I am going to be straight-up here and admit something that will make people judge me, shun me and force me to ring a bell wherever I go: I love Record of Lodoss War, but I have only seen the English version. There, I said it. My shame knows no bounds. All you anime fans may now castigate me and revile my name. Go ahead, I probably deserve it. But the truth is, I had never been a tremendous fan of anime. In fact, much of my understanding of anime came from preconceived notions based on stereotypes of an art to which I had never paid much attention. Then came that joyous day when I encountered the adventures of Parn, Deedlit, Slayn, Etoh, Ghim and Woodchuck. On that day, I realized how narrow my world was and how I could do well to broaden it every now and again.

It probably doesn’t hurt that I am a gamer and this is a series based on role playing games; really, if you game, you will right away think, “Wow, it’s like watching a D&D session.” Yes, it is. But it’s like watching a fantastic D&D session. No, I lied. It’s the next closest thing to immersing yourself in a fantastic D&D session. There is your usual cast of adventurers: Parn the knight (Bill Timoney), Deedlit the elf (Lisa Ortiz), Slayn the wizard (Al Muscari), Etoh the cleric (Ted Lewis), Ghim the dwarf (Greg Wolfe) and Woodchuck the thief (Jacques LeCann). And of course they are out to save the world -- or at least their corner of it known as Lodoss, or “The Accursed Island”.

No, no, I’m serious. Don’t back away muttering, “Hager, you are one weird woman.” OK, I am, but that’s beside the point here. The characters and the overarching theme may appear stale, but I can assure you that this series truly does deliver. RoLW shines in the fight sequences, in the beautiful animation, in the scope of the characters’ undertakings; but it truly comes to life in the development of the characters and in the story writing which beckons the viewer to draw into the world of Lodoss and feel the ambitions and failings of the characters.

While much of the story centers around Parn’s aspiration to become a Holy Knight of Valis and regain the honor that many believe his father to have lost, the other characters are very much present with their own drives and their own development. The adventurers strive for lofty goals and the story does not pull punches, often showing the need for great sacrifices in the pursuit of what is just. I will say this: I give credit to a show that has the grit to withhold script immunity from its main characters. I also like that Parn’s growth as a fighter is not a meteoric rise, but a slow and arduous transformation. He fails, he gets chewed out, he gets admonished. Through it all, he has the strength of character to get back up and press on, and that is an aspect of being a warrior that all those fantasy tropes who suddenly gain Awesome Power of Awesomeness +1 can never attain.

Also, the villains are not cut-and-dry pure evil. I cannot emphasize enough how refreshing this is. The antagonists are themselves interesting, as they have human desires and drives and even -- gasp! -- emotions. Take, for instance, Karla the Grey Witch (Simone Grant), who is ruthless in her search for universal balance but who does so with the intent that through the maintenance of balance, Lodoss may be preserved against disaster. Or Ashram the Black Knight (John Knox), who occasionally reveals flashes of an almost sympathetic nature despite his unrelenting determination to obtain his master’s goals. Even Emperor Beld (Bob Barry), who seeks to conquer Lodoss, was once one of the Six Heroes, a group which had saved Lodoss by destroying the demon god. From these mixed natures spring truly intriguing antagonists.

I would also recommend following up RoLW with its sequel, Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (1998). It’s good. It’s not quite as good as the first series, but it’s still good. Maybe it’s because there is a sense that the viewer has already been there, done that, or maybe because the plot gets rather convoluted. Whatever the reason, if you can only see one, see the original. But there are certainly redeeming points to Chronicles -- very redeeming points. Again, it boils down to the characters. The series starts with Parn and Deedlit, but it hands the torch, so to speak, to new characters who are very capable of holding a viewer’s interest. Specifically I am thinking of the berserker Orson (Oliver Gregory) with his demon-haunted existence and Shiris (Karen Smith) the female mercenary who can kick some butt and take some names, but who still cannot attain a sense of fulfillment in her life. Between the two of them, there are moments of humor and moments of tragedy. Oh, and Ashram returns and is more complex than before.

In conclusion, Record of Lodoss War is a series to see. If you are a fan of sword and sorcery fantasy (doubly so if you game), get hold of a copy and enjoy. The plot, the characters and the magnificent animation are definitely worth any viewer’s time. This is the series that truly introduced me to anime, and it is one I would definitely recommend. Now I just need to find the time to watch it in Japanese, and maybe the anime purists will stop cursing my name.

   -- Katie Hager