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Sorcerers, elves and dwarves, Oh my! The Record of Lodoss War is a very widely known anime series, for good reason. In a mere 13 episodes, Record of Lodoss War manages to develop a wide and diverse cast of characters and bring the viewer through two highly satisfying and interrelated story arcs. Research I have done on the series indicates that the creators were heavily influenced by the Dungeons & Dragons pen and paper RPG, but that was not readily apparent to me since I have never played D&D. What this series did remind me of was Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, which probably also inspired D&D. Really though, what elements of modern fantasy did Tolkien not inspire in some way? The opening episode dumps the viewer right into the action, with a fight scene against a dragon that seems like it is straight out of Moria. In short order, we are introduced to the main characters which include a knight in training named Parn, an ax-wielding dwarf named Gimlly, a wily thief named Woodchuck, a healing priest named Etoh, a sorcerer named Slayn, and a really hot elf named Deedlit (or Deed for short). Fortunately, after the first episode the viewer is given a chance to backtrack a little bit and examine the back stories of some of these characters and how they came to be traveling together, Fellowship of the Ring style. These characters (and their enemies) reach a surprising degree of development given that there are only 13 episodes. Their unique personalities really help to bring the story of Record of Lodoss War to life. That story follows this group as they crusade to save the land of Lodoss from evil. Along the way, major battles are fought against dragons and demons, and some of the main characters even die in the process. There is also a subplot involving the romantic interest between Deed and Parn. Overall, this story is probably the strongest part of this OAV. While elements of it may be somewhat derivative, as I have suggested above, overall the plot of this series is involving with a fantastic climax and a satisfying conclusion. While the story and characters of Record of Lodoss War are first rate, the technical aspects of it are only so-so. The music is very dramatic and almost operatic in style, but I didn't find the score overly memorable. Animation wise, this series is of moderate quality. The art style isn't overly detailed, but the animation remains smooth and the entire series maintains a consistent feel about it. Of note is the fact that the artwork as a whole has a very subdued quality to it, an effect that I can best describe by saying it is was if I were watching the whole thing with a pair of sunglasses on. This becomes less noticeable once you get used to it, and I found it detracted little from my overall enjoyment of the show. Remember, my copy is the older version and not the newer re-mastered release, so this deficiency may have been rectified already. I think it is also important to note that the animation is completely hand-drawn, with no CG elements. In this case, I think it works to the advantage of the series since computer graphics would have felt out of place in a fantasy story. I preferred the Japanese track to the English dubbing, for while the English dubbing isn't the worst I've heard, it nevertheless often fails to capture the emotion of a moment. The translation, at least, is mostly straightforward. The extras included on the DVD are decent, considering the amount of animation that has been squeezed onto each disk. Included is a subtitled copy of a "making of" program that was broadcast on Japanese TV around the time of the OAV's release. I am rather fond of such programs, because they really help place a piece of animation into the context of Japanese fan's reactions to it. Overall, the Record of Lodoss War is a classic OAV with a great plot and excellently developed characters. While it does rely on a few established conventions of the fantasy genre, this does not prevent it from being an engaging and interesting show. Record of Lodoss War is a given for fantasy fans, but I also highly recommend it to all anime fans. by Andy Rucker |
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