What is your favorite RPG inspired anime?

[Syunsuke]

My personal favorite is the original Lodoss War series (which was supposedly based on an actual campaign once run by its creator), for sheer quality.

Yes, Lodoss War is based on actual OD&D campaign. That's published as magazine articles.
Lodoss War was the very first RPG experience for many old Japanese RPG players.

I posted these pictures 3 years ago, but maybe worth repost.
They are original stats for party menbers

 

[Psion]

As I only have viewed two Anime series I consider clearly inspired by RPGs, and slayers' hackneyed attempts at humor annoy me, whereas I found Lodoss classic Fantasy RPG fun, so I'll say Record of Lodoss War.


(about Princess Mononoke):

I wouldn't really consider that fantasy, though, as it's too asian.

Fantasy and Asian aren't mutually exclusive.

I'd call any series with a man gain powers from demonic infection, animal gods, and groups jockeying to slay a "forest spirit" pretty fantasy in my book.

That said, I don't see too many RPG fingerprints on it, if that's what you were going for.

 

[Sound of Azure]

I am very surprised most gamers don't watch japanese anime. I've gone through most of my life believing that if you're a gamer and love D&D and other tabletop RPGs, then you also love video games and japanese anime. I'm actually shocked everytime I talk about anime to another gamer and they look at me like I was a beholder.

Maybe me and my group of players are the only ones like that. I figure if ya like one "geek" hobby, you should be enjoying and liking them all.

I see where you're coming from, and while I am something of an anime fan I can also see why it may be unappealing to some. My old group had different tolerances to the various "geeky" tropes, and you could insert "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Star Trek/Wars", "Computer Games", "Superhero Comics", or "The Lord of the Rings" instead of "anime".

Those in my group that didn't like it thought it was too over the top. I can see that (I'm lookin' at you Jubei! And you, Gutz!).

Different strokes, you know.

 

[ivocaliban]

Yes, Lodoss War is based on actual OD&D campaign. That's published as magazine articles.
Lodoss War was the very first RPG experience for many old Japanese RPG players.

I posted these pictures 3 years ago, but maybe worth repost.

Neat! There's actually some mention of all this on the version I have on DVD. I think it's time to watch it again.

 

[Qualidar]

Fantasy and Asian aren't mutually exclusive.

Agreed, but I thought the OP was looking for non-asian fantasy.

~Qualidar~

 

[Andor]

I find Slayers hilarious.

Bad Guy: "How could you have gotten in here? We're at the top of a tower and each floor is filled with monsters and martial artists more dangerous than the last!"

Line: "I know. That's why I levitated up the outside."

Bad Guy: "..."

 

[Psion]

I am very surprised most gamers don't watch japanese anime. I've gone through most of my life believing that if you're a gamer and love D&D and other tabletop RPGs, then you also love video games and japanese anime. I'm actually shocked everytime I talk about anime to another gamer and they look at me like I was a beholder.

What twigs some people surprises me, but I'll say this much: I am very hot and cold on Anime. Some of it I find deep, intriguing, and inspiring. Others bore me. (Nausicaa is an example of a much ballyhooed anime that I'll admit even had cool ideas... it just bored me. Which sort of surprised my, because I generally like Miyazaki.)

 

[Sound of Azure]

What twigs some people surprises me, but I'll say this much: I am very hot and cold on Anime. Some of it I find deep, intriguing, and inspiring. Others bore me. (Nausicaa is an example of a much ballyhooed anime that I'll admit even had cool ideas... it just bored me. Which sort of surprised my, because I generally like Miyazaki.)

People are like that, though. It's surprising how often it's assumed that because you like/do one thing (D&D), therefore you'll like all the same things (Music, TV shows, etc). It's not necessarily the case.

Nausicaa is pretty heavy going, at times though. I didn't really like Steamboy or Porco Rosso, myself.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Anime is kind of hit and miss for me, mostly miss. Not that this should surprise anyone I'm the guy who started the "what don't you like about anime thread" a while back. But that said it's not universal, there are some pieces of anime I do like and most of them are fantastic in some way, it's just that the list of what I don't is so much larger.

1.) RG Veda- they only put out the first two episodes, but they were beautiful episodes and great fantasy at that.
2.) Princess Mononoke- pure fantasy in the highest traditions, demonic possession, animal gods that resent expanding human civilization, humans fighting nature, ancient forest spirits. And the animation is great too.
3.) The Last Exile- has steampunk and Victorian patina but it's a very fantastical series. I mean floating cities in an endless sky that use massive flying battleships and magically powered fighter-planes, that's fantastic. I always though it was a great model for inhabitants of the Elemental Plane of Air.
4.) Lodoss War- A classic it was the first anime I saw and I still like it, a campaign story-hour brought to the big screen. Only thing cooler would be if Sepulchgrave of Shemeska's story-hours got the same treatment.

There are more but it's been a long time since I've sat down and watched any of them.

 

[Gnome Quixote]

While not necessarily RPG-inspired, The Vision of Escaflowne would have made a brilliant D&D campaign. It's such a brilliant blend of fantasy tropes from both western and eastern culture, and throws in such anime staples as cat-girls and giant transforming mecha without being hokey and cliched. Beautifully fantastic and surprisingly nuanced, I've used it several times to turn non-anime watchers to the otaku side!

El Hazard is a lot of fun, too, if only because it features such a great villain in Jinnai.

The Kyoto saga from the second season of Rurouni Kenshin would have made an awesome campaign too, though naturally you'd have to use the Oriental Adventures rules pretty heavily to make it work...