RECORD OF LODOSS WAR
Been there, done that, want to do it again
Review by: Craig "The White" Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Fantasy
Watched: 1-13, subbed
What do you get when a knight, an elf, a dwarf, and a wizard, among others, band together to stop an evil sorcerer from taking over their native lands, as well as avoiding the dark powers of a piece of jewelry? If you said "Lord of the Rings," you're absolutely right. If you said every other RPG on the market... well, you're right about that one, too. But if you also said Record of Lodoss War, you've finally given the answer I was looking for. Give yourself a high-five.
Plot synopsis: Born of the war between creation and destruction, Lodoss has become known as "the accursed island." Now, centuries after the war from which it spawned, the continent is once again besieged by dark powers that wish to control it. In order to save the island, a group of six heroes, drawn together by destiny, must fight the evil and restore peace to the land. However, their powerful enemies may prove too much unless they all work together and become stronger.
Artwork: Despite the age of the series, the artwork is extremely impressive. It even rivals the animation of the majority of current series. The attention to detail is astounding, and the character designs, while not cutting-edge, are drawn with care and precision. It almost seems like the production staff completely neglected to hire in-betweeners, and just doubled up on key animators. The visuals refuse to show their age, and the show shapes up to be a feast for the eyes.
Music: Appropriate, but average. While visually the show is timeless, from an audio sense it is definitely dated. In fact, it is really the only perceptible indication, other than the back of the DVD, that it was made in the 90s. Not to say that the music drags it down; it does everything that a soundtrack is supposed to do. However, don't expect to hear any memorable tracks.
Characters: As this series was modeled heavily after the RPG formula, the characters are well-developed, but a tad cliché. Parn, the main hero, is introduced as a headstrong, inept swordsman. However, in true RPG fashion, he trains and becomes stronger (levels up) during the course of the series, which adds a lot of believability to his advanced swordsmanship in later episodes. Deedlit, an elf, is a magic-user who derives her powers from the spirits of the earth. She is at first very disapproving of Parn's reckless attitude, but eventually comes to harbor romantic feelings for him as he matures. She nearly always has a smile on her face, and derives great joy in life. Slayn 
is an experienced sorcerer who uses his powers reluctantly at first. However, once the graveness of the situation in Lodoss is revealed to everyone, he gladly accompanies Parn to help. Ghim is a dwarf who meets with Parn and company while on a quest to find his lost savior, Leiyla. After she saved his life, he has been wholly devoted to her. Since Parn's quest seems to somewhat parallel his own, he joins with them. Etoh is a young priest who has been friends with Parn since childhood. He has the power to heal, and accompanies Parn as a faithful friend. During an episode where Parn and company are wrongfully imprisoned, they meet Woodchuck, a thief who was apprehended fleeing from battle. Out of gratitude for rescuing him (and because he really had nothing better to do) he agrees to help Parn. Thus sets the conventional, six-person RPG party that tries to save the world. Of course, every good RPG has villains, and this anime is no exception. Karla is a witch who watches over Lodoss, and survives for millennia by possessing the bodies of others by way of her tiara. She cares only about the land of Lodoss, and not at all about the people who are attempting to save it, believing that events should run their course without interference. The ambitious king Ashram seeks to rule Lodoss as well. He is power-hungry and very focused on his goals, so much so that he doesn't seem to notice those around him. One of those that he doesn't notice is Pirotess, a dark elf who has pledged her loyalty to him. She was originally assigned to capture Deedlit, as her powers as an elf were best suited to combat her. Despite Ashram's all-around coldness, she still sees him in a romantic light, and would do anything for him. Wagnard is the villain-est of the villains, as his ambitions mean nothing but death and misery to all. He seeks to resurrect the god of destruction, Kardis, and use him to gain control over Lodoss. In order to do that, he requires the immortal life force of an elf. I'm sure it's easy for you to deduce whom he's got his sights on. In summation, yes, the characters are formulaic, but in an entertaining way devoid of cheesiness. And they do actually develop and change, adding much-appreciated dynamics.
Plot: This series presents a layered, evolving plot that is unfolded gradually from episode to episode. In fact, there are so many layers that 13 episodes may have been too short to run it in. As a result, there is absolutely no filler (or side quests, if you will). But also, the characters (or the viewer, for that matter) never have a chance to catch their breath. Parn and his party are constantly doing something very physical, whether it be training or fighting or running or fighting some more. As a result the pace seems very hurried. Some people may think that nonstop action is great, but I for one think that 13 episodes is too long a time between breaths.
CHICKS!: I have never seen an ugly elf girl before, and am convinced that none of them rate below an 8 on the chick-o-meter. This series gives us two hot elf chicks to drool over. Deedlit is the main attraction, and with good reason. She has long, flowing blond hair, a lithe figure, creamy white skin, and those oh-so-cute elf ears. She has a very gentle and happy spirit, and would be ideal for holding hands and running through a field of daisies with. In contrast, Pirotess is an evil dark elf, and as such has a more tanned, more exotic appearance. Her figure, and even her looks are very similar to Deedlit. At first she simply appears to be an evil henchwoman, but as her feelings for Ashram surface, it is revealed that she actually has a heart. Karla is an evil, uncaring, emotionally detached witch, plain and simple. But the body she decided to possess when we get to see her is quite nice, indeed. Plus, she's centuries old, so you know she's been around the block a few times, and could probably teach you a thing or two. Maybe she could change her name to Lola. At any rate, these are the only three that are seen with any regularity. If you are a huge fan of elf chicks exclusively, you should be satisfied. For the rest of us, however, the overall showing of chickness is mediocre at best.
Overall: While at college, I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching my roommate play Final Fantasy X, so I know all about playing an RPG without actually playing it. Watching Record of Lodoss War is almost exactly the same kind of experience. It feels like watching a six-hour cinematic, only without the mouth movements that don't quite match up to the dialog. The formula that it follows is very noticeable, and is the same formula that made a certain obscenely-budgeted, live action trilogy so successful. And while Parn is surely no Viggo Mortensen, the series carries an undeniably epic feel that should be experienced by fans of both anime and fantasy alike.
IN A NUTSHELL:
+ Timeless animation
+ Evolving plot and characters
+ Very epic
+/- Extremely RPG formulaic
- Too fast-paced
Rating: 8.5/10
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