Record of Lodoss War (1991)
Released by: Central Park Media
Official Website: CPM's Record of Lodoss War Page
Episodes: 1-13
By Keith "JC" Hayward

Introduction

If there is one fantasy anime to rule them all, it is without a doubt, Record of Lodoss War. I’ve been down with fantasy since I was able to lift my first plastic sword and my childhood became complete, when the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon hit the airwaves. Watching the Dungeon Master recruit six regular teens into The Realm to battle it out with Venger and his dark forces sent my imagination reeling and begging for more! From there my love for fantasy only grew as I watched a score of sci-fantasy films from The Sword and the Sorcerer, Excalibur, Never Ending Story to the greatest of them all, he Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I’ve also done the required reading. Ventured across the land of Krynn, with Tanis and Sturm, on a quest for the legendary Dragonlances. Battled side by side in the vast wilds of Toril, from the wind swept steppes of Icewind Dale to the depths of the Underdark, with my favorite fantasy hero of all time, Drizzt Do’ Urden. Last but definitely not least was taking up the hobby of tabletop roleplaying, where I’d don my persona of dark elf archer and battle along side my friend the barbarian in the world of myth and legend, Palledorn, created by our dungeon master.When it comes to fantasy, I’ve pretty much done it all and loved every page and every adventure I ever rolled dice for. The only thing I’ve yet to do, surprisingly, is read the actual Lord of the Rings Books.

Through it all if there’s one anime to have ever captured the epic grace of true blue Dungeons & Dragons fantasy, one anime to be on the front lines representing all fantasy in the medium of anime, it is Record of Lodoss War, which is to date the greatest anime fantasy epic that I have ever seen.

Story

"Lodoss, the accursed island, has long been a haven for monsters and witchcraft. Now, as the old kingdoms topple, ravaged by war, a dark wizard seeks to wake an ancient evil. To vanquish this threat, fate draws a party of six heroes: Warrior, Elf, Wizard, Dwarf, Cleric, and Thief. Together, they will encounter untold dangers and wonders beyond imagination. Join the quest. The battle for Lodoss has begun! "-- CPM's Record of Lodoss Page

Review

Record of Lodoss War is the fantasy anime epic. Everything you want in fantasy is here and nothing is skimped. You have a basic party of heroes cut from the very cloth of Dungeons & Dragons canon: a fighter, a dwarf, a magic user, a cleric, a thief and an elf. You’ll also get dragons the size of cities, eternal entities who embody the complete and true nature of chaotic neutral. Old heroes and villains will fall and new ones will rise. Kingdoms topple and an entire cursed continent will be thrown into apocalyptic chaos, as a maniacal wizard vies for control of the world by raising a long dead and forgotten goddess of destruction. Goblins, trolls, orcs, ogres, kobolds and even dark elves will rise from the dark island, Marmo, to ravage the countryside. Standing against the tide of darkness is an unlikely fellowship of six heroes, whose adventures will determine the fate and destiny of all Lodoss Isle.

The cast of Record of Lodoss War is gloriously grassroots, each character being the archetypal mold of their respective character classes. Parn is a fighter and he doesn’t double as an alchemist, shaman, wizard, or ranger. He’s got a sword, armor and he fights for justice and someday his knighthood. You got a Dwarf, Ghim (a homage to LotR’s, Gimli son of Gloin), who wields a battle-axe, is gruff 24/7 and isn’t too keen on elves. He doesn’t take crap from anyone and laughs in the face of magic. There’s a magic user, Slayn, who fields all the party’s needs for the arcane, both offensive and defensive. Etoh, the cleric, is their man of the cloth, Priest of Valis, and also childhood friend of Parn. Woodchuck is a dagger-wielding thief, met appropriately, while being held in a dungeon. I have to say his final role in the saga was quite unexpected. Lasly, rounding out the cast, is the elf maiden, Deedlit, fair, immortal and deadly as any warrior with her thin elven blade.

