Review #78: Record of Lodoss War – Chronicles of the Heroic Knight

• Released: 98 (JP) 00 (US)
• Episodes: 27

Antispiral – Last time we left you all, we’d reviewed the third part of the Lodoss world anime, Legend of Crystania. That left only one more, bringing us back to the island of Lodoss. It’s none other than the TV series based on the original Lodoss OVA, Chronicles of the Heroic Knight.

Tenjobito – It’s not a direct sequel really, and there are some differences in the timeline between Chronicles and the original Lodoss Wars.  But rest assured. the series sticks very close to the themes, characters, and feel of that original series.

Antispiral – If we’re actually going ORIGINAL Lodoss, I’ve heard Chronicles more closely follows the timeline and story of the original novella of Lodoss, though don’t quote me on that.

Regardless, where the original OAV starts with Parn and group helping Kashew fight against Marmo and Emperor Beld, Chronicles starts off with Beld already dead and the War of Heroes done. The full group from the original series are all around, but they’ve gone their separate ways. Unfortunately, the Black Knight Ashram appears again, pursuing the Scepter of Domination to allow Marmo to unite all of Lodoss under Ashram’s rule.

Tenjobito – That part makes up a smaller part of the series, however;  The majority of the series takes place years after the events with the Scepter of Domination and follows the knight-in-training Spark as he follows the guidance of Parn and Kashew in order to protect the daughter of Laelia and Slayn, as well as foil even darker plots than Lodoss has seen before.

Antispiral – All of the players from the OAV are around, hero and villain alike, but the TV series takes them all and jumbles their places around, making some come later, some stay around longer, and some barely play a part at all. Eito and Woodchuck are all but missing, though Eito gets a few appearances. Laelia, the woman that had been controlled by Karla for most of the OAV, plays a larger role on the other hand, as do Shires and Orson.

The story is treated the same way. Where in the first Lodoss Beld faces King Fahn in the War of Heroes, in Chronicles it was Kashew. In the OAV Wagnard needed the eternal life of a high elf for his ceremony, where as Chronicles needs the reincarnated soul of Naneel, a follower of Kardis. In a way it seems strange, but it works just as well (if not better) in most parts, especially with the longer length of the series to go into things with more depth.

Tenjobito – One might wonder, then, if it would be worth it to watch both series, since they share so many plot points and characters, and Chronicles not being a true sequel in a sense.  Personally, I’d say there is easily enough unique about Chronicles, and enough of a feeling that it mixes well with the original OAV, that I’d absolutely recommend watching both.  If you’re really nitpicky and can’t get over the plot differences, the main part of Chronicles with Spark and gang isn’t a retelling or re-imagining of anything from the original series apart from Wagnard mumbo jumbo.  So if nothing else that provides a lot of unique material.

Antispiral – For those who haven’t watched any Lodoss so don’t get what this all means; in summary, both Record of Lodoss Wars and Chronicles of the Heroic Knight are based on the same gaming group’s play through novella. Still, I agree with Tenjobito in the fact that both series are good, and even with the slight overlap and retelling, both are worth watching.

Looking for a place where Chronicles stands out best, the series uses its length for good development. The Orson/Shires story is richer this time around, Ashram gets more developed to actually be someone you can like, unlike the shortly glimpsed figure from the OAV. Chronicles also has wonderful art (which is a little more colorful and a little less matte than the OAV), great music (especially the opening and closing themes, but all of it is well done), and with the addition of “Welcome to Lodoss Island”, the omake at the end of each episode, a good sense of humor.

Tenjobito – Overall, I think all of the Lodoss animes are well done, though Crystania is far and away the ugly sister of the bunch.  If I had to give a favorite, I think in the end Rune Soldier was the most like my style of anime, with the humor and less tried and true concepts. But both of the Lodoss series themselves are extremely good as well, Chronicles standing out as just a bit better, personally, for it’s length, polish, and humor.

Antispiral – Rune Soldier is the comedic take on the Lodoss Universe, Crystania looks more mystically. The original Record of Lodoss Wars takes a deep, serious look, while Chronicles of the Heroic Knight seems to be able to combine all those in various ways to make a deep, sometimes serious, sometimes mystical