It’s the product of a grip of Japanese studios, and as expected, the seven episodes vary greatly in presentation. The core elements of the underlying story remain true, and the differing production styles show how many ways a story can be told. If Halo Legends did anything, it served to open the definition of what lugs such as myself consider “anime.”
Why the franchise overseer, 343 Industries, decided to hand this project over to anime studios is something I cannot answer. For this I feel somewhat cheated, but also grateful. Part of me says the Chief should exist in a CGI world, and a CGI world only. Another part of me likes the idea of seeing him in another format. Unfortunately, Halo Legends isn’t entirely about Spartan 117. There are seven episodes, and each helps to reach the overall goal of… I don’t know what. Maybe the Halo franchise is desperately grabbing for a wider fan base.
Anyway, here’s the different episodes and what I made of them.
Origins By far one of the better episodes. This segment solidified what long time fans already knew about the Halo universe, and kept fairly true to the novels. This was akin to a documentary, and very stylistic. I feel that the beginning is the most crucial part to a story, and was not let down by this portrayal.
The Babysitter Too mediocre to really make an impact. I wanted to like this episode, and gave it every opportunity to be liked, but it simply didn’t make the cut. It was loaded with military cliche’s, and fell short of being even remotely epic. It’s hard to imagine a more awkward looking Spartan than the one shown here.
Homecoming This was an attempt to enlighten viewers on the drama that is Spartan recruitment. Eric Nylund’s, The Fall of Reach, was much more successful in this endeavor. It seems to me that had Bee Train put in the effort necessary to flesh this depiction out a little more it’s importance would have hit home with viewers. The small mouthed characters in this one were unconvincing at best. What’s up with the endless supply of warthogs?
The Duel Quite possibly the best, but it could also be the worst of the seven episodes. I had no idea the Elites shared the same Samurai heritage as the Japanese who created the bit. Apparently the artists had no qualms in facilitating the phenomenon. I swear I saw Hattori Hanzo somewhere in this crazy thing.
The watercolor lens Production I.G used in this episode was very unique and added a dynamic to the work that isn’t found anywhere else. This one was entertaining.
Odd One Out I must first say that I am not, and have never been a fan of anime. It is productions like this one that give me that resolve. This was just retarded. It was like a combination of Pokemon and Dragonball Z. However amazing the conversion of those two might be if such a thing ever occurred, this is a shadow of what that would look like. This pic says it all:
Come on now… Not all Halo fans are 13 years old. Spartans don’t get into fist fights with 30ft Gorillas last time I checked.
Prototype A bit far fetched, but cool nonetheless. I like the idea of a Halo Mech Warrior, but this episode strode along the edge of “overdoing it.” The back story on the Ghost was insightful, and I can appreciate a story teller who takes the time to let their crowd in on details. However well this might have been done, I must say that I really couldn’t care much for some random sergeant. If I’m watching something about Halo, I want the Chief!
The Package The format Spartan 117 was meant to be seen in… CGI! It was good to witness a major scene from the novel. Though unrealistic, this episode was very well made. I would pay to see a full feature. Get to work Casio Entertainment!
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Origins sounds like a sweet episode, and then I’d say The Package and third would be Prototype…