OK, i'm a huge fan of the films of Hayao Miyazaki (since my wife got me into it via her childhood favourite My Neighbour Totoro ).

I'm assuming from what i've read of Anima, that it has the feel of films like Totoro, Princess Mononoko, Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle , etc.

But is it pure fantasy or does it contain rules to model 'modern' and 'sci-fi / sci-fantasy' sources like Porco Rosso, The Castle of Cagliostro, Laputa , etc. or even into western sci-fantasy of a similar type like Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines ?

I must say i VERY much like what i see of Anima, but i'd be more interested in the sci-fi / sci-fantasy game settings if i were to invest in the rules...

I would say more fantasy with smattering of technological elements. It seems closer to Record of Lodoss War, Escaflowne and Princess Mononoke than the other Miyazaki films you mention.

In fact, the setting is not really medieval fantasy but fantasy, as it has some things looking like Renaissance, Industrial Revolution for example.

And, at the end of the book, there's a little chapter about game system conversion to other settings. The main setting remains "in past" but you can model your own without any problems.

Ysalaine said:

Interesting.

So do you think it would be easy to utlise or modify these rules for a higher technology base? I've tried with other 'fantsy' rules and it's rarely satisfactory for some reason.

I must say if nothing else, the art and look of Anima is simply stunningly gorgeous (at least from what i've found on the web), and i mightily tempted.

Might even be able to get my wife back into gaming with this one...

Cheers for the advice so far...

In fact, the actual setting is already full of anachronisms.

Sorry, this is a real spoiler if you're only player, so, beware !

(select to read)

-------------SPOILER----------------------

To give you a little overview, there are zeppelins, casinos, archaic fireweapons, modern surgery, a Theme Park, mechas, international cup of Eden, the national sport, star singers, even a kind of nanomachines (from the ancient empire of Solomon), etc. There's no electricity but some of Wissenschaft's laboratories uses windmills to get power. More of these infos came from Gaia, the worldbook not out yet in english.

And there are "Lost Loggias", old things from the ancient empire of Solomon, which was very advanced in technology. So, people of Gaia who found some of these "Lost Loggias" can have very modern stuff.And Imperium has a very high technology, maybe a futurist one (lasers or flying headquarters), as far as we know.

-------------END OF SPOILER----------

Anima IS a very relevant game system and setting if you want to increase the technology level !

Cheers Ysalaine, that's very helpful information, and looks like it'll support what i'd be keen to do.

You mentioned that supplement isn't out in English yet? It that right?

If so i might hold off on the purchase until it is...

Gaia I, the first part of the worldbook, that details only the old continent (but that has a lot of interesting things except geography as religions, history, secret societies etc.), is already out in spanish and french. But it's not out in english... and if FFG follows the same production as Edge Spain and Edge France, the next release should be the GM screen with its booklet, followed by Gaia.

We french waited for 10 months to see Gaia, so I think you shouldn't wait for it... and the setting is well explained in the corebook (there are a few chapters) so you can start without Gaia, even if it's a wonderful book above all if you want to have a high technology level in your game, because you will need to modify the existant setting.

Luddite said:

The core book is about 2/3 system and 1/3 setting. You might want to pick it up so you have time to digest it.