Psychic Force is probably best known by its spinoff
video game, but this early two-episode OAV is merely a glimpse into that universe.
Several familiar characters such as Richard Wong and Emilio make short appearances,
but the story here focuses on the interrupted friendship between two boys, Bob
Griffiths and Chris Evans, who both happen to be gifted with psychic powers. The
script, to put it bluntly, is so bad, it's funny. The dramatics are so extreme
and the dialogue is so obvious and cliched, it's hard to believe we're supposed
to take it seriously. All the characters are two-dimensional and personified mainly
by the flashy visuals. Even with the foreknowledge that this is only supposed
to be a two-episode introduction, the story still feels too short and the ending
is cut off with little closure.
Graphics are pushed
to the front here and come off pretty uneven. The animation is generally fluid
and easy on the eyes, but takes old-fashioned shortcuts at every opportunity.
The character designs are a bizarre clash of the usual quasi-deformed features
and huge hair of Slayers with much more meticulously drawn clothing and
weaponry. There are surprisingly few fight scenes, and the characters spend most
of their time running around in chases or escapes. Possibly, in other hands, the
show might have found a better direction for its central concepts, but this time
around the finished product isn't worth the price of the video rental.
(2.5)
