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My experience with this anime that is... ALLEGEDLY a VN adaptation can be summarized in one word: "...what?"

At least once, I found myself going back to the info page to make sure this was indeed the VN adaptation I was following this season, because it suffers from an issue I've never seen before in a VN adaptation (and I've seen plenty of subpar VN anime): every week, it felt like they were making it up as they went along. I'm not sure who's at fault for this, actually; whether the anime team didn't do a proper job explaining everything or the VN itself didn't do ... that, but either way, I, the viewer, was left scratching my head.

The cause of all this confusion is that most ill-defined and whatever-they-want-it-to-be of plot devices, time travel. I recall something in the earlier episodes about one of the leads thinking they were from the past or something and one thinking they were from the future, then some side characters (who ultimately proved to be irrelevant) were given arcs lasting a couple episodes each, some of whom were convinced they were or had to become time travelers themselves, then they took away the protagonist's memory a second time or something and had him time travel again and suddenly the setting was totally different for just two episodes, and then the final episode with its final twists that feel like they thought them up in the week beforehand got even more ridiculous and I've given up trying to follow the order of events.

I was so clocked out trying to follow the plot, I had actually dropped it by episode 11. At the time, I was thinking the plot still made so little sense that they'd be making something like 16 total episodes to properly resolve everything in a way that made sense. It wasn't until I found out it suddenly ended at just 12 that I decided to watch that final episode. That final episode, I can summarize the same way I'd summarize this whole series: while it kind of has good character moments, I'm too busy not understanding what's going on to feel anything.

Our brief story opens with a small group of Zanscare pilots believing they found a colony laser similar to the one Zeon used in the One-Year War, and taking off to claim it. Meanwhile, Uso has been defeated by a mysterious opponent, and he finds himself and the girl Kamui Gian, who he initially mistakes for Shakti, rescued by a self-described ship "leader" named Grey Stoke, who was revealed in Crossbone Gundam to actually be the hero of Gundam ZZ, Judau Ashta.

Whether or not you should read this really hinges on what about the Universal Century you liked; despite the name, it's less of ... a side story for Victory Gundam, and more of an epilogue for Judau Ashta. The story also revolves entirely around Newtypes, to the degree that every named character in this story is one. If you didn't care for ZZ or weren't a fan of the Newtype concept, then there's nothing here you'll want. If you particularly liked ZZ or Newtypes were your favorite thing about the U.C. timeline, then you'll want to see this, at it brings their story to a close.

"I'm not living for anyone else. There's no meaning in living. When I sensed my own death, I wanted to live. I know now. That's all I needed."

Being an adaptation of a video game, ToA has to balance between two things:
1: It has to remain true and accurate to the source material for the diehard fans who are watching it for the label, while also
2: Keeping the storytelling format interesting to the viewers who've never played the game.
And I feel this anime has managed a balance between the two that you rarely see in any kind of adaptation. I give my feedback on the two ... points separately below, in order.

If you want to know how well it adapts the story:
Tales of the Abyss runs a story very much similar to what the game-players will remember while leaving out only the most minor of details, things that in hindsight even a die-hard fan would admit the story could do without.

For example, instead of using the scene where Engeve's villagers discuss the food thieves, the anime moves right from when Luke takes the apple without paying to being brought to the village chief, a smooth and clean transition that cuts out runtime it didn't really need. This even at times adds some realism; no slowly-sinking town so you can leave for three days to get the Albiore, it's sinking NOW and the Albiore just swooped in to save the day.

Best of all, while it cuts out the unnecessary portions, it adds some scenes the game could have benefited from: backstories that were originally only dialogue get actual flashbacks depicted.

If you want to know about the story itself:
The story centers around Luke fon Fabre, the spoiled, sheltered son of a noble who knows nothing of life outside the villa and is basically designed so that you'll hate him out of the gate. He's soon taken far away from his known universe into the outside world when Mystearica Grants (usually just called Tear) breaks into the manor to kill Van, Luke's swordfighting instructor. Feeling responsible for them being teleported away, she vows to get him home. This is where Luke's long journey of character development begins, as he has to learn of even the most basic of real-world concepts, initially not even understanding the concept of money.

As much as Luke develops, the story still manages to give plenty of screen time to the other five playable characters of the game, and let them develop sufficiently as well. Nothing is iced over, even traits that are initially portrayed as comical are of large importance to their characters. Guy's afraid of women? That stems from a deep trauma we later learn about. Anise is obsessed with money? She's got people around her who always need it. Their pasts and their connections to the villains are well fleshed-out. Only one villain out of many is your generic, power-hungry fool, and he was ultimately a pawn. The rest all have deeper motives for doing what they do, and you may even mourn the deaths of some of them.

This tale is centered around several varied but important themes such as being outside of the world you've known, defiance of what's claimed to be inevitable, prejudice based on the uncontrollable being unjustified, living with a sin that can never be forgiven, finding a reason for life, and why everyone deserves to live. If someone has lost their way to despair, they would likely feel a kindred spirit in Luke and find an answer through this powerful Tale.