AnimeHabitue's Blog

Anime Relations: Lodoss-tou Senki

The AnimeHabitue's Fantasy Anime Rankings

I keep detailed subjective scores of what I consider to be "fantasy" anime, since this has been my long-time favorite genre of anime.

This also serves as a reference list for me for "fantasy anime" in general.

The definition is quite broad ranging traditional "swords and sorcery" fantasy in fantasy worlds to more supernatural-type fantasy in modern real-world settings.


Current Rankings:

1. Record of Lodoss War - 10 (9.9)
   
2. Laputa: Castle in the Sky - 10 (9.8)
   
3. Berserk ('97) - 10 (9.7)
   
4. Princess Mononoke - 10 (9.7)
   
5. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind - 10 (9.6)
   
6. Windaria - 9 (9.4) -- (This is for the uncut Japanese original)
   
7. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - 9 (9.3)
   
8. Fullmetal Alchemist - 9 (9.2)
   
9. Fate/Zero - 9 (9.1)
   
10. Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] (TV) - 9 (9.1)
    
11. Spice and Wolf - 9 (9.0)
    
12. Saga of Tanya the Evil - 9 (9.0)
    
13. Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie - 9 (9.0)
    
14. Overlord (I, II, III, IV) - 9 (9.0)
    
15. Mushoku Tensei: My Jobless Reincarnation - 9 (8.9)
    
16. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc (Movie Trilogy) - 9 (8.8)
    
17. Berserk (TV) - 9 (8.8)
    
18. Attack on Titan - 9 (8.8)
    
19. The Ancient Magus Bride - 9 (8.7)
    
20. The Rising of the Shield Hero - 9 (8.7)
    
21. Goblin Slayer - 9 (8.7)
    
22. Goblin Slayer: Goblin's Crown - 9 (8.7)
    
23. El Hazard: The Magnificent World - 9 (8.6) [First 7-Episode OVA Series only]
    
24. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit - 9 (8.6)
    
25. Oh! My Goddess (OVA) - 9 (8.6)
    
26. Oh! My Goddess: The Motion Picture - 9 (8.6)
    
27. The Heroic Legend of Arslan (OVA) - 9 (8.6)
    
28. The Heroic Legend of Arslan (TV) - 8 (8.5)
    
29. That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (TV) - 8 (8.5)
    
30. That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (OVA) - 8 (8.5)
    
31. The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - 8 (8.5)
    
32. DanMachi: Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Myth (I, II, III) - 8 (8.5)
    
33. DanMachi: Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Sword Oratoria - 8 (8.5)
    
34. DanMachi: Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Arrow of Orion - 8 (8.5)
    
35. The 12 Kingdoms - 8 (8.5)
    
36. KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World - 8 (8.5)
    
37. (Louie the) Rune Soldier - 8 (8.5)
    
38. The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat - 8 (8.5)
    
39. Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions - 8 (8.5)
    
40. Kiki's Delivery Service - 8 (8.5)
    
41. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms - 8 (8.4)
    
42. Black Clover - 8 (8.4)
    
43. Magi - 8 (8.4)
    
44. Oh! My Goddess (TV) - 8 (8.4)
    
45. Oh! My Goddess (TV Specials and ONA) - 8 (8.4)
    
46. The World God Only Knows - 8 (8.4)
    
47. Fate/stay night - 8 (8.4)
    
48. Le Chevalier D'Eon - 8 (8.3)
    
49. Claymore - 8 (8.3)
    
50. Record of Grancrest War - 8 (8.3)
    
51. Banished From The Hero's Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside - 8 (8.3)
    
52. Ascendance of a Bookworm - 8 (8.3)
    
53. Alderamin on the Sky - 8 (8.2)
    
54. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! - 8 (8.1)
    
55. Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight - 8 (8.0)
    
56. MAOYU ~ Archenemy & Hero - 8 (8.0)
    
57. The Devil is a Part-Timer - 8 (8.0)
    
58. Witch Craft Works - 8 (8.0)
    
59. Escaflowne: The Movie - 8 (8.0)
    
60. The Vision of Escaflowne - 8 (8.0)
    
61. Slayers: Gorgeous - 8 (8.0)
    
62. Slayers (TV) - 8 (8.0)
    
63. Slayers NEXT - 8 (8.0)
    
64. Sword Art Online (I & II) - 8 (8.0)
    
65. Yona of the Dawn - 8 (8.0)
    
66. Re:ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ - 8 (7.9)
    
67. Re:ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ Memory Snow - 8 (7.9)
    
68. Re:ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ The Frozen Bond - 8 (7.9)
    
69. Blue Exorcist - 8 (7.8)
    
70. Blue Exorcist: The Movie - 8 (7.8)
    
71. Scrapped Princess - 8 (7.8)
    
72. Utawarerumono - 8 (7.8)
    
73. Tears to Tiara - 8 (7.7)
    
74. Snow White with the Red Hair - 8 (7.7)
    
75. The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent - 8 (7.7)
    
76. Sorcerer Hunters - 8 (7.6)
    
77. Sorcerous Stabber Orphen (1998) - 8 (7.6)
    
78. Slayers: The Motion Picture - 8 (7.6)
    
79. Slayers: The Book of Spells - 8 (7.6)
    
80. Slayers TRY - 8 (7.6)
    
81. Slayers: Great - 8 (7.6)
    
82. Slayers: Excellent - 8 (7.6)
    
83. Slayers: Premium - 7 (7.5)
    
84. Slayers REVOLUTION + EVOLUTION-R - 7 (7.5)
    
85. So I'm A Spider, So What? - 7 (7.5)
    
86. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun - 7 (7.5)
    
87. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom - 7 (7.5)
    
88. Wiseman's Grandchild - 7 (7.5)
    
89. Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor - 7 (7.5)
    
90. Lord Marksman and Vanadis - 7 (7.5)
    
91. The Faraway Paladin - 7 (7.5)
    
92. Tower of Druaga - 7 (7.5)
    
93. Bastard!! - 7 (7.5)
    
94. Ruin Explorers - 7 (7.5)
    
95. Izetta the Last Witch ~(Die Letzte Hexe)~ - 7 (7.4)
    
96. Romeo × Juliet - 7 (7.4)
    
97. The World is Still Beautiful - 7 (7.4)
    
98. Interviews with Monster Girls - 7 (7.4)
    
99. Magic Knight Rayearth - 7 (7.4)
    
100. Blazing-eyed Shana - 7 (7.4)
     
101. Kaze no Stigma - 7 (7.4)
     
102. Those Who Hunt Elves - 7 (7.3)
     
103. Didn't I Say to Make my Abilities Average in my Next Life!? - 7 (7.3)
     
104. Eden's Bowy - 7 (7.3)
     
105. Grimorie of Zero - 7 (7.3)
     
106. Ys - 7 (7.3)
     
107. Ys II: Temple of the Sky ~ Adol Christian's Adventure - 7 (7.3)
     
108. Restaurant to Another World - 7 (7.2)
     
109. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa - 7 (7.1)
     
110. Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos - 7 (7.1)
     
111. Tales from Earthsea - 7 (7.1)
     
112. Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works - 7 (7.1)
     
113. I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level - 7 (7.0)
     
114. BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. - 7 (7.0)
     
115. Flying Witch - 7 (7.0)
     
116. Actually... I am! - 7 (7.0)
     
117. The Familiar of Zero - 7 (7.0)
     
118. The Familiar of Zero: Knight of the Twin Moons - 7 (7.0)
     
119. The Mystic Archives of Dantalian - 7 (7.0)
     
120. A Certain Scientific Railgun - 7 (7.0)
     
121. Tales of Zestiria the X - 7 (6.9)
     
122. Arc the Lad - 7 (6.8)
     
123. Sword Art Online: Alicization (+ War of Underworld) - 7 (6.8)
     
124. Blast of Tempest - 7 (6.7)
     
125. Guin Saga - 7 (6.7)
     
126. Redo of Healer - 7 (6.6) [H]
     
127. YuSibu: I couldn't become a hero, so I reluctantly decided to get a job - 7 (6.6) [H]
     
128. Monster Musume - 7 (6.6) [H]
     
129. Interspecies Reviewers - 7 (6.6) [H]
     
130. Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious - 7 (6.6)
     
131. Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies moved to a starter town? - 7 (6.6)
     
132. Life with an Ordinary Guy who Reincarnated into a Total Fantasy Knockout - 7 (6.6)
     
133. Legend of Crystania: The Motion Picture - 7 (6.6)
     
134. The Epic Fantasy Poem of Ellcia - 7 (6.6)
     
135. El Hazard: The Magnificent World 2 - 7 (6.6)
     
136. Shamanic Princess - 7 (6.6)
     
137. Shuffle! - 6 (6.5) [H]
     
138. Rosario + Vampire - 6 (6.5) [H]
     
139. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord - 6 (6.5) [H]
     
140. High School D×D - 6 (6.5) [H]
     
141. So, I Can't Play H! - 6 (6.5) [H]
     
142. The Misfit of Demon King Academy - 6 (6.5)
     
143. A Certain Magical Index (S1) - 6 (6.5)
     
144. The Familiar of Zero: Rondo of Princesses - 6 (6.5)
     
145. The Familiar of Zero: F - 6 (6.5)
     
146. The Sacred Blacksmith - 6 (6.5)
     
147. Maria the Virgin Witch - 6 (6.4)
     
148. Monster Girl Doctor - 6 (6.4) [H]
     
149. Ragnarök: The Animation - 6 (6.4)
     
150. Full Dive: This Ultimate Next-Gen Full Dive RPG Is Even Shittier than Real Life! - 6 (6.4)
     
151. Infinite Dendrogram - 6 (6.4)
     
152. Sorcerous Stabber Orphen (2020) - 6 (6.4)
     
153. Sorcerous Stabber Orphen II: The Revenge (1999) - 6 (6.4)
     
154. Amon Saga - 6 (6.4)
     
155. Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches - 6 (6.3) [H]
     
