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Reviews & Ratings for
 The Record of the Lodoss War (V) More at IMDbPro »Rôdosu-tô senki (original title)

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
A sprawling fantasy epic..., 30 March 2004
Author: madhater_da_killa (madhater_da_killa@hotmail.com) from Carbondale Illinois

Though the sword play isn't on par with Ninja Scroll, and the monsters can look a little bit more than goofy sometimes Record of Lodoss War is thoroughly entertaining as an epic. On the same level as The Odyssey, for the Japanese, Record of Lodoss War provides everything that you could really want from a Manga classic. They've got dragons, dwarves, goblins, kobalts, and berserkers too!(OH MY!) The art in this fantasy classic is gorgeous, it is most definitely a manga, and the eyes can become a little bit distracting to anyone who is into anime rather than the Manga look. This definitely has a kind of Akira feel to the artwork; slipping between playfully sketched lines and defined, dark inked artwork. The characters are somewhat two-dimensional, fitting into stereotypes all to common to older anime's and manga, yet are somehow very engaging. Parn the young hero around whom the entire epic is set is equipped with the biggest shiniest eyes in the whole series so inevitably he will ride into save the day at the end....

Record of Lodoss War scrolls the tale of our young hero, Parn, and his partner a priest of Valis. They are quickly joined by Ghim and Slain; Ghim being the tough as nails dwarf who despises elves, and Slain the quiet and contemplative sorcerer. Deedlit, a high elf - a princess actually - also joins Parn on his quest, after a group of Goblins slaughter Parn's hometown. The adventurers set out to discover what is making all of the creatures in Lodoss so aggressive and uneasy. They are quickly embroiled in a gigantic web of events quite comparable to LOTR in more ways than one, and find themselves imbued the task of saving Lodoss!

Any one who even like kid cartoons should see this, if you can stand any type of anime or manga give this a look the next time your out looking for an oldy-but-a-goody. The violence isn't graphic at all, there is only one scene of any type of nudity (A single nipple in the final episode for one frame) and it is long enough to grasp your attention... or is it? If you shy away from longer anime's or movies for that matter because there isn't enough action to sustain you, look elsewhere. This is a very character driven story and thusly a lot of conversation and slow moving, sometimes seemingly jumpy, plot progress. Overall an awesome set and becoming quite affordable too collectors, LONG LIVE LODOSS!!!!!

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
"I don't understand you humans at all... I guess that's what makes you so fascinating.", 21 April 2000
Author: MarioMan900 from The Holy City of Valis

Record of Lodoss War is one of the greatest anime series of all-time (Well the OAV version). The presentation was done so well and the work has been put into it was outstanding. The characters were absolutely the best part of the entire series. Each of their emotions were done elaborately and thoughtfully while not straying far from the story. Who also can forget the awesome character designs of people. Such people as Deedlit, the high elf or Ashram, the Dark Knight. The only thing that's bad is it's only 13 episodes, and you wonder what will happen after the last one. As far as I'm also concerned the dub is just as good as the sub too. Nonetheless it's a great anime to buy on DVD, and while you're at it get the new TV series on it on video.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
One of the most underrated animes ever made, 14 February 2012
10/10
Author: Rectangular_businessman from Peru

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"Record of Lodoss War" is one of the most underrated anime series ever made.

It has all the good qualities that any animated series could have, such as a incredible story, great characters, beautiful designs, an excellent animation and a magnificent music.

It has all the epic feeling from the books of Tolkien, but at the same time, has the great fun that video-games such as "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" have. In fact, this is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying animated series that I've ever watched.

"Record of Lodoss War" is a magnificent animation that deserves way more recognition. I'm not very much into anime (At least, not into modern anime) but "Record of Lodoss War" always will have a special place in my memory as one of the greatest fantasy stories ever made.

10/10 (And I would give it eleven stars if I could)

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
The "Lord of the Rings" of Anime, 17 August 2004
Author: DarthBill from United States

Lodoss, a land of long ago, is torn apart by war, chaos, mayhem, and all other forms of death and pestilence. In comes Parn, a would be knight determined to prove his valor and restore honor to the family name, and his companions: the elf babe Deedlit (voiced in the English dub by Lisa Ortiz, who later went on to voice Lina Inverse in the "Slayers" anime), cranky dwarf Ghim, King Kashu, berserker Orson, and other assorted heroes and villains who are out to survive the war.

