Ask yourself this question: When was the last time that anime had rather good adaptations of video games? And no, I do not mean mobage games like Princess Connect or Uma Musume, I mean, ACTUAL video games like Danganronpa or even the Persona series. The general answer is going to be the majority option, though the lesser will appreciate them quite a fair bit. This then, brings us to the Gust Corporation's Atelier series, specifically Ryza no Atelier: Tokoyami no Joou to Himitsu no Kakurega a.k.a Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout.
Interestingly enough, Atelier Ryza is NOT the first anime adaptation of the series, that lowly award goes to Escha & Logy no Atelier: Tasogare no Sora no Renkinjutsushi a.k.a Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky, which is the 2nd game of the Atelier Dusk series back in Spring 2014 almost a full decade before, that people didn't really fondly remember because of the haphazard decision to have an anime adaptation of a game that assumes that you have played the 1st game in the series. And that's probably for a very good reason why when Atelier Ryza had the anime adaptation announcement, it would start from the very beginning, that is this show, which is the 1st game in the Secret series.
Anyone whom has played or seen even an ounce of the Atelier series, would know that alchemy is front and center of the franchise since its inception in 1997 with Atelier Marie in the Salburg series, and that has remained the core focus of the now 20+ games (and still growing) of the franchise overall. And this is spoken true through its double-length premiere episode (which I thought was truly amazing for a start), which is essentially the main plot of the Atelier Ryza game, introducing the THICC thigh protagonist of Reisalin "Ryza" Stout. Together with her "Happy Three Friends" of Lent Marslink and Tao Mongarten on Kurken Island to explore out of their comfort zones, have a clutch with the forever beigning childhood friend of Bos Brunnen and his follower of Lumbar Dorn (that never seems to end), encounter the Valentz family of merchants with father Lubart and daughter Klaudia (which like Ryza and Co. will eventually branch out like them), and meet the capable alchemist Empel Vollmer and his bodyguard Lila Decyrus, to begin the ever-so-changing journey of a lifetime doing the things that they're interested and/or piqued on: Ryza on alchemy and Tao on his studies (taught by Empel) and Lent on his combat training (taught by Lila).
Obviously, like all other video game adaptations, Atelier Ryza is forced to be tied with the plot that series composer Yashichiro Takahashi had planned from the start, though he is the main person who wrote the 1st and 3rd games (Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key), along with this show's scenario. For the anime, Takahashi mentioned that "the arrangement of the main and sub-episodes was a matter of trial and error, but I do not feel that they are lacking in any way. However, due to the structure of the story, Bos in the anime is still in the early stages, so I was not able to include him in the daily life of Ryza and the other characters. If there is another opportunity, I would like to depict that as well." In regards to depicting the game in anime form, Takahashi decided to accurately reproduce the game's original story, but felt that "it would not work as an animation if we simply replayed scenes that had been seen in the game. Therefore, to create an atmosphere in which Ryza and her friends are living in those scenes, it was necessary to add various elements to flesh out the animation. I believe that these natural additions and depictions, which are not overly flashy, are the elements that are unique to anime and that will be enjoyed by the audience who is drawn into Ryza and her friends." And however take that as you will, because while anime cannot properly define the charateristics of a game, it should also not be taken as a pinch of salt, despite its shortcomings to fulfill some semblance of an original story with plot progression that only suits best for anime, which has been the ire for fans, no matter the games because of the difference in interaction.
That said, I must say that I really enjoyed the accompaniment of Ryza and her friends, watching them grow from their days of lazing, and making eponymous names for themselves once the going gets done. Ryza, Lent and Tao are not your typical characters who are the usual "know it all" snobs, thinking that their ways are absolute. They do have adults in the form of parents (and even looking out for them in their failings and insecurities, and friends earned along the way (Klaudia, Empel and Lila) that keep them in check of their progress. Even if they missed a beat whatsoever, they're sure to go back to the source of the issues and find solutions for them, working together like true friends who have your very back. And this being a journey, the Happy Three Friends are tested time and time again, ensuring the adage of the Chinese proverb "Failure is the mother of success", until they get the teachings and put them into full use. This IS character growth, albeit for both the best and worst as how the anime chooses to take liberties with the main character cast that makes sense sometimes and not. But the main points are there, and I'll gladly take this either way.
I'm surprised that Liden Films was chosen to produce the anime adaptation for Atelier Ryza, but also not, since in this season, both this show and the Rurouni Kenshin reboot are tied to Aniplex for their involvements in their respective productions. This is not the first instance as many other shows from before, like the anime adaptation of Aniplex's new mobage Build Divide last year, was literally a no-show for the Western audience. This time, the Atelier series have breached Western territory, so there is a level of expectation, and as much as the show looked inconsistent at times, generally, it delivered what it was supposed to do. I know, I know, Ryza's THICC thighs are always the main allure, and yes, it's has the feeling of being "plastered" in your face. Otherwise, the studio's production is decent at best, being bright, colourful and pleasant to the eyes.
The choice of OST is by far the most interesting aspect to me. The whimsicalities of adventure have their own stories to tell, and I think that the anime nails this succinctly, almost perfectly to the T. Sangatsu no Phantasia's OP song "Golden Ray", literally, is one of the best OP songs of the season for me, simply put that I really love how uplifting this song is, and that it encompasses that excitement you feel when you're about to explore a land unfamiliar. It's the same with Awkmiu's ED song "Arrow", which carries similar feelings of encouragement to reach for your dreams.
Despite having a rather bad record for game adaptations, Atelier Ryza can be a rather interesting experience to be had, be it the choice to try out the game for yourself or just give a heck care about it. I, for one, do have some qualms about the anime's judgments along the way, but generally, while this might not come close to what fans were expecting, as an anime-only, this is still a mixed-to-good decent showing of what the game is all about.
Maybe I should try out the game someday...
