Product Details

• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Section 23
• DVD Release Date: December 9, 2003
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000TPATW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,142 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Orphen Season 1 gets 5 stars...unfortunately season two only gets 4. Season has a story, but the viewer must find it amongst the comedy. Orphen, Magic, Cleo and Leki (voiced by the same voice actors from the first Orphen) are going to some hot springs for a little R & R. Once they reach the resort town they discover that no one wants to give them any shelter. Also a mysterious glasses-dependent girl is following them, she wants Orphen's help (the reason is never made clear in any of the four episodes). Volkin and Dortin still refuse to pay their debt and someone is out to get Orphen...but who and why?\nThe animation is NOT as good as the first. The characters seem to have lost weight and look more cartoonish. What I find strange is that when Orphen uses his powers the background is reminiscent of some 60's psychedelic drug-induced vision. The outtakes are a special treat (I enjoyed their references to "American Pie" and Eddie Murphie's "The Nutty Professor"). \nIf your an Orphen fan you will enjoy it but if your not familiar with Orphen I STRONGLY suggest you watch the first season before you see season two. Enjoy the story and small touches of humor of season one before you dive into the comedy saturated season 2.\nIf you're a parent, its best not to let your small children see this (the opening sequence has Orphen and Cleo in bed together, the first comedic sequence soon follows) and the language used in the outtakes are best appreciated by a mature ear.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Comedy...less story, December 18, 2003

By 

Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orphen Season 2 - Revenge (Vol. 1) (DVD)

Orphen Season 1 gets 5 stars...unfortunately season two only gets 4. Season has a story, but the viewer must find it amongst the comedy. Orphen, Magic, Cleo and Leki (voiced by the same voice actors from the first Orphen) are going to some hot springs for a little R & R. Once they reach the resort town they discover that no one wants to give them any shelter. Also a mysterious glasses-dependent girl is following them, she wants Orphen's help (the reason is never made clear in any of the four episodes). Volkin and Dortin still refuse to pay their debt and someone is out to get Orphen...but who and why?
The animation is NOT as good as the first. The characters seem to have lost weight and look more cartoonish. What I find strange is that when Orphen uses his powers the background is reminiscent of some 60's psychedelic drug-induced vision. The outtakes are a special treat (I enjoyed their references to "American Pie" and Eddie Murphie's "The Nutty Professor").
If your an Orphen fan you will enjoy it but if your not familiar with Orphen I STRONGLY suggest you watch the first season before you see season two. Enjoy the story and small touches of humor of season one before you dive into the comedy saturated season 2.
If you're a parent, its best not to let your small children see this (the opening sequence has Orphen and Cleo in bed together, the first comedic sequence soon follows) and the language used in the outtakes are best appreciated by a mature ear.

4.0 out of 5 stars Starting with you, blinky!, June 17, 2009

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orphen Season 2 - Revenge (Vol. 1) (DVD)

For the record, the beginning of "Orphen Revenge" is not very much like the first season of "Orphen" -- it's more like a grumpier version of "Slayers."

Not that that's an entirely bad thing -- just different. "Orphen Season 2 - Revenge (Vol. 1)" is a rather fluffy beginning to the series' second season, with plenty of comic relief, a bit of gender-bending, and Orphen's increasingly stressful search for hot water and food. But there are some subtle (okay, not subtle) hints that there's something nasty in the offing for Orphen and Co., which may have inspired the sub-title "Revenge."

A very reluctant Orphen and Majik set out with Cleao to the city of Seiun, reknowned for its hot springs. But when the hotel owners see Orphen's face, then immediately freak out and reject the trio -- mainly because the town's tinpot dictator Don Bonaparte is terrified that a sorcerer will discover their secret. Desperate to get Cleao into a hot spring so they can leave, Orphen blasts his way to the source of Don Bonaparte's hot springs... only to discover a shocking secret in a nearby mountain.

He also encounters Lycoris, an agent of the Royal Public Order of Knighthood who says that they want him -- and of course, Orphen is totally uninterested. But he lets Lycoris tag along because the Order will pay his bills.

And Orphen has non-knighthood problems to deal with: enormous freakish monsters keep attacking the party, and seem to be targeting him alone. A bizarre incident convinces Cleao that the inoffensive Lycoris is a tentacled monster out to "eat our sweet sweet brains!", and the bombastic troll Volcan becomes possessed by a very feminine ghost who needs to skip stones in a magical lake. Yes, he does wear a dress.

There's not much story substance to the first volume of "Orphen Revenge" -- it's mostly about our heroes meandering around and being attacked by monsters, when Orphen's companions aren't slowly driving him insane with stress ("MY FRIEND.... NEEDS... A BAAAAAAAATH!"). But there are some plot threads of darker stuff -- a shadowy figure that is plotting Orphen's downfall, and a bunch of monsters with nebulous origins.

And along the way, there's some action-comedy worthy of "Slayers" -- lots of Orphen blowing things up and kicking butt against increasingly bizarre foes (such as possessed mannequins with sickles!), usually yelling abuse at them. And the fluffy plots have as plenty of comic relief and running jokes (Lycoris loses her glasses every time there's a literal bump in the road); the entire fourth episode is basically comedic fluff that rides on the idea of Volcan in a frilly pink dress.

And while the English dub dialogue rarely matches the original Japanese (Orphen's attack names are usually rewritten as macho yells of "Show me what you're made of!" et cetera), it tends to be snappy and amusing ("That's an interesting point you make, Cleao... and by interesting, I mean STUPID!"). David Matranga gives Orphen a rough-edged, mildly sarcastic voice, while Shelley Calene-Black, Spike Spencer and Luci Christian do excellent jobs as well.

Orphen himself seems to have gotten over the angst of the previous season -- he's sarcastic, grumpy, and perpetually surrounded by idiots and annoyances who make his life far more stressful than it needs to be. I mean, the poor guy can't even sleep in his own bed without Cleao blowing him up, forcing him to repair the hotel, and then dragging him off on her hunt for the perfect spa. No wonder he blows off steam by tying up Majik.

Cleao herself is a fun character, an arrogant "princess" type who is more perceptive than people assume and definitely gutsy enough to tell off local dictators. Majik is a suitably mild-mannered sidekick, and Lycoris is an unusual addition to the cast -- a timid, prim gal with glasses, braids and an iron-clad determination to drag Orphen into knighthood. The only flaws are Volcan and Dirtan, who continue to be as funny as an infected boil.

With some hints of future dark'n'nasty events to come, the first volume of "Orphen Revenge" is nevertheless a fluffy affair balanced out between action and comedy. Worth watching, and continuing with it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed! Not the same quality as Orphen Season 1, January 18, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Orphen Season 2 - Revenge (Vol. 1) (DVD)

I was quite disappointed in this! First, the artwork is not anywhere near as good as the first season. Secondly, it is more slapstick with very little plot. And I don't especially care for the humor. The characters seem to have regressed from where they were at the end of the first season. So most of the humor seems to be in spats between the characters. And I really didn't find that particularly funny! I much prefer the humor in Ranma, InuYasha, Rune Soldier or even Slayers!
The first season Orphen is one of my 5 favorite animes. And I give it a 5 star rating. The second season doesn't even rate 3 stars so far! But it deserves more than 2 stars which is why I gave it 3 stars. I think I would give it about 2.7 or 8 stars. I hope the rest of the season gets better & they come up with a plot! And I wish they would fire the artist!!!