Endride: Season 1/ Episode 1 “Ride” [Series Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Episode Overview

A boy simply trying to bring his dad home from work, on his birthday, finds himself stumbling into a world which is encased inside a crystal.

Episode Rating: Don’t Watch

Review Summary

In general, I’m not a big action anime or live action fan. On top of that, when it comes to the fantasy genre I can’t say I’m strongly into pure fantasy. Which perhaps is why I just couldn’t get into this series premiere. For on top of having characters which look like they are straight out of Final Fantasy, swords come from their sternum and just about everyone seems as stale as they come. But hey, it could get better right?

Main Plot (with Commentary)

With a mother who is semi-retired from being an archeologist, and a father who seemingly owns his own scientific company, needless to say Shun has quite a comfortable life. However, one day, his father’s birthday to be exact, he decides he is not going to let his dad skip another family meal and he will bring him home. However, thanks to his dad stupidly letting his child have damn near every security code, on top of access to his office, so comes his son’s curiosity getting the best of him and sending him into a foreign world.

Thus leading us to where the show seemingly will mostly be set: in the world of Endras. A place where a young prince named Emilio seeks to kill the king Delzaine who, based off the gossip of maids, he believes stole the throne from his father. Now, whether or not this is some sort of Lion King type storyline, minus Scar trying to kill Simba, well that is hard to say. What is known though is that Emilio is more than willing to get revenge for the father he seemingly never knew and while he fails at his first assassination, thanks to Shun accidently busting him out, he will try again.

As for how will Shun survive though, considering the world Shun gets suck into lacks modern conveniences? Well you already know. For unless this show pulls a sharp left turn, likely Shun will do just fine despite the king’s men and allies, some of whom look like various Digimon, being after them. For between him so luckily having a legendary weapon, and it being easy to use, to Prince Emilio having a sternum appearing weapon as well, and being well trained, you know he’ll be just fine.

Highlights

The weapons of the show, which are either lances or swords depending on the character, look really cool.

Low Points

Outside of that though, everyone seems generic and this story seems so uninspired. Which is such a shame since this is an original property. However, with your usual well off kid whose curiosity takes him to another world, paired with someone competent enough to protect them, alongside them holding some sort of power or weapon which will allow them to survive without said person, you get a familiar tale with new character names.