At Summer Game Fest last year, a game named Sand Land was announced. An action RPG with both on-foot and vehicular combat, it looked right up my street. So, it was added to my waiting for list, ready for its release. In these last few months, I had taken a look deeper at what Sand Land was, and found a series would soon release. Both that series and the game were adaptations of the manga by the late yet legendary Akira Toriyama. Who had a hand in both.
When it came to watching the series, there are two stories within. The first follows the known story from the manga. The story that the game is also adapting. Water is scarce in Sand Land, with the river that once provided easy access to it dried up. The king has put a price on water, a price that is too expensive for many. In one of the many towns of Sand Land, Sherrif Rao undertakes a mission to find the legendary spring, with demons Thief and Beelzebub accompanying him.
The first episode sets all this up wonderfully. The demons scour the sands for targets who hold water, taking what they can to survive. The town where Rao lives is starved of water, unable to effectively acquire more. A child reveals a demon had given them some water, inspiring Rao to ask them for help. There’s plenty of serious moments just from the first episode, but also plenty of lighter ones, too.
The creative team behind the series know exactly what is best for each part of the story. The intrigue of various aspects of this society and its history are given the care needed to make the audience invested in them. Such intrigue is woven into the characters and their current interactions, bringing forth more history and altering allegiances ready for the climax of this first story.
The name of this first story, The Story of the Fiend Prince, might make it seem like this is Beelzebub’s story. The Fiend Prince does get plenty of story moments and plenty of action, but this is Rao’s story. It’s his motivations that get the story going, but the demons are the catalysts that… makes them more personal. Rao is a serious character, whose action scenes are more strategic but no less explosive. Then there’s Beelzebub.
Fast, frantic action. Power to every hit. No real plan, except to fight. And win. Which suits the show off that Beelzebub is very well. He might pay for that in some instances, but he’ll be back up for vengeance in a heartbeat. Thief is closer to Rao in his actions, befitting his name in sneaking around to take things. All three work together quite well, as shown with one particular battle.
There’s a lot to enjoy with Sand Land: The Series. The second story, which I’ll cover once it’s all out, is bringing a completely new story to this world. A story that is also going to be within the game. This first story has been a delight to watch, with great character interactions, superb action, and some lovely visuals. No matter whether you’ve read the manga or not, this first story of the series is a worthwhile watch. One which has made me more excited to get into the game. Thoughts on that will be coming in the next week.
Images Taken From:
Sand Land: The Series | S1.02 [Disney+]
