Alternative TitlesEnglish: Lodoss-tou Senki Synonyms: Lodoss-tou Senki, Lodoss War Japanese: ロードス島戦記
Information
Type: OVA
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jun 30, 1990 to Nov 23, 1991
Duration:
25 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.681 (scored by 3991 users)
Ranked: #6642
Popularity: #644
Members: 6,526
Favorites: 97 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action adventure fantasy |
SynopsisCreated from the aftermath of the last great battle of the gods, Lodoss and its kingdoms have been plagued by war for thousands of years. As a quiet peace and unity finally become foreseeable over the land, an unknown evil begins to stir. An ancient witch has awakened, bent on preserving the island of Lodoss by creating political unbalance throughout the many kingdoms and keeping any one from maintaining central control. Only a mixed-race party of six young champions, led by the young warrior Parn, stand between this new threat and Lodoss' decent back into the darkness of war and destruction.
from ann |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit's Tale
Sequel: Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, Legend of Crystania - The Motion Picture, Legend of Crystania OVA,
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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JTurner
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Of all the Anime series that I have viewed, Record of Lodoss War holds a special place in my heart. If you happen to be fond of fantasy adventure videogames as I am (or great literature such as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings), then this 13-episode video series is a very clever hybrid of these two great works of art. It's got everything fans could ask for--dragons, elves, dark gods, unlikely yet compelling heroes, villains you'll either hate (or love, depending on who you side with), action, suspense, romance, a small dose of humor, and an engaging feel to keep on watching by the time each episode ends.
This is a direct-to-video animation series produced back in 1990, which unfolds over thirteen half-hour episodes. Adapted from the fantasy novels of the same name by Japanese author Ryo Mizuno, Lodoss is a classic good-vs-evil story, exploring the chronicles of six adventurers: these include Parn, a young, inexperienced warrior eager to (literally) jump at any chance to clear his father's tarnished name; Deedlit, a spunky, mystical high elf who tries (with varying degrees of success) to prove her love to Parn; Etoh, a loyal, good-natured cleric; Slayn, a gentle wise mage; Ghim, a gruff and tough dwarf; and Woodchuck, a wanted criminal who nonetheless provides loyalty (and occasional chagrin) to his pals.
The story is hardly original, and the plot tends to "jumps around" from one event to the next (for instance, the first episode starts off in the "middle" of the heroes' quest; chronologically, it'd be best to see eps 2-5, 1, and then 6-13)--yet the overall show is so engrossing that this fault (in addition to a few others I'll come to in a moment) becomes irrelevant.
It's the characters which make Record Of Lodoss War so much fun, and much of the best scenes belong to Parn and Deedlit; especially in a royal banquet episode where she forces Parn to dance with her (one of my favorite sequences from the show). As is typical of a elf-dwarf rivalry, Ghim and Deed bicker about each other's differences yet maintain a somewhat begrudging level of self-respect. It's Parn, however, whose plight stays with you long after the show approaches its climax. Eager to discover whether his father died in disgrace or not, he finds a father figure in Kashue. (This gets on Deedlit's nerves; she continually competes with the king for Parn's attention--a running gag that plays out unfortunately for only a couple of episodes.) In the latter episodes, we meet two new characters who don't get much screen time but are no less fully realized. Shiris, the hotheaded young mercenary who vies with Deedlit for Parn's affections is strongly depicted, as is her partner (and secret love), Orson, the moody Berserker, who becomes an angry, uncontrollable monster at the sight of Shiris in trouble.
Even the bad guys are richly developed. Ashram, as mentioned, isn't driven so much by malice as he is by what he believes is right; in fact, he becomes the most three-dimensional of the villains for that reason alone. For support, he has a Dark Elf accomplice named Pirotess (the opposite of Deedlit) who'll do anything to prove her loyalty to him... including sacrificing herself. Karla, incidentally, is no ordinary villainess. Her primary goal is to bring to Lodoss the balance she feels has been so greatly disturbed... yet her psychologically unbalanced persona leads her to cause far worse chaos with deadly consequences. She is shifty, cunning, manipulative -- an almost deadly combination. Wagnard, on the other hand, is just plain evil -- every bit the equivalent of Kefka from Final Fantasy III who cackles fiendishly as he puts his dark plans into action. When we first meet him, he appears to be a nondescript character, but when he becomes possessed by Kardis, he becomes frighteningly villainous. (Every scene he's in sends shivers down my spines.)
