DENKA! DENKA! DENKA! DENKA!
This anime aims for that historical fantasy world where 'massive' or 'epic' fits perfectly; shown through its huge army battles, the large scale strategies and tactics of war, the heavy politics of land and rule, and the importance of leaders in the fight for faction objectives.
Our main cast surrounds Prince Arslan and his close court of leaders. I struggle in describing them as under Arslan because that is what makes him different to the other heads of the world.
While inexperienced and rather dependent, Arslan has an opened eyed outlook to his people and of others. It's from his equality world policy and good mentality that makes people wish to serve him. For example, the biggest upset for others of power against him is that he wishes to abolish slavery.
He slowly grows in understanding, in strength, and in power, while making sure that what he does is what he believes to be good.
This of course, includes the amazing support he has from his allies, each who are unique and shown to be just as important as him. The uplifting camaraderie as they travel is always fun to see.
It reminds me of why I love the Fire Emblem series so much; all these individuals who can make a nation great while showing why they themselves are so special to the masses and to each other.
Not only do I love the characters, my ears surrender in joy and my mind gets grabbed of it's attention whenever I hear its soundtrack. Those songs still speak power in my memories. They fit the world and the settings so well.
My mother called it the Lord of the Rings anime, in the sense of all the different armies, the massive battles and the important fights and individuals seen inside them. Even country to country, culture and politics, lands to travel, its all so grandeur and large.
Again, I fall back to describe it as large or epic, straying away from typical small cast of 4 or 5 friends squabbling over small things. Every piece on this chessboard has meaning and purpose.
A fair warning to those who hate CGI in anime, while I'm not personally bothered by its uses, it wasn't exactly synergistic at times in its scenes.
As well as the second season which threw its budget efforts at even more CGI animation at the sacrifice of having only 8 episodes, a glaring difference to the 25 it has at the start.
Still, I do believe the pacing to remain unhurt, one gets a sense of progression and accomplishment as Arslan commands his army. Taken in by its historical life and thirsting for it thanks to all those similar Chinese movies my dad has shown me (Oh you know the ones.), its an amazing watch to see a country in action.
