Since time began the gods have ruled in the heavens while with almighty Tentei controlling Earth. All was peaceful until Taishakuten (voiced by Norio Wakamoto) the treacherous general rose up, slaughtered Tentai and plunged the world into darkness. However, an ancient prophecy foretells six mighty warriors, six points of the fabled shimmering star will end his tyranny. Led by child princess Ashura (Kazue Ikura) they include her guardian Lord Yasha (Sho Hayami), impetuous boy warrior Ryu-Oh (Kappei Yamaguchi), wise mystic Lady Karura (Yoshiko Sakakibara), female ninja Soma (Yuriko Yamamoto) and a mysterious sixth member who has yet to be found. In their search for the elusive sixth point of the star, our brave heroes tangle with ice skeletons, sea serpents and deadly killer butterflies.
Like the later Indian-Japanese co-production Ramayana (1998), RG Veda (pronounced “Rig Veda”, not “Argie Veda”) is very loosely based on Hindu mythology. It was an early work by talented, all-girl manga collective CLAMP, famous for their extraordinarily elaborate artwork and labyrinthine plots. CLAMP scriptwriter Nanase Okawa reworked the complex Hindu saga into a fast-moving fantasy adventure, not too dissimilar from a Hong Kong swordplay fantasy, though in weaker moments it also recalls cult Eighties cartoon favourite, Dungeons & Dragons. Elements from traditional Japanese ghost stories have also been woven in, such as the tragic demon-girl Princess Aizen Myoo (Satomi Koorogi) who holds Yasha captive in her spectacular ice palace. This sequence that recalls the likes of Kwaidan (1964) where in the original mythology Lord Yasha (or Yaksha) was imprisoned by a red-skinned, three-eyed, six-armed, male demon.
The animators maintain a frantic pace but do a fine job rendering CLAMP artist Mokono Apapa’s beautiful character designs and inspired settings in gorgeous detail and colour, and display a level of artistry that belies the low budget. Note the subliminal cuts used to show the withered hag lurking beneath the doll-like demon girl. The fantasy battles are especially eye-catching, with Kurura conjuring magic birds that swoop upon her enemies while Ryu-Oh wields an enormous sword (twice his size!) able to control the winds. Sadly, all this visual ingenuity serves something of a lost cause given the story is frustratingly incomplete.
For you see, RG Veda is a promotional anime, created to draw Japanese readers to an ongoing manga serial. Which is all well and good, except English viewers with no access to the manga are out of luck. In essence the story has our heroes meander about through various inconsequential misadventures, laying plot threads to be further developed in the manga but which here wind up as loose ends. It is all set-up with no real payoff, but beguiling all the same.
