The Age of Gods was closing. Eternity had come to an end. The heavens shook as the armies of Falis, God of Light clashed with those of Falaris, God of Darkness. In the unceasing battle which followed, the earth wept... The seas boiled...
At last, only two survivors remained of both sides - Marfa, Goddess of Creation, and Kardis, Goddess of Destruction, who met in a clash which echoed to the ends of the earth. At the end of their fierce battle a new land was born, split off from the continent as the life fires of the goddesses of Light and Dark flickered and died away.
Thousands of
years have since passed. And now, the land to the south of the continent of
Alecrast has become known as "Lodoss - The Accursed Island."
Record of Lodoss War is a unique and important title in the Anime on DVD world. It's the first Region 1 DVD Anime box set, and Central Park Media's strong message that they were ready to compete in the DVD world. The series was originally released as a 13 episode OVA set, and has since spawned a TV series and the spin off series Legend of Crystania. Here, however, we're focusing on the original OVA.
Record of
Lodoss War has become rather well known among people outside the anime crowd
because of how close it seems to come to a D&D campaign. It's rumored that
the original idea for the series actually came from a few D&D source books.
Evidence for that theory is everywhere in this series. The way the story comes
together, the sterotypical characters and how they act, and the type of world
that Lodoss represents.
In the end though, it's the characters and plot that make this series so great. For fantasy anime/novel/role-playing fans, all the genres of characters they loved are here. The story begins with 6 seemingly unrelated people and backgrounds coming together. There's Parn the aspiring knight, Deedlit the High Elf, Ghim the burly dwarf, Slayn the sorcerer, Etoh the priest/healer, and Woodchuck the thief. Their quest leads them to meet many other friends and villains, all of which quickly became favorites in the anime community. All the major characters are written in well, and their backgrounds, motivations, and way of thinking are all made very clear. You'll find yourself loving the villains as much as the heroes.
The
story itself is a true anime epic. It is told through 13 OVA episodes, and can
be divided into two major story arcs. People who seem insignificant characters
during the first half suddenly become important right under your nose. While
Parn and company travel across Lodoss, new villians continue to come into the
spotlight and try to challenge the forces of good for possession of Lodoss.
Throughout this quest, all the fantasy favorites are thrown in. Dragons, dark
gods, magic, mystical items, all factor heavily in the plot. These required
fantasy elements are used well throughout the story, but not to the point where
they are more prominent than the characters or overall plot.
The discs themselves are nothing that will stand out in your mind for technical excellence. On the other hand, the video is at a level that you can be watched without complaint. The audio is also at the same type of level. It's nothing outstanding, but does well enough to leave you satisfied in the end. If the discs have any real technical downfalls, it's the way the openings and endings are handled, and it is easily forgivable.
Record of Lodoss War is a set that no anime fan should be without. Central Park Media has taken a great anime series and made an affordable, well designed box set. If you haven't picked it up and enshrined it in your own collection, it's highly recommended that you do it, and soon.
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