Copyright © CAPCOM / TBS * avex * Studio Pierrot

An ancient legend tells of a magical Powerstone that granted its owner any wish desired. Adventurers from all over the globe clash as they seek this mystical gem. Sound familiar? This doesn't mean that creators of the POWERSTONE anime set out to rip off DRAGONBALL, but some more originality would have helped.
Based upon the Dreamcast game, POWERSTONE tries to entertain us with the story behind the game's premise. The plot begins with our hero, Fokker, training to be a fighter like his idol, Vargas. One day, the family butler delivers a package from Fokker's archaeologist father. The package contains an ordinary-looking rock that Fokker gives to the butler, saying that he never cared for his father anyways. Two pirates, Otto and Pasuu, corner the butler and demand the Powerstone. Fokker overhears the butler's cry for help and comes to the rescue. Otto and Pasuu are easily defeated, but when they summon their henchmen, Fokker grabs the rock and leads the pirates on a wild goose chase through the city, bumping into the other main characters, Ayame, Ryoma and Rouge, along the way. When Fokker finds himself surrounded by the pirates in an alley, the rock shatters, revealing a glowing red gem inside. The gem transforms Fokker into a crimson armored superhero, and with his newfound powers, he sends the pirates running off in a hasty retreat. With the situation under control, Fokker is transformed back to himself. Examining the Powerstone, he wonders why his father entrusted him with this talisman.
For the rest of the series, Fokker tries to find out the true nature of the Powerstone and its link to him, his father and Vargas. He will find that other people are also interested in his Powerstone. One such person is Ryoma, a samurai in search of a worthy opponent. Another is Ayame, a shinobi acting under orders of her clan. And yet another is Rouge, a gypsy interested in the mysteries of fate. The rest of the characters from the videogame, WangTang, Galuda, Gunrock, Jack the Slayer and Kraken, also make their token appearances on the show.
POWERSTONE makes no pretense about being a fight-of-the-week series, since it seems to be aimed at basically the same target group as the videogame's: 8-12 year-olds. The series is formulaic in that each episode's story is basically an excuse for at least one character to "powerchange" by the end of the episode. This formula can be boring because it's used in so many other series like SAILOR MOON. What makes this show worth watching are the characters' shortcomings. Fokker's character develops too slowly, because it seems like he takes two steps back for every step he makes toward becoming a hero. However, it is kind of fun watching Fokker fall victim to his vices. Ryoma is also amusing to watch because he shares some of Fokker's flaws even though he won't admit it. The dynamics of interaction between the characters is just as fun because they play off each other so well.
The look of the series reflects its light-hearted nature. The set designs are simple and colorful, like the character designs that are perfect reproductions of the videogame designs. Even though there's a lot of fighting, nobody gets badly hurt, so this series might get criticized for its "unrealistic portrayal of violence" by certain factions, but this series is really not about the repercussions of violence; it's more about the excitement of competition over the Powerstones. The action is actually top-notch for an animated TV series. One particular fight scene featuring WangTang feels just like it came from a Jackie Chan film.
As part of what may be a brilliant marketing move, the opening and ending songs are provided by a few artists from the avex trax recording label. Aya and Chika from D&D sing "Rise in My Heart," a dance number that lends its energy to the opening titles. The show closes to the catchy beat of "Kawaii n Janai?" performed by Mission. The rest of the soundtrack for the show is not very memorable unfortunately, but at least it's not intrusive.
POWERSTONE doesn't pretend to be anything other than a fun show. Sure, the premise isn't very original, since it's based upon a videogame, but its writers have managed to work within the plot's limitations to create characters that won't make you stop watching out of boredom or from disgust. If you can't get enough of the POWERSTONE videogame or enough anime with fighting action, this is probably the show for you.

Vol. 1, 50 mins
VHS: BES-2398 / LD: BELL-1453 / DVD: BCBA-0256
¥5000

Vol. 2, 75 mins
VHS: BES-2399 / LD: BELL-1454 / DVD: BCBA-0257
¥7800
Available Now in Japan
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