apocalyptic to tragic. For the longest time, the only exception was unsophisticated humor of 'The Slayers,' a slapstick series about wizard Lina Inverse and her sidekicks. While I won't claim that 'Rune Soldier' lacks for slapstick or rude humor, it does manage to be funny, and its characters are quite appealing.

Louie is a student of magic who should never have been given a wand. He is much more inclined to wave a sword, hack up his opponents, and trip over his size 20 feet. All of this is to the chagrin and embarrassment of Melissa, a young priestess of Mylee, who has declared that her hero is none other than Louie, the klutz. Accompanying them on their adventures is Genie, a statuesque warrior with a very sharp tongue (especially around Louie) and Merrill, a very greedy young thief. Bringing up the rear is Ila, Louie's fellow student and the closest thing he has to a friend.

In this second volume Louie faces innumerable undead, a pot of gold, a mechanical dragon, and, worst of all, Melissa's betrothed. In each case, Louie either causes the crisis, overcomes by accident, or (most likely) is rescued by Melissa or Ila.

Before you come to believe that Louie is completely hopeless though, keep in mind that he also demonstrates a great deal of courage and loyalty. He is quite likeable, but clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time. He really wants to be the hero that Melissa wishes she had. And it is Louie who realizes that Merrill may have lost her head over a pot of gold and makes the effort to rescue her.

It is still difficult to work out which of many possible paths the story will eventually pursue, but it demonstrates a surprisingly good level of writing for what is so far a comedy series. All of the characters are complex, and promise surprises yet to come. In addition, the production qualities are too strong for this series to ever be considered forgettable. Make the effort to track down 'Rune Soldier' - you won't be disappointed.

Rune Soldier Vol.2: Adventures for Dummies
The misadventures of our hero Louie continues as he takes part in a zombie-quest, duels a wannabe-suitor for Melissa's honor, helps out Merril with her 'Darling Jar,' by providing her with a 'Pilsbury Dough-Boy' guardian, and attends a holy festival, where Melissa is desperately trying to keep secret of the fact that Louie is her 'destined champion' from her rival Isabel.
The second volume is loaded with the same wackiness that made the first volume so enjoyable and we begin to see some more character development in the cast, especially with Louie, proving that there's more to him than meets the eye. Even his staunchest critic Melissa begins to see something more in him, though she is STILL saying that her destiny to serve him is totally against her will.
Rune Soldier continues to deliver laughs, laughs and more laughs. Though not as over-the-top hillarious as the Slayers or Excel Saga, it has it own charm and the main character reminds me of Justy Ueki Tylor in which apparent idiocy is actually concealing true genius. Recommended!