Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken (TV)

Overall, this anime is a classic, very much worth watching, and if the DVDs of this series come out in Japan I will jump to buy them in a heart beat (even if they suffer the same problems as the VHS release: one op and ed per two episodes, and the preview for the next episode replaced by one done by some unknown narrator who likes to spoil the plot for the next two episodes.) What makes this anime work well is a strong story carried by likable, believable characters who grow and change as the story progresses. ... This adds extra power to the lines and actions of these characters allowing them to become powerful and touching to the viewer. There are a number of memorable scenes throughout the show created by the sheer strength of will of these characters. These scenes are also aided by the high quality of the musical score. Nearly all of the music comes from the first four Dragon Quest video games (The only games out at the time this show was made), and all are composed by Sugiyama, Kouichi. Outside of the opening song (which makes the anime seem ten years older than it actually is), the music is all very memorable, and in most cases matches the tone of the anime well. The show tends to do a good job of keeping its audience's attention with exciting action scenes that always have the viewer at the edge of their seat, and quieter scenes don't lose the tension of the series while still being lighthearted enough to have a light comedic moment or two.

The main detractors from this anime are ones that plague many other Shonen anime series. While the story is full of action from the beginning, the real storyline doesn't start until a few episodes in, which makes the pacing seem a little slow at first. The show also suffers from too many flashback scenes, likely added to pad out episodes in an attempt to keep the anime from running out of source material, as the manga was still in serialization at the time. This became painfully tragic when the anime was canceled in Japan due to the broadcaster wanting to replace the show with a variety show (Ratings were not that bad, and toy sales must have been good enough since they had created toys for characters that never appeared in the anime.) Because of its cancellation the last half of the last episode diverges from the storyline of the manga dramatically, but still does not tie up the story concretely. It is particularly sad, because the point that the anime ends is where the story really starts to take off in the manga.

In the end, while this is an enjoyable anime, it is fundamentally flawed by its ending. Like many other series, if you want to get the full story you need to pick up the manga. Luckily the manga is very much worth snatching up on its own right, but it is still is regrettable that some of the most touching and exciting moments of the manga lack the color and the voice acting of anime. What exists of the anime is worth watching, and fun on its own. I can only hope, that like Saint Seiya, this anime one day makes a return in OVA form so that the deeper story of the manga can be told.

IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!!!!this gem is too rare, and something thats Toei animation's 3rd biggest asset after the hokuto no ken and dragonball franchise i'll say that by seeing dragonquest , my childhood can be thrown straigt out the window......you saw it?? there it goes. My childhood needed something like this but sadly it seems like Dragonquest is like a ' japan anime exclusive' something VERY HARD to collect on dvd or elsewere in the western world wich i would die for, and proves for me that once again Toei is my favorite anime studio.
Dragonquest a.k.a Dragon warrior started out in ... 1986 on the Famicon console( modified in the west and known as the nintendo) wich i believe was developed by Bandai&.co before it was adapted in to books, then anime starting Dragonquest: abel yuusha densetsu in 1989, and even now videogames are available for the nintendo DS systems.
The story is adapted in a way that most rpg elements are there, but the story is a bit extended and slighly adapted, you start as the boy called Dai on a island (starting zone)and is friendly with almost every creature on the island because there was a dark ruler that posseses everything, and only 4 chosen figures could save the land , because of that story Dai wants to become a hero through his retainer and master called brass.
Things really start to kick off when master brass feels increasing dark energy and strange things happen , and therefore trains Dai with spells and magical equipment,
and later on more interesting ( party members) appear wich become's a very important matter like:
Master spellcaster and swordmaster avan and his apprentice POP,
the brave but lovely long-range fighter Maam
The brave but bold armored crocodile
the knight with a sad past Hyunckel
A princess that needed saving, forgot her name
a very cool thing about it is the follow up of the bosses and the choice to join them, like in the videogame's but they first need to be 'dispelled' and defeated, and the locations and journey all are soooo fun to enjoy watching .
Dragonball orientated animation, child-friendly and coulorfull i mean come on thats clear!
The music was fitting with the mood of every episode and for its time ofc and the al famous soundeffects that only Toei back than did.
I love almost all charachters, from the heroes, side-charachters till the villians because everyone had a story to tell that tied in the past, or something thats unfinished to pursue their goal, and there is no lack of charachter and lore content .
Jumping outta my skin, i had that multiple times during some very intense and dark scene's , and yelling in happiness when a boss got defeated yes i enjoy it THAT much.
overall : 9 and thats sadly on behalf of the production , i saw the good ol VHS version dat needed a update and a freakin release in the western world, it drives me nuts that serie's like that is like almost well ..... unheard of or something. damn glad i watched it

Honestly, if you're a fan of Dragon Quest, you are likely gonna enjoy it. Not sure how it compares to the 2020 series or the original manga, but this adaptation was pretty good.

The story was well done, even if it wasn't groundbreaking, the art is fantastic for the time, I loved almost all of the characters and the music was well done.

Not a perfect show by a long shot, even with my biases, but overall, it's good. The reasons why I enjoy this show are similar reasons to why I enjoy the games, they're charming and likable, a cozy spot when I just want ... to have fun.