As others have undoubtedly said, this is a sprawling epic that holds no punches in trying to suck you in and make you feel like you're a part of this world and everything going on in it. The popularity and skill of this thing is reminiscent of "Lord of the Rings". Parn himself is a bit too dense at times (he never seems to figure out that you can't attack a sorcerer or sorceress head on) but he's okay. Deedlit is both funny and cool though her full potential is never tapped. It's fun nevertheless to watch her lust for Parn while he doesn't seem to notice, at least not for a while.

One of the most potent characters though is Ashram, an honorable soldier who fights on the wrong side of the war. See it just for him, if you like.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Great Anime, Touching Story, 5 November 2005
8/10
Author: capthavoc123 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I found this anime to be very enjoyable. It starts out pretty cheesy, you know, basic anime "overacting" and whatnot, but quickly evolves into an excellent fantasy story. The animation, while primitive by today's standards, is truly fantastic. The music is wonderful and the voice actors (both English and Japanese) are very good.

I loved how they played out the love story between Parn and Deedlit. Call me a hopeless romantic, but it's rare to see true love portrayed in such a believable way in any form of media. The scene in which Parn races to Deedlit's rescue after she is captured by Wagnard is breathtaking, and it just may move some people to tears. The fight between King Fahn and King Beld was also very exciting, and the ending of that one startled the hell out of me. All in all, a solid anime and one that'll be around for a long time. If I could rate it more accurately, I'd give it an 8.7.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
an rpg-style anime of great proportions, 23 February 2001
10/10
Author: GreyFox37 from USA

this whole box was the very first anime i ever purchased. after watching the first three episodes on sci-fi, i needed more. vegas gave it to me and this is one of the best fantasy anime i've ever seen! the story downright rules, the characters are plentiful and well thought out, and the animation is top notch! my favorite episodes are "The Grey Witch," "The War of Heroes," (i love it when they show the shot of Ashram holding the demon sword), and "Requiem for Warriors." The ending is great, as well (i think Parn is a god at the end, you decide as well). if you're into action, adventure, romance, and magic, get all 13 of these!!

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Absolutely entertaining fantasy adventure tale, Anime-style!, 27 June 2005
9/10
Author: JTurner82 from Highland Park, NJ

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Okay, I'm gonna start off with a personal note: RECORD OF LODOSS WAR is probably one of my all-time favorite series ever. At the time that I was just getting warmed up to Anime (thanks to witnessing Miyazaki's wonderful artistry), I happened upon this title in my local videostore. Instantly, I fell in love with this thirteen-part direct-to-video series -- being a fan of the SNES game FINAL FANTASY III and J.R.R. Tolkien in general, watching RECORD OF LODOSS WAR was like a dream come true. It's a hybrid of these two great works filled with just about everything any fan could ask for -- dragons, elves, dark gods, a band of unlikely yet loyal heroes, villains you'll love to hate, action, suspense, romance, a small touch of humor, and engaging from start to finish.

The story is hardly original, but it's done very well for this kind of show. In fact, the one minor flaw of this series is the way the plot "jumps around" from one event to the next. However, it's the characters which make RECORD OF LODOSS WAR so much fun, and much of the best scenes belong to Parn and Deedlit; especially the dance sequence. Ghim and Deed also get to bicker about each other's differences while Parn, on a quest to clear his disgraced father's name, finds a father figure in Kashue. Ashram has a Dark Elf named Pirotess (the opposite of Deedlit) who'll do anything to prove her loyalty to him... including sacrificing herself, Karla is shifty and cunning, while Wagnard is just plain evil -- an over-the-top, maniacal monster equivalent of Kefka from FF III who cackles fiendishly as he puts his dark plans into action. The chemistry between this cast of characters is so well done and the show is so engrossing that it's easy to forgive its occasional shortcomings, notably the jumpy plotting and the animation, which, although gorgeously drawn, uses a low cel count which results with some stiff movements. It may take a while for one to warm up to the music, but by the end, it really grows on you. For fantasy buffs, RECORD OF LODOSS WAR is simply great fun.