This ensemble cast takes the Tolkein-esque world of Lodoss head on and with beautiful fantasy precision. Record of Lodoss War is actually adapted form an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons campaign played by fans over in Japan. Later this was turned into a series of novels and after that came this landmark anime OAV. The anime adapted the first novel up to Episode #8 and after that the producers pretty much used their own story for the final five episodes, coming to an all original climactic ending utterly separate from the original books. Though divergent form the original novels, Record of Lodoss War’s producers don’t drop the ball for a second and without prior knowledge you would definitely feel that this is the way the story was meant to be told.

The animation is from 1991, yet whatever lost techniques of animation they used back then hold up to even the best of today’s standards and by some people’s regards, surpasses its following full 26 episode length television series, Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight. If you have seen anime such as Battle Angel and Ninja Scroll, then expect animation of that caliber. Record of Lodoss War’s animation isn’t utterly perfect. To focus on making the best OVA possible, fight scene animation is sometimes recycled, and in many places snipped out all together, cutting to a black screen and seeing only the path of a blade in a red or blue arc, so don’t expect to see any incredible fight choreography. Yet the tension created in a battle scene will keep you gripped. You’ll see the charge of your hero, the black screen with the bright color slashes and the enemy fall. It’s expertly executed, so that it never feels disjointed or stuttered. So when the final battle rages and the field of war is covered in knights, monsters, and dragons above ripping apart the sky, don’t worry, you’ll feel every moment of it.

The soundtrack is also unforgettable. The symphonic orchestra really captures the epic scope and feel of the Cursed Island of Lodoss and puts the listener in the world and on the road right along side the adventurers, so that you feel the road beneath your feet and the danger in the air as you go with them to face the Great Red Dragon, Shooting Star.

DVD Extras

The DVD's themselves are superb. From the packaging to the extras, this baby is something you want to put up on your shelf with pride and right next to your Lord of the Rings DVD collection. If you’ve friends that are fantasy and tabletop-rpg geeks, this is one you’ll want to show them, and if you are one of these people, this is the one anime collection you will want and have to own.

The box itself is a two disc DVD set that folds out with incredible Lodoss War art work. On the cover you’ll get Parn (complete with that badass cape and the +5 Holy Avenger Bastard Sword of King Fahn) and Deedlit. Inside you’ll find more art of King Fahn, Emperor Beld, King Kashue, and the sexy partner of a certain Berserker, Sharis. It even comes with a mini-manga insert of the Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight comic series!

This is the DVD set that says, “I love you” to all Lodoss War and fantasy genre fans.

The Extras include the Japanese Premiere, where you’ll see interviews of fans and the creators. One creator in particular goes into detail about what a Dungeons & Dragons geek he is and how much he worked to make sure that the feel of D&D gaming came across in his finished production.

If that wasn’t enough there’s a DVD ROM feature with art, more comics and more.

Conclusion

Central Park Media did a fantastic job with this DVD Collector’s Series. I’ve been a fan of this since about 1995, when I was getting my first real exposure to anime in college. Up until then I’d only know super hero anime and some martial art stuff like Fist of the Northstar. When my friend busted out the tape of this series my mind was blown and my jaw fell as I’d never seen such detailed animation and ambitious storytelling technique! It’s practically par for the course now, but back then it was incredible. With this DVD Collection, all that love has been brought back to me with excellent picture (my poor VHS tape was getting worn out), surround sound, and the best packaging job I could ever want for a series so cherished and dear to me.

If you’re a fantasy fan, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t own this. Want something to augment that killer collection of Lord of the Rings DVD’s and to show your friends you’re also an anime fan, this is what you need. If you were ever a fan of Record of Lodoss War, like I was, then your ship’s in. The epic saga of the Curse Island awaits you, and the Warriors of Lodoss are calling you back one more time for the anime fantasy adventure of a lifetime.

Keith "JC" Hayward