Lodoss Anime Series

[Rashak Mani]

In a site about http://www.meta-earth.com/lodoss/Record Lodoss War I saw reference to a anime series Legend of Crystania. Is it any good as compared to Lodoss War ?

I also took a look at the Chronicles of the Heroic Knight... and thought it was much worse than the original Lodoss War thing. Am I wrong ?

Any interesting sites about Lodoss War I should know about ?

 

[Hopping Vampire]

omg. Herioc Knight crushed the original series. something Actually happens in CHK. nothing happened at the end of the original. nothing at all. i hated lodoss war until i saw CHK.

 

[Rashak Mani]

You sure ?

 

[Daebryn Bladestorm]

I have to agree with Hopping Vamp, I think that the CHK were much better then the ending of the original. It was also much closer to how the books actually go. The plot and character development was much better as was the animation (especially the fight sequences). I mean I actually shelled out $100 bucks to buy the whole series on DVD (now I just have to wait for all of Silent Mobius to be put on DVD )

 

[Riekhan]

Where can I find a copy of the original? I've seen some of Heroic Knight and it did not impress me. The Lodoss Island segment in each episode really spoiled the whole thing for me. It made the whole show seem so, young.

But anyways, what is the original like? How is it different from CHK?

 

[Tsyr]

Where can I find a copy of the original? I've seen some of Heroic Knight and it did not impress me. The Lodoss Island segment in each episode really spoiled the whole thing for me. It made the whole show seem so, young.

But anyways, what is the original like? How is it different from CHK?

Oh, but lodoss island was hillarious if you were in the right mind frame

The original was a lot slower, more low-key... If CHK is "modern fantasy" (Salvator, etc), then the original OAV was more like Tolkien. Sorta. A lot less happened, at least in the really early part, and it tended to be slower in pace. The story is a good bit different too. In the original, "King Atoh" is actualy more like a first level cleric , and he adventures with the rest of them. Likewise, there are a couple other characters that are dead or out of the picture by the time Heroic Knight picks up.

Basicly, how it goes is this:

The first, oh... 4-5 episodes of the original should be seen to understand some of what is going on in CHK.

Then pick up with CHK... it's sorta a massive re-telling of the second half of the original.

As far as which is better... eh... I like CHK in some ways better than the original, and unlike the original, CHK had a decent "conclusion... as well, Ashram was developed a LOT more in CHK, which is good... Ashram rocked. But the original has it's merits too (The whole Gim storyline, the fight between the two kings, etc).

As for Legend of Chrystania... It's not the same thing. It is, to Lodoss, sorta what the Free Cities are to the Seven Kingoms in a Song of Ice and Fire... same world, a lot different. Personaly, Legend of Chrystania is a title that you don't really need to see. It's not BAD exactly, just nothing terribly redeaming about it.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Thanks Tsyr ... thats exactly the "review" information I was looking for. Any other Anime with "fantasy/medieval" themes out there I should be looking for ? You recomend any ?

 

[ProfAnime]

In a similar vein as RoLW I would recommend Heroic Legend of Arslan. Very nice series that my wife loves.

 

[Tsyr]

Lets see...

Berserk: See this. It's like The Riddle of Steel as an anime, or a Grim-n-Gritty game. It's sorta dark fantasy. Some almost Cthullian elements at times. Follows the adventures of a mercenary swordsman. This has a lot of good things in it... some actual tactics here and there in the combat, the rise to fame of a mercenary or three, petty bickering amongst nobles, etc etc.

Orphen - The Scion of Sorcery: This is a semi-comedy... there are comedic elements, but it also has a harder edge underlying the whole thing. Follows a guy known as Orphen, and a couple of people who follow him. Has two of the funniest halflings known to man, though they get repetative after the first 10 episodes. See it for the serious bits, laugh at the comedy when you can. Ya get to see a lot of magic thrown about too, which is always fun.

Bastard: This is dark, but in a forced way... kinda like World of Darkness dark... This is very clearly "old school" anime... over the top fighting, every male character is muscled like a WWF wrestler, etc... but it's still worth seeing. The character of Dark Schnider is rather interesting. The world is kinda unique too.

Slayers: Um. Duh Slayers has to be seen. It's comedy, no mistake. But it's very GOOD comedy. And it's fantasy comedy to boot. There are three complete seasons (Slayers, Slayers: Next, and Slayers: Try), some OAVs, and a handfull of movies (Not all of which are out in America yet)... I'd suggest starting with the first season, and going from there.

Now, for some slight variations on the theme--

"Samurai X": Not it's real name, but for some reason that's what it got called in America... it's a two-disc or two-tape series... Trust and Betrayal... It's set japan around the Meji Revolution. Slightly over-the-top combat at times, but not too bad. Very powerful and moving.

Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors - Very... deep, I guess. This is a box-set type deal, three discs in the set... It's I think 12 episodes long. Based off an old japanese novel. It's a fantasy series, make no mistake. Magic swords, demons, change-childs, etc. Well worth seeing, but not for... for the weak-willed, I suppose. There are a few points where it slows down pretty bad, kinda like in the original Lodoss series. But if you stick with it, it's worth seeing.

 

[Tsyr]

I'd like to recomend Arslon... but truth be told, it has eluded three years of attempts to get ahold of it.