Gestalt DVD

Father Olivier is a young priest of the Vasaria order who has grown fixated on a legend: a god named Gestalt, banished from heaven and imprisoned on a distant island known only as G — a place so feared that speaking its full name is considered a curse that brings ruin upon the speaker. Against the express wishes of his order, Olivier abandons his post and sets out for G, convinced that Gestalt can grant any wish. On his journey he encounters a young woman named Ohri being sold as a slave and rescues her on impulse. Ohri is mute and communicates through glowing text that appears in the air — and she has secrets of her own, secrets directly connected to the island Olivier is trying to reach. Pursuing them is Suzu, a dark elf and former ally of Olivier's who has been dispatched by the Vasaria order to bring him back by any means necessary. As the three become entangled, the truth about Ohri's identity, the nature of Gestalt, and what Olivier actually wants most begins to emerge from beneath the quest's surface.

Gestalt is a two-episode OVA produced in 1997 and directed by Osamu Yamasaki, based on Yun Kouga's eight-volume fantasy manga serialized in Square Enix's GFantasy magazine — the same author who would later create Loveless and contribute character designs to Gundam 00. The OVA adapts the manga's opening arc and is notable as one of the earlier anime productions to make extensive use of digital compositing and editing, giving its backgrounds and lighting a distinctly different texture from contemporaries.

The series was released in North America on VHS and DVD by Media Blasters (Anime Works) on March 7, 2000, collecting both episodes on a single disc. The manga's full story — which the OVA only begins to tell — was later licensed in English by Viz Media across eight volumes. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Osamu Yamasaki
Original Manga: Yun Kouga (Loveless, Gundam 00 character designs; serialized in GFantasy, Square Enix)
Music: Toshiyuki Omori
Studio: TV Tokyo / Sony Music Entertainment

Japanese Cast:
• Hikaru Midorikawa as Father Olivier (Green Legend Ran)
• Yuka Imai as Ohri (Burn Up W, Now and Then Here and There, El-Hazard)
• Megumi Hayashibara as Suzu (Slayers, Evangelion, Battle Athletes)
• Bin Shimada as Messiah (Dragon Half)

English Dub Cast (Media Blasters):
• Lex Lang as Father Olivier
• Wendee Lee as Ohri (Battle Athletes, Dual!, Tenchi Universe)
• Sandy Fox as Suzu
• Steve Kramer as Messiah

DVD Features

• Both Episodes on Single Disc
• Media Blasters / Anime Works Previews

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: 超獣伝説ゲシュタルト (Chōjū Densetsu Geshutaruto)
Runtime: ~60 Minutes (Complete OVA, 2 Episodes)
Director: Osamu Yamasaki
DVD Release Year: 2000 (U.S. Release, Media Blasters / Anime Works)
Original Release Date (Japan): January 22 – February 21, 1997
Publisher: Media Blasters (Anime Works)
Rating: 13+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Themes: Forbidden Island, Banished God, Dark Elf Pursuit, Mute Sorceress, RPG-Inspired Quest

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.