| Absolutely entertaining fantasy adventure tale, Anime-style! |
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| written by JTurner1 |
May 21, 2004 - 1:23 PM PDT |
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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Record Of Lodoss War is one of those series that I just can't get enough of. No matter how many times I watch it, I am still engaged with this intriguing, imaginative Tolkien-style adventure. The second DVD of Lodoss War features the last six episodes of the thirteen-part OVA series. In Episode 8, Parn and company set off to confront the Grey Witch, Karla, who has been manipulating the forces of Lodoss for her own purposes. (In particular, Ghim, the old dwarf, is determined to rescue a close friend of his, Leylia, the priestess.) The last five episodes (which involve a struggle for the Scepter of Domination, a showdown with the terrible Demon Dragon, Shooting Star, and the Dark Wizard Wagnard's mad intent to resurrect Kardis, the Goddess of Destruction) build to a gripping, hang-on-to-the-edge-of-your-seat finale which ranks as one of the best ever in Anime. (Some people dislike these five episodes because they're a somewhat condensed version of the events that take place in the TV follow-up, Chronicles of the Heroic Knight -- which, incidentally, follow the original novels Ryo Mizuno wrote more closely than the OVAs do, but that's another story.)
It's the characters which make Record Of Lodoss War so much fun, and much of the best scenes belong to Parn and Deedlit. The second DVD introduces two new characters who don't get much screen time but are no less fully realized. Shiris, the hotheaded young mercenary who vies with Deedlit for Parn's affections is strongly depicted, as is her partner (and secret love), Orson, the moody Berserker, who becomes an angry, uncontrollable monster at the sight of Shiris in trouble. Even the bad guys are richly developed. Ashram, the ruthless Black Knight, has a Dark Elf accomplice 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 Final Fantasy 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 rereleased 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 voiceovers 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 dialogue is close to the subtitled script and packed with some memorable one-liners (Parn: "Quick, Deed, what's [the dragon]'s weak spot?" Deedlit: "I'm not a dragon expert! How should I know?!") and great chemistry between the actors. I especially liked the interactions between Parn and Deedlit; the cold, icy steel of Ashram (which John Knox displays well); and was very surprised at how Jayce Reeves made Wagnard sound not only menacing, but FRIGHTENING as well. 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 this 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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