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The Anime Librarian Home What's New? Reviews Core Collections Activities Features Glossary Links Contact Us		Record of Lodoss War
		Record of Lodoss War is a fantasy epic with a curious history. Originally a 13 episode OAV series based on an unfinished novel (based in turn on a role playing game played by the author), the series was expanded to a TV series when the novels were finished. This review is based on the OAV; the latter version, Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, will be reviewed separately. High Fantasy is relatively rare in anime. Fantasy works abound, but usually bear the quirkiness of Japanese role playing games, with super deformed characters and an abundance of anachronisms. High Fantasy, first defined by Tolkien in his classic essay, Tree and Leaf, is characterized by a serious tone, an internally consistent world, and a lack of explanation as to how the created world relates to the "real" world. High Fantasy posits a world that may bear similarity to our own, but stands without reference to ours. The world of Lodoss is successful in part because its inhabitants, monsters, and civilizations are unique, logical, and possessed of verisimilitude. Key to any good Fantasy, high or low, is good characters, and Record of Lodoss War delivers. The central figure is Parn, a young knight in training. Eager to leave his backwater village, he soon meets the companions who will accompany him: a doughty dwarf, a sly thief, a portly young cleric, a veteran magician, and Deedlit, a mysterious elven beauty. Archetypes all, but the sure development of the characters keeps them from the dreaded realm of cliché. As the series progresses, so the scope of the story expands. Parn goes from fighting a handful of scruffy monsters threatening his little village to witnessing the shock and awe of a full fledged war. Conspiracies and politics soon play their part as the plot becomes epic, as well as heroic. But despite the spectacle, watching Parn grow and mature as he experiences more of the vast world keeps the focus where it should be: on the characters. The real interest is wondering whose side the thief is on, guessing what secrets the old mage knows, or finding out when Parn will notice the exasperated Deedlit's interest in him. Record of Lodoss War is visually compelling, as befits an OAV. The terrain is diverse but believable, with massive caverns, craggy mountains, dark forests, and lonely, blasted plains. The battles are dramatic and intense, and the magic is flashy and spectacular. Though an older series, the animation holds up well. Also noteworthy is the score by Mitsuo Hagita. Grand, sweeping orchestral themes contrast with wistfully beautiful ballads, supporting and enhancing the story. With Tolkien all the rage, Record of Lodoss War makes a fine addition to a library's collection of High Fantasy.
		Studio: Central Park Media Format: DVD Episodes in series: 13 Series Completed: Yes Number of DVDs: 2	Audio Tracks: English, Japanese Subtitles: English Genre: Fantasy Ages: 13+ Cautions: Some violence Reviewer: George Core Collection: High School, Fantasy Note: Current best DVD available is entitled: Record of Lodoss War Collectors Series (enhanced)