Genre: Fantasy
Parental Guidance Recommended
1990-1991. Ryu Mizuno. Hitoshi Yasuda. (creator). Madhouse.
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Lodoss, the accursed island. Born in the battle and baptized in fire, it has seen wars ravange its kingdoms for thousands of years. Now, an evil beyond any it has ever faced before is awakening, and a party of six are drawn together to battle for the future of everything dear to them. Among them, Parn, a young fighter who lacks experience and is driven by his desire to redeem his father's tarnished name; Deedlit, a young and naughty elf who is both attracted to the young fighter and infuriated by his lack of interest; Ghim, a grizzled dwarf warrior haunted by a personal failure; Etoh, a priest; Slayn, a skilled magic user; and Woodchuck, a cynical but good-natured thief.
Six who barely know each other. Six who must learn to act with a single purpose.
Six who are destined to become heroes as they encounter enemies and allies beyond their wildest imaginations. Join the quest - the war for the future of Lodoss has begun!
Fantasy fan's dream come true, even though it's now several years old, this epic tale of sword and sorcery remains one of the greatest of all cinematic fantasy adventures, animated or live action.
(13 episodes)
A good legendary fantasy series. >>> by firesenshi (08.07.01 Edited: 12.16.01)I never fully appreciated the Record of Lodoss War OAV until I saw the Lodoss: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight TV series. Ryu Mizuno, in his interview, mentioned that he based this creation on an RPG (role playing game). True enough, all RPGamers would see how much Mizuno patterned it after RPGs. The party consists of a knight, an elf, a dwarf, a priest, a magic user and a thief. There were 6 heroes in all -- 6 heroes who would make a difference as the minstrel sings in the court of King Kasshu.
As I look back at the Lodoss OAV, I see the great things that make this a great anime. For one, the story does not try to be intricate as did the TV series. There was really no big bad force like a goddess trying to blow up all of mankind. The Lodoss OAV did not need such a big dark ol' hag to make a story run. The story starts from a war that should be stopped for the future of all Lodoss. It's good how the characters got together here as though there was 'a meeting of fate' unlike in the Lodoss TV series where King Kasshu practically assigned almost all of his party members to Spark. Along the way, there are some twists and turns behind the battles. There is something more powerful behind such dark sorcery. Just when you think you've figured out the evil motives, a bigger one actually emerges.
Another good part is the character design and development. When I saw the Lodoss TV series, Spark made me appreciate Parn. Often been said that the Lodoss OAV was too short for a mere 13 episodes, the OAV actually tackles a more indepth profile of the characters and their pasts rather than the TV series where you didn't even know much about Spark's party! The series even begins with Parn's humble beginnings. Seriously, I thought he was pathetic! That's what he was! But to see him emerge from a misfit to a legendary free knight was something remarkable, the elf Deedlit even noticed. I remember a great episode where the 6 characters are inside the ruins when an enemy attacked. You can see big teamwork here where Slayn formed a barrier, the thief tried to steal the item, Parn and Ghim tried to do physical attacks while Deedlit called the spirits. This is a GOOD picture of an RPG.
The other side of the story also had equally good characters, albeit none such as the power of the dark goddess Kardis in the TV series. But who needs Kardis when the Grey Witch Karla stuns all when she appears. Another is that of Ashram. Whoa... now that Ashram is one cool anti-hero.
This is why the OAV is ever so legendary. It has everything -- good character design, story, and a wonderful incorporation of swords and sorcery that make everything within Lodoss as mysterious and dark as its tale say it to be.
Individual Rating: Art/Animation 9; Story 9; Characters 10; Sounds 9
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