50 years ago there existed two stones – the demon stone Darkbring and the holy stone Rave. The war between the light and the dark was supposed to end that day. But as the final blow was struck to the Darkbring, it exploded. The explosion, known as the Overdrive, was powerful enough to destroy one tenth of the world. The Darkbring dissipated and scattered itself around the world. Similarly, the Rave too broke apart and settled across the globe.
50 years later and the young Haru Glory finds himself being the new Rave Master. Together with his faithful companion, the mysterious creature known as Plue, Haru must journey to recover the lost fragments of Rave – and destroy the organisation now controlling the Darkbring fragments, the organisation known as Demon Card.
Along the way he will pick up many allies, such as the strangely energetic girl, Elie, and the quiet, brooding Musica, who will all aid him in his time of need. Armed with his gigantic sword, the Ten Commandments, and the power of his Explosive Rave fragment, Haru must leave his sister behind and embark on his quest to save the world.
But know this. His enemies know of his existence and will stop at nothing to once again still the threat of Rave.
Groove Adventure Rave is based on writer Hiro Mashima’s Rave manga. The story revolves around the battle between an evil power known as the Dark Bring and righteous power called Rave. A widely-spread and powerful organisation known as Demon Card are using the powers granted to them by the Dark Bring crystals to bring misery to the world around them in their conquest for power. Opposing them is the newly selected Rave Master, one Haru Glory. Haru is trying to find his father who walked out on him and his sister when they were still young. He is joined on his journey by the bright and bubbly Elie, a carefree girl with no recollection of her past or just who she is. Promising to help her find her memory, Haru, Elie and the strange creature known as Plue, begin their adventures together. Along the way they are joined by other allies as they encounter more and more obstacles in their path.
Groove Adventure Rave is a comedy/adventure/action/drama series that has a little of everything present. It is a good story and well carried out. Unfortunately though, the series is let down by extremely poor pacing. It is as if the storytellers suddenly realised that two-thirds of the way into the series that they don’t have enough time to complete the story as they want and then try to rush it in the final part of the series. It is a pity, because the rushed and incomplete ending to the series leaves a bitter taste in the mouth and spoils an otherwise enjoyable series.
The show contains a lot of humour, and often manages to get you laughing in the most serious of moments. However, the comedy doesn’t detract from the drama element, meaning that the series is based on a solid story line.
With all the supernatural powers present in the show, Groove Adventure Rave assembles a great cast of characters. The main characters are all interesting and well-rounded. The length of the series means that a lot of characters and monsters need to be introduced, so the animators are kept on their toes with regards to character designs.
The animation is colourful and fluid. The designs are relatively simple, but detailed enough that is doesn’t appear childish. The use of facial expressions to convey humour is superbly done. The television series has opted not to show blood on screen, meaning that the violence of the fighting is not a serious issue. The voice acting is of high quality and the musical score is pleasant and well-suited to the various moods of the show.
Groove Adventure Rave will have you laughing at its silliness, crying at its seriousness and cheering its action. However, the series’ poor pacing really lets one down and leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth as plot ends are just literally obliterated to get them out of the way.
Overall, Groove Adventure Rave is an enjoyable watch and will provide you with quite a few hours of solid entertainment.
(Historical Note: This was written back in June 2004. Thankfully my writing has improved greatly since then.)
Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groove_Adventure_Rave