156. The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter - 6 (6.3) [H]
     
157. Campione! - 6 (6.3) [H]
     
158. Legend of Lemnear - 6 (6.3) [H]
     
159. Sorcerer on the Rocks - 6 (6.3) [H]
     
160. El-Hazard: The Alternative World (TV) - 5 (6.2)
     
161. El-Hazard: The Wanderers (TV) - 5 (6.1)
     
162. Princess Connect! Re:Dive - 6 (6.0)
     
163. Oh! My Goddess ~Adventures of Mini-Goddess~ - 6 (6.0)
     
164. Dragon Half - 6 (6.0)
     
165. Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody - 6 (6.0)
     
166. Peter Grill and the Philospher's Time - 6 (5.9) [H]
     
167. Legend of Crystania: The Chaos Ring - 6 (5.9)
     
168. The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - 5 (5.5)
     
169. Gestalt - 5 (5.3)
     
170. Queen's Blade TV1 (Exiled Virgin, The Evil Eye) - 5 (5.2) [H]
     
171. The Testament of Sister New Devil - 5 (5.1) [H]
     
172. A Certain Magical Index II (S2) - 5 (5.1)
     
173. Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals - 5 (5.0)
     
174. A Certain Magical Index III (S3) - 5 (4.7)
     
175. Queen's Blade TV2 (Rebellion + Prequel OVA) - 5 (4.6) [H]
     
176. Queen's Blade - Beautiful Warriors OVA - 4 (4.5) [H]
     
177. Princess Minerva - 4 (4.5) [H]
     
178. Demon King Daimao - 3 (3.0) [H]
     
179. Garzey's Wing - 3 (2.6)
     
180. Queen's Blade - Grimoire OVA - 3 (2.6) [H]
     
181. Queen's Blade - Vanquished Queens OVA - 2 (2.3) [H] -- Actual not weighted score
     
182. Queen's Blade TV1 Specials 2 (2.0) [H] -- Actual not weighted score
     
183. Queen's Blade TV2+OVA (Rebellion) Specials 2 (2.0) [H] -- Actual not weighted score
     
184. Queen's Blade - Vanquished Queens Specials - 1 (1.0) [H] -- Actual not weighted score
     

Rankings last update 28-OCT-2022 1530 ET

Notes:
I will and do update this list frequently as new anime come out, or I update a score after re-watching something.

Scores are a composite (in my head) of story, plot, characters, production value and overall enjoyment.

My personal scores are single-decimal values. For MAL entries I round these to the nearest whole (integer) number, for example 6.6-7.5 = "7". Many of my "point-zero" scored items are what I consider "fantasy genre baselines".

Rankings in general mean:

• 9-10 = Among the best fantasy anime I personally have ever found and watched
  
• 8 = Some of the best examples of the genre, in my opinion "classics" (or subjectively more enjoyable to me).
  
• 7 = Strong performers, though just average (possibly incomplete) or subjectively flawed to me somehow. May also be subjectively less enjoyable to me.
  
• 5-6 = Major subjective or possibly objective flaws, but watchable. Also a lot of fanservice and ecchi shows with gratuitous nudity end up here. They're weighted down by 1-2 points from what I actually think of them for being too lewd or ribald for mass popularity.
  
• 3-4 = Badly flawed, would likely not watch again (or might be "bad good" to watch MST3K style.
  
• 1-2 = Terrible or highly objectionable; not only bad but just bad.
  

Entries with an [H] after the score are "ecchi", that is contain lewd material (such as excessive fan service, gratuitous nudity, or outright pornography). Such entries are weighted by an automatic 1.5-2 point deduction. Meaning if I personally enjoy such an Anime and find it to be superlative (in my 9-10 category) the absolute highest I would rate it in this aggregate is an 8. Note also that I don't factor in general fan-service (such as risque costuming) as "H". Taken on the whole, overtly lewd Anime would have an extremely hard time breaking above a rounded score of "6" on this list. However that also means if you see "H" titles that you personally feel look low add 1.5 to 2 points to the score.

Note that For TV shows with multiple seasons, if the listing doesn't specify which "season" then the ranking is for all current seasons combined. For example the listing for "Overlord" would also include Overlord II and Overlord III. This is because it's only newer anime that tend to be sold or consumed as seasons, whereas older titles are typically sold or consumed with all seasons combined/available as a "complete collection". Unless there is a notable quality issue between seasons, I "average out" my score for the whole TV series. Feature Films (theatrical releases or direct-to-video OVA) will always be listed separately. With a caveat that bonus or special OVA episodes which are canonically part of a main series (but were not broadcast on TV for some reason) will be factored in as part of the series and not noted separately; for example [i]The World God Only Knows[i] OVAs, particularly the Tenrei Arc are canonical within the main TV Series.

I also do not rate "ironically"; that is I don't rate things such that they are the inverse of what I really think. These are my honest scores.