The Tower of Druaga (TV series)

Plot

Eighty years after King Gilgamesh defeated the tower single-handedly, the tower has been reborn. The story begins during the third Summer of Anu. Meskia, the first stronghold on the first level, draws both the Uruk Army and adventurers called climbers, who are lured by rumors of the Blue Crystal Rod, a legendary treasure hidden on the top floor. Jil, a young guardian, arrives in Meskia as a new climber aiming to reach the top floor, where the evil lord Druaga dwells among monsters and traps.

The second season, The Tower of Druaga: The Sword of Uruk, begins half a year after the first season. With Druaga's guardian defeated, the tower's monsters have vanished, bringing peace. Jil and Fatina, having survived the tower's collapse, try to move on while dealing with the betrayal of Neeba and Kaaya. They rescue a mysterious girl named Ki from soldiers, and learn she may hold the key to a great secret within the tower. Haunted by a troubling vision, Jil prepares to climb the tower again.

Anime

The Tower of Druaga aired on Animax from April 1, 2008, to March 26, 2009, and later on other Japanese networks including tvk, KBS, Sun TV, Chiba TV, Tokyo MX, GBS, TV Saitama, GyaO, and TVQ. Gonzo produced the series, with direction by Koichi Chigira and chief screenwriting by Shoji Gatoh. Hitoshi Sakimoto composed the music, performed by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra. Opening and ending themes changed between episodes 1–12 and 13–24. Funimation acquired a license for the series in 2009.

Characters

Gilgamesh, also called Gil, is the destined hero from the 1984 game. Charged by the goddess Ishtar, he must ascend the Tower of Druaga to rescue the maiden Ki from the demon Druaga. He uses his sword, shield, wit, and memory to navigate the labyrinthine floors and find necessary treasures. Gil is patterned after the Gilgamesh of Sumerian literature.

Ki is a priestess captured and turned to stone by Druaga to lure Ishtar's greatest warrior into a trap. She later becomes a valuable asset in Gil's adventures. Ishtar, based on the goddess of love, assigns Ki to retrieve the Blue Crystal Rod. Unable to meddle directly in mortal affairs, she charges Gil with the mission and later aids the duo.

In the 2004 game The Nightmare of Druaga, Ishtar was portrayed as bossy and harsh, contrasting with her earlier kind behavior. Druaga is a huge, green demon with eight arms, four legs, and yellow eyes, residing in the tower. He hides the Blue Crystal Rod and kidnaps Ki to lure and destroy Ishtar's instruments of good. Gil must survive all 60 monster-ridden floors and face Druaga with proper equipment to defeat him.

The Succubus, a demon in the tower, disguises herself as Ishtar and guards the Blue Crystal Rod. After a debate with Gil, she relinquishes the rod.