Central Park Media made a DVD release of this title a few years ago, but have since re-released it in a more beefed up package, with some new bonus features to speak of, including the behind-the-scenes featurette we saw on the VHS tapes as well as a Promotional video (dubbed in English), which sounds, I'm sad to say, awful. There's even some DVD-ROM features (identical to those on the CHRONICLES set), including the dub script and credits for both casts. As far as I'm concerned, the visual transfer is very well done, but then I've never seen the old release so I can't compare it with that. (I was told, though, that CPM used a new Digital Video Remastering process to clean up the visuals for this release.) For purists, the Japanese language track is on here with clear, easy to read subtitles, and an optional English dub. Considering that it was recorded at a time when dubs had a very bad reputation, this English production is surprisingly good. It got somewhat mixed reviews; some say it's fake and/or mediocre while others find it annoying, but here's a better review from one of its many enthusiastic fans (that's me!). No, it's not perfect, and some lines do come off as a bit awkward, but a lot of the voice-overs are really good. In particular, Billy Regan (Parn), Lisa Ortiz (Deedlit), Al Muscari (Slayn), Jacques Le Can (Woodchuck), Simone Grant (Karla & Leylia), John Knox (Ashram), Jayce Reeves (deliciously malevolent as Wagnard), and Alexander J. Rose (Wort and the Narrator), are among my favorites. Plus, the dialog is close to the subtitled script and packed with some memorable one-liners (Parn: "Quick, Deed, what's this dragon's weak spot?" Deedlit: "I'm not a dragon expert! How should I know?!") and great chemistry between the actors. I especially loved the interactions between Parn and Deedlit, the banter between Ghim and Deed, and a lot of other things. Which is why it saddens me that some would find all of this "inferior" to the Japanese language track. I listened to parts of the Japanese language track, too, and while I did find it to be of top-quality, I find that the dub still holds its own position decently. Of course, it may be in danger of being overshadowed by some of the better dub productions of today, but for a dub made in 1996, its a rather decent, if unspectacular listen. I'm still fond of it, as a matter of fact, even after hearing some better ones.

Whatever language you choose to watch it in, you'll still be experiencing one of the greatest fantasy series of all time. Highly recommended.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Very Unique Anime Series, 22 January 2000
10/10
Author: JG2001 from Seattle, Washington

Record of Lodoss War is unique in the fact that the series uses many elements of Western culture fantasy. The series contains knights, mages, dwarves and elves. The plot may seem like typical Dungeons and Dragons fair, but after a few episodes, the story picks up and becomes more than what you would find in a normal D&D campaign. While the animation is admittedly stiff in places, the story is very well done and the OAV series was popular enough warrant the making of a full television series.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Wonderful!, 19 October 2002
Author: LadyPirotess from Swansea, Wales

Probably my fave anime series of all time (can you guess from my user name? :D) it's a classic fantasy series (13 episodes).

The story follows Parn, a young man desperate to be a brave Knight like his father, he leaves his home town to seek work in one of the great armies of Lodoss to fight the evil forces of the Marmo. Along the way he teams up with a Dwarf called Ghimm in search for a missing Priestess's daughter, a mage named Slayne, his old friend Atoh, not a Priest of Marfa, a thief named Woodchuck and a beautiful High Elf called Deedlit. We see them fight the forces of evil and eventually triumph for the side of good like in all fantasies :D It's got great animation and a wonderful story, for any anime or fantasy fan it's a must see.

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A good anime., 1 October 2003
6/10
Author: Fangor from Sweden



A good anime. Basicaly a standard Dungeons and Dragons setting. the characters are very steriotypical, but it all comes together in an enjoyable way. This film is for Fantasy fans, others will probably not enjoy it as much. The story has some interesting twists. Its not that original, but it is a perfecly good fantasy series, which is very, very rare indeed. just dont take it too seriousley. Average 7.2(10)

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