Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout

"Raiza's Atelier: Secrets of the Dark Queen" is a captivating series adventure that immerses viewers in a world of mystery and magic. Follow Raiza, a gifted alchemist with a unique ability to harness shadows, as she embarks on a thrilling quest to uncover the enigmatic secrets of a hidden queen and her elusive hideout. With stunning hand-drawn visuals, clever puzzles, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, each episode promises an enchanting experience. Though some challenges may arise, the overall journey into darkness is mesmerizing and rewarding. Get ready to be spellbound by this captivating fantasy series!

This anime series, based on a game, is centred on Reisalin Stout, known as Ryza. She lives with her parents in a village on the island of Kurken. Her parents are farmers but she has no interest in following in their footsteps. She has a longing for adventure and despite it being forbidden she and her friends take a rowboat to the mainland. Here they help save a child but soon run into difficulties and are helped by Empel, an alchemist, and his bodyguard who had been hired to find the girl. Ryza is immediately fascinated by Empels alchemy skills and asks to be trained. Over the course of the series Ryza and her friends will get into various adventures as she develops her skills and finds the ingredients she needs.

This might not be one of the great anime series but it passes the time nicely with likeable characters getting into enjoyable adventures. Unlike many series there isn't too much in the way of fan service and the action isn't too violent so it can be enjoyed by most ages. The character designs are solid with each easy to distinguish from each other and the animation is good. I liked the fact that an anime based on a game didn't involve a character reincarnating into fantasy world where they level up in the manner of a game that has become so cliché. Overall I'd not call this a must see but it is definitely worth checking out if you enjoy fantasy anime and don't require constant fighting.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

It is difficult to understand what Koei Tecmo's goal was when they funded this anime. I would like to assume that the idea was to promote and boost the extraordinary Atelier Ryza franchise.

If that was the idea, then we have to ask ourselves: what was going through their heads when they were developing the story?

Koei Tecmo had the opportunity to create a great story, to take advantage of their incredible characters, and thus captivate the world with the extraordinary world of Atelier Ryza.

However, instead, we are faced with an incredibly bland story with no depth. Simply put, there is no story. Atelier Ryza can be summed up as the life experiences of 4 teenagers living on an island in a video game universe. The worst part is that those experiences are not great experiences. They have no more excitement than following the lives of 4 teenagers living in the real world and looking for excitement beyond their school.

Honestly, my friends, don't fall for the trap of video game fame. Atelier Ryza is a boring, hollow anime that doesn't contribute anything. I repeat, I don't understand what Koei Tecmo was thinking when they created this story. Today, we live in a world where the anime industry is very competitive, with hundreds of stories that aspire to a second season and die instantly due to lack of audience. Here, with Atelier Ryza, it seemed that Koei Tecmo simply had a few extra dollars and wanted to spend them on something that didn't require much effort.

Finally, I can't help but laugh at those who said that this anime would be worth it for Ryza's thighs. Again, I have bad news, my friends: Koei Tecmo, in a treacherous move against their fans, eliminates virtually any fanservice of the protagonist. There are a few interesting scenes here and there, but they are few and far between. Nothing worth highlighting.