VK11

Let me begin with saying that if you are reading this review, you probably have played Final Fantasy VII or at least know the basic story of the game as Last Order is not a show that you will randomly watch. You really need to know the story behind the game in order to fully appreciate what the people at Square-Enix did with Last Order. Last Order basically gives the gamer what they have wondered since seeing the flashback in the basement of the Nibelheim Mansion - what exactly is the history behind Zack and how does he fit into the grand scheme of things.If you paid attention to all of the minute details in the game, you can get a decent idea of who Zack exactly is and what his role is. Last Order tells us that story and Zack's relationship with Cloud and Sephiroth and how Cloud ended up with Zack's buster sword. The animation is flawless when you consider that they needed to convert all of the Final Fantasy VII world into an animation. It's a completely different project that what Advent Children was about because that was computer graphics, not anime. Cloud, Zack, Sephiroth and the members of ShinRa are all drawn very well, pretty much to perfection. The music is done very well and the voice actors they gave to each of the main characters seem to fit them quite well. My only qualm with it is the music selection. Don't get me wrong, the music was great. But I feel they should have used some of the music from the game to capture the real essence of FFVII. Because its approximately only a 30-minute show, its hard to judge anything about character development. BUT, it does do a great job showing the relationship between Zack and Cloud and exactly the closeness of their friendship. The show also does well in portraying how the ShinRa wanted to capture Zack and Cloud at all costs. Overall, this 30-minute show will answer many questions and leave viewers with a satisfied feeling as they witness the background story of Zack and his relationship with everyone. The big battle scene between Zack and Sephiroth is amazing and showcases Zack's skills very well. This is especially the case when Zack and Cloud are on the run and its Zack vs. the entire ShinRa soldiers at one point. Definitely a 10/10 worthy show and if you've played Final Fantasy VII and liked the game, chances are you probably already seen this because most avid Final Fantasy gamers are simply on top of everything that is Final Fantasy. Ah, what the heck. It's a nice way to spend 30 minutes or your day. ^_^

Venneh

Title: Final Fantasy VII: Last Order Manga or Anime or Both?: Anime alone, as far as I'm aware, released with the Collector's Edition in the US, and the Ultimate Edition in Japan. Story: Last Order cuts between flashbacks to the Nibelheim Incident, Zack's escape from the lab with Cloud five years later, and ShinRa and the Turks' pursuit of the former. Story Critique: ...Honestly, it's not what I was expecting. I knew that it covered the Nibelheim Incident and it's aftermath, but still. They didn't even cover anything before Sephiroth goes crazy and burns down/slaughters Nibelheim. I was really looking forward to that.(pouts) Decent rehash of things already covered in the game, for the most part. As for the Zack/Cloud escape... for the most part, it's gratuitous action scenes, peppered with Zack conversing with a comatose Cloud. The only part I really liked about that part of the plot was the last five minutes, and anything to do with the Turks. Tseng was mostly used as a plot device in that he prefaced all the flashbacks with a mini-monologue about it. That was about the best transitioning that they did; for the most part, the transitions are abrupt, and disorienting. Art Style: Studio Madhouse did the animation for Last Order; I'm not sure what other series they've done. EDIT: Madhouse's credits include Paranoia Agent and, as of late, Death Note. All in all, I'm happy with the art style for this. Beautiful 2D animation, and decent CG. The CG seems awkward when it's in the same scene as 2D, though; it has to be either one or the other. Music: Your typical rock soundtrack, with some techno and strings thrown in the background. Not all that impressed. Voice Seiyuu: I was too lazy to check the credits, but, from what I heard, I'm pretty sure that any voices that S-E's used in previous VII titles (Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, possibly Before Crisis) were used in this title as well. Voice Actors: N/A Dub: N/A Length: Last Order clocks in at just under a half-hour, including credits; about the length of your typical anime episode. I'm not all that satisfied with it; I was expecting something a little... I don't know, longer than this. Fourty-five minutes at the least, maybe closer to an hour. Overall: Beautiful animation, excellent seiyuu. They still need work on the story, music, and run time though. It's worth a watch on YouTube; I wouldn't go and buy the Japanese special edition of AC just to get this, though. Story: 6/10 Art Style: 8/10 Music: 6/10 Voice Seiyuu: 7/10 Length: 6/10 Overall: 33/50; 66% (F)