Its the strength of the characters and their chemistry as well as the compelling (if jumpy) plot that make Lodoss as a whole that one can overlook its occasional shortcomings, notably the animation, which, although gorgeously drawn, uses a low cel count resulting with some stiff movements. Taking into account that this is an older show, however, this doesn't really detract all that much (although there are some later episodes where some of the same footage is reused, for cost cutting purposes).
No fantasy adventure would be complete without a stirring soundtrack, and Record of Lodoss War delivers this in style. The musical score by Mitsuo Hagita is mostly symphonic, although it is (obviously) generated by electronics. Yet the compositions were so rich and lovely that they eventually grew on me over the course of the show. Equally lovely are the opening and ending theme songs, "Adesso e Fortuna -Now & Fortune-" and "Fantasia of the Wind", both of which are excellently sung in Japanese by Sherry. As a nice bonus, these songs were even translated for the English version; the woman who sings the dubbed songs, Lisa DeSimone, sings with an equally splendid voice.
One aspect of Lodoss often criticized is the English dub, produced by New York-based Central Park Media in 1996, a time when most dubs had a low reputation. I've read all kinds of mixed opinions about this English track; some say its fake and/or mediocre while other claims its unbearable, but here's a better review from one of its several (albeit outspoken on the net at least) enthusiastic fans (that's me). No, it's not perfect, and some lines do come off as a bit awkward, but a lot of the voice-overs are really good. In particular, Billy Regan (Parn), Lisa Ortiz (Deedlit), Al Muscari (Slayn), Jacques Le Can (Woodchuck), Simone Grant (Karla & Leylia), John Knox (Ashram), Jayce Reeves (Wagnard), and Alexander J. Rose (Wort and the Narrator), are among my favorites. Plus, the dialog is close to the subtitled script and packed with some memorable one-liners (Parn: "Quick, Deed, what's this dragon's weak spot?" Deedlit: "I'm not a dragon expert! How should I know?!") and great chemistry between the actors. I especially loved the interactions between Parn and Deedlit, the banter between Ghim and Deed, and a lot of other things. Which is why it saddens me that some would find all of this "inferior" to the Japanese language track. I listened to parts of the Japanese language track, too, and while I did find it to be of top-quality, I find that the dub still holds its own position decently. Of course, it may be in danger of being overshadowed by some of the better dub productions of today, but for a dub made in 1996, its a rather decent, if unspectacular listen. I'm still fond of it, as a matter of fact, even after hearing some better ones.
Record of Lodoss War has received its share of detractors over recent years, probably due to its cheap production values and/or inconsistent plotting. However, it is important to remember that these "shortcomings" is mainly because it's an older Anime series. While Lodoss may show its age in places, its infectious appeal and complexity rings true even after other shows of its ilk, and like most classics, it can stand against the test of time. read more
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CatiaNunes
2 of 10 people found this review helpful
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13 of 13 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Segundo a lenda, há muito tempo aconteceu uma terrível batalha no continente de Alecrast entre dois deuses poderosos, Falis (Deus da Luz) e Falaris (Deus da Escuridão). Uma luta que parecia não ter fim, arrastando com eles outros deuses, até restarem apenas outras duas deusas que se enfrentaram em batalha: Kardis (Deusa da Destruição) e Marfa (Deusa da Criação). Kardis, que lutava com o deus da escuridão, foi derrotada e amaldiçoou Alecrast, mas para evitar que a maldição se alastrasse por todo o continente, a benevolente Marfa separou o pedaço amaldiçoado, transformando-a numa ilha, um continente isolado que se chamou "Lodoss".
Mas após algumas centenas de anos, Kardis ressuscitou como uma "deusa-demônio" que vive em um labirinto, na pequena ilha de Marmo. Muitos perderam a vida em suas mãos, até que um grupo de aventureiros consegue derrotá-la... mas um fôra seduzido pela escuridão. Nessa nova era, é chegada a hora em que um novo grupo de heróis deve levantar-se para proteger Lodoss.
No meio dessa confusão maravilhosa, surgem os heróis da história. Parn, o guerreiro, um jovem de apenas 18 anos que resolve seguir o mesmo caminho trilhado pelo pai. Seu objetivo é ser um cavaleiro de Valis. A série de OVA´s mostra que o pai de Parn, Tessius, era um Holy Knight (Cavaleiro Sagrado) que caiu em desonra. Despojado de seu título de nobreza, Tessius foi mandado à frente de batalha, o que causou sua morte, mas o próprio rei desmente essa história.
