Wakfu Oropos' OAV : Why I love to hate it
Hum, sorry not sorry, but you read correctly, dear Kosmoz's traveller it is time to give my opinion on the latest Ankama OAV focusing on Oropo's background, and well... Let's at least start with the good parts.
A long forgotten animation we love
The title screen framing Oropo's figure, graphically underlying he will be the center of this story is quite nice. There are few other choices of composition that are also really good and meaningful.
The animation is still... Well it's Ankama : it gives energy in the fight scene, emotion when needed, it is colorful yet pale (underlying maturity after a childish beginning for the series).
The Eliotropes' design and presentation : so nice to see more charcaterisation of this race we have still so much to uncover ! And I LOVE to see "bad eliotropes", especially this little guy there ("Rictus" in french), because if Eliotropes are Yugo's shadows, then it means that our dear "EliAtropes' king" is not as a white knight as we would like to see him ~
The fights are pretty cool
The music... well still awesome
Don't know about the english dub, but oh well, the french one is still very neat. Even if I can not help but to find that Chibi's way of ALWAYS screaming is just tiring in the long run...
AND THERE IT IS.
We have reached the end of the "good points", and oh boy... It can not be compared to the bad ones...
De Profundis : why this OAV should return to the White Dimension
CHIBI : he should NOT BE ALIVE !!! I KNOW that IoW is no more canon but the fact that he is still alive after the second war against Orgonax ? Bollocks ! And his character design ?! What is this ?
From now on... I will rename Chibi "no eyebrows stupid screamer"
And yeah... STUPID !!! For someone who is supposed to have outlived Orgonax and Qilby's "treason", how is it possible for him to be this nut-head ? He lost the fight at the end for what ? Because he only screams and yells and DID NOT THINK ONCE ! Talk about a Council's member : no shit Qilby became crazy with a brother like him for centuries.
And Grougaloragran, can we talk about him ? WHY IS HE FIGHTING NAKED ?!? Why does he not transform into his dragon version ?! WHY NOT USING ALL HIS POTENTIAL FACING SUCH A THREAT ?! And if he wants to stay in a more agile version, fine, but keep your damn clothes ON, please ! I mean, it brings up nothing interesting other than his abs : can we be serious for once ?
Chibi's death : no emotion. I mean, he does not seem very wise for his age, he does not listen to his brother, he does not talk about Yugo or perhaps his feelings about encountering other "versions" of his brother after so much time being appart from him. Did not particularly care about him at the beginning, hate him after seeing that version of the character.
THE FU**** CONSISTENCE WITH THE LORE ?! WHERE IS IT ?!
The fact that Oropo is held into the cube.... It could be a good idea, huh ? Yes, yes... he could become.... THE F***** VOICE THAT NOX IS HEARING, RIGHT ?!?! For which reason ? Why tossing the cube into the ocean ?! How does it come back in season one ?! Can't Nox be left alone and just be a great antagonist WITHOUT OROPO being "at the beginning of everything" ?!
Ankama is probably going to follow that last idea, aren't they ? So, like at the end of the 3rd season, we're gonna have the "it was Oropo's plan"... Thanks, really.
Hum.... Did Oropo really though that they could take out a freacking dragon ? Like... He's Yugo's shadow : he knew that Grougal was powerful. Why not trying to sneak out ?
Because of that choice to show "fighting" instead of sneacking, we were stuck 30 minutes on a beach. There was only few different backgrounds with flashbacks (and we already knew that beach from season one, so not even something new).
Hum, I love the design of all the Eliotropes' designs, but... WHY ARE THERE SO DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL ?! I mean, the saga is supposed to be part of the game too ! You're going to tell me that there are all different even though all the in-game Eliotropes have the same design ? And what about the fact that their design are litteraly caricatures of their personality ? Same note for their names ('poet" ? "rictus" ? "bouillon" ?) ! I mean, we're not children, and gosh, it is so... plain ! Can't they have nuances ?!
The dialogues... Lame. No emotions. No good humor. No really good informations : I had the the impression to see children taunted each other each time someone was talking.
Oropo being full of disdain towards his brothers and sisters when they are talking and suggesting other plans but being full-emotional when one them dies : once again, show why his characterization is a fail.
Aton's death : "you were a brother... A sister... Whatever..." Is this a non-bineary reference here ? WHY ? I mean, it is not bad to have more diversity, quite the contrary but its just... there. No explanation, And for a antagonist with "no emotion" : what a great depiction for this stigmatized group... And who dies at the end... If it was just to put a reference to LGBTQ and + because its trendy or because you have a to-do list to check, please don't.
Why is Grougaloragran using his adversaries' names like he knows them even he just met them ?
The Eliacube showed Oropo the destruction of the Eliatropes' world after Orgonax came, or some kind of destruction. And he still wants to use it... Genius.
Well, I think I will stop this monolog here.
I will gladly exchange with whoever want to share their own experience of this OAV.
To conclude : I will not recommend this OAV for something else than the animation. The story is sh*t, the characters are a pain in the eliacube and I can't help but fear for the 4rth season after watching this...
