Serious Fantasy Anime (European Style)

[JoeGKushner]

Magic Knight Rayearth is a good fantasy adventure anime. It has some comedy elements (occasional SD transformations, etc.), but not a lot, and the Magic Knights aren't knights in the tradional sense, more like Magical Girls with magic armour and magic swords.

Geoff.

I bought the first one but hasn't gotten the second one (I'm talking the boxed sets). Good fun stuff, not too serious, not too hammy either.

How about Amon Saga? Didn't like that too much. There's another one that wasn't too bad about the different heroes with metal anmes like Bronze, Silver and Gold. Can't remember it's name though...

Did that Fire & Ice US carton ever make it to DVD? Frank Fazzata did the cover and I think some interiors for that. Great little short story.

 

[Anavel Gato]

Ys

I really don't know much about this series other than it has 2 DVD's at suncoast. It looks like a medieval theme. Perhaps someone else knows more. It is indeed called Ys.

vol. 1:
http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/1381.php

vol 2:
http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/1830.php

and there appears to be a Ys II.
http://www.animeondvd.com/reviews2/disc_reviews/2077.php

I have been wondering about these titles myself. So, I hope someone out there can supply a review.

 

[Kilmore]

No comedy? (twitch) That's all my favorite shows.

Well, if you're willing to stretch the stock meaning of fantasy, there's a few of Miazaki's shows you might wanna look at, from the children's classics that adults can truly appreciate such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away to the fierce adventure of Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind.

Just saw a little of .hack//SIGN. Seems to be an Everquest game gone horribly wrong. Dude's stuck in a virtual fantasy game world.

(Flips through a several month old Newtype)
Something called Scrapped Princess. Can't tell if it's a comedy or not. Dark Dimension Zero? What's that?

Ryo Mizuno, the guy who created Lodoss War, has just done Rune Soldier, but I hear that one went for the laffs. I'll get to watch it tomorrow.

 

[Tsyr]

For a fairly interesting and pretty serious fantasy, you might try Shamanic Princess... It's not "western" per say, but it's not eastern either... It's something all it's own.

 

[ProfAnime]

Scrapped Princess is a pretty good show for a fantasy adventure, though it does have some sci-fi bits in it. Not available in the US yet, so will need to grab fansubs or raw.

Juuni Kokki (The Twelve Kingdoms) is a pretty good fantasy adventure, though it is more Chinese/Japanese than Western medieval fantasy. First DVD for this series will be released in the next month or so IIRC

El-Hazard is also a pretty good fantasy series, though it does have some comedic elements and a bit of technology in it. There are a few EH series, but I would recommend the original 7 ep OAV.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Thanks for the post. I did notice Ys the other day but without some more info I'm a little leery.

How about Twilight Kingdoms? Twilight something or other where a band of adventurers is wandering through ruins trying to survive basically. Looked interesting but again....

As far as the no Comedey part, I don't mind a little comedy, but it gets boring after a while and interrupts the flow of the story for me.

 

[Tsyr]

As far as the no Comedey part, I don't mind a little comedy, but it gets boring after a while and interrupts the flow of the story for me.

I'd suggest Orphen, then... It has a pair of halflings that exist for nothing but comedy relief, but most of the other comedy is pretty good, low-key stuff... And it's got more than it's share of serious moments... It has it's share indeed.

 

[WayneLigon]

I'd suggest Orphen, then...

Man, I can't beleive I forgot to mention Orphen. Yes, very good.

Right now, thanks to Netflix, I'm catching up on Berserk. Disc #4 should be in today. Mmm.

 

[reapersaurus]

If I liked Record of Lodoss War and Ninja Scroll, would I like Berserk? [/total guess]

 

[Tsyr]

If I liked Record of Lodoss War and Ninja Scroll, would I like Berserk? [/total guess]

Yes.