Etoh, o Clérigo, é amigo de infância de Parn. Fiel e companheiro, também age como mediador entre as brigas de Deedlit e Ghim, o anão. Ghim é meio rabugento, mas de bom coração, e a série faz questão de mostrar as diferenças entre elfos e anões. Slayn é um mago calmo e eficiente, mora na mesma vila de Parn e, como todos os outros personagens, ele também evolui muito no decorrer da série. No início, ele apenas usa magia para proteção mas, rumo ao final, seus poderes são avassaladores.
Deedlit, a Elfa da Luz (High Elf, tem 160 anos, o que corresponde a mais ou menos 17 anos humanos), é extrovertida, segura, forte, responsável, mas muito ciumenta. Ela é totalmente apaixonada por Parn, tem sempre como objetivo "o combate", nasceu na Forest of No Return (Floresta Sem Retorno) e seus inimigos naturais são os elfos negros da ilha de Marmo. Woodchuck, um ladrão de 40 anos, foi salvo por Parn e acaba se juntando ao grupo por gratidão. Ele é cômico, desbocado e atrapalhado, mas não é palhaço o tempo todo... na verdade, sabe manejar como poucos as adagas que sempre carrega. E, finalmente, Karla, a Bruxa Cinzenta, uma feiticeira misteriosa que ama profundamente Lodoss, mas acha que a ilha jamais deve ser unificada. Ela não está ajudando a lado algum, é a mediadora entre o bem e o mal.
Takeshi Kusao dublou de forma muito competente o jovem guerreiro Parn e, juntamente com ele, Yumi Touma completa o par romântico do anime, dublando a bela elfa Deedlit. A trilha sonora é quase impecável. "Adesso e Fortuna" (Honoo to Eien), o tema de abertura, é maravilhoso; "Hoshi no Ame" e "Kaze no Fantajia" são canções que merecem ser ouvidas no decorrer do anime. Lodoss Tousenki foi todo baseado numa série de RPG´s (Role Playing Game) que acabou virando romance (isso mesmo, um romance!), chamado "A Bruxa Cinzenta". Os OVA´s, predecessores da série de TV ("Chronicles Of The Heroic Knight"), são perfeitos! Repletos de ação, aventura e fantasia, possuem uma história extremamente convincente e foram maravilhosamente produzidos. Record of Lodoss War possui um total de 13 OVA´s, lançados em 1990 e 1991 pelo Studio Kadokawa Shoten, e deu origem a 27 episódios para a TV, os quais foram lançados no ano de 1998 pelo Studio AIC.
O enredo parece complicado, mas não é. Na realidade é bem simples: a luta entre o bem e o mal, num mundo onde só pode haver o equilíbrio. Na minha opinião, um anime que beira a perfeição.
Cátia Nunes - Animehaus read more
Recommendations
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Like ROLW, Escaflowne is a fantasy series with music by Yoko Kanno. However, Escaflowne has more interesting characters (imo), a better thought out setting and intriguing storyline.
Record of Lodoss war - D&D + Mecha(kinda) = Best Anime of all time
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This is the sequel to the OVA series, which takes place in the same place -- the cursed island of Lodoss -- several years after the original. Although it focuses mostly on a new group of warriors (led by Spark, rather than Parn), the main cast of the OVA and manga appear from time to time as well.
Overall, the animation quality is bumped up a great deal. The producers had a larger budget this time, and it shows. The story is fairly similar, in that a young warrior and his companions overcome a great evil, with action and plotting taking front and center.
For a fan of the original, this is a must-see. For fans of high fantasy, in a D&D-like setting, this is also an excellent show.
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Opening Theme"Adesso e Fortuna" by Sherry
Ending Theme"Kaze no Fantasia" by Sherry
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Related ClubsRandom Anime & Manga Club, Silver, White, Gray-Haired Characters Fanclub!, Old School Anime, SKYclub ~ SKY Animes, OVA/ONA Group, Takeshi Kusao FC, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Long Black/Dark Haired Guys, Fantasy Girls of Anime., Fantasy Anime Club!, The Norio Wakamoto Club, Dungeons & Dragons Club, The Classics Club, We Love Pointy Ears~!, Lodoss club, Dreamcast gamers
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