Anime: Aoi Sekai no Chuushin de

This mini-series lasted a mere three episodes, which is disappointing considering there is a significantly longer run of Manga source material to work from. The premise is simple. The kingdoms of Ninterdo and Segua (subtle, eh?) are fighting for control of the world. In this sketchy "kind of medieval" time period, armies clash for control of land, while larger battles are often decided by so-called "Killers", which are none other than iconic franchise leads such as Mario, Sonic, Kirby, Tetris, and others.

It seems like this formula should be an automatic win for a long-lived shonen with countless cameo appearances and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. Instead, this super short series plays it safe and surprisingly unremarkable. Because none of it is officially licensed, iconic characters are eluded to by well-known traits rather than by name, and due to the mere three-episode run, we're teased at a much larger cast that exists in the Manga rather than getting to see them have any significant screen time. Samus, Pikachu, and Link are hinted at in the last ten minutes, but don't get a lick of action.

Overexplaining the state of the war and how only certain people have incredible powers bogs down the short series. It would've been perfectly in place in a 12+ episode run, but it feels like uninteresting politics and training montages take up over half of this super short show. There's very little comedy, the only fan service to speak of seems to be the chronic molestation of the lead female character Opal, and the gimmick of trying to recognize which characters are which wears thin.

Perhaps the most disappointing trait about this potential series pilot is the overly serious tone. Particularly with a number of animation fans being familiar with Sonic and Mario's previous light-hearted outings, seeing Tails die within the first two minutes of the series and Sonic's dad perish in episode three just bogs things down with emotional baggage unsuited for such a short show with high action/comedy potential.

Final Score: Low on fun, but a bizarre experiment nonetheless. Skip this one and keep your hopes up for a better adaptation in the future.