Review of Ys (1989)

Moving picture

A prophesied young hero is stranded in a once great land hounded by monsters. In the spirit of adventure, he uncovers its history and befriends many of its roguish men and bishōjo.

Camp CRPG fantasy, based on a video game known mostly for its good music and marketing parts 1 and 2 of the same story as two consecutive games in one box. It should also be known for having a villain whose name is sometimes transcribed as Dulk Fukt.

This is cheaply made and contains several references to the game, including a scene where the hero walks horizontally and vertically through the main town, viewed from the same perspective as in the game, to the same music. Things like that do bring some charm and the ending theme is nice, but the camp doesn’t quite support the full stretch.

moving picture Japanese production animation fiction series