Dragon's Heaven

A really nifty OAV. It's a very short, somewhat inconspicuous title, so I'm not surprised it got lost in a sea of noise throughout the years. If it has been twice the length it might've become a certified classic, now it does feel more akin to an outtake episode of an established series. Still, fans of sci-fi animation have quite a lot to look forward to.

The film is set in a distant future. Of course, the Earth is a wasteland, but it is slowly recovering from its earlier destruction. A lone warrior is traveling through the desert when she discovers an old, abandoned base. A sentient AI mech wakes up when she gets nearer, and having no more master to serve, the robot and the warrior decide to continue their travels together.

Most of the setting is communicated through onscreen text and the intro, while very cool, takes up quite a bit of time and adds nothing substantial. The animation is lovely though and the art style is unique (very comic-like). The mech designs are pretty damn cool too. The plot on the other hand is flimsy and the characters are a little forgettable, but nothing I couldn't live with. Dragon's Heaven was a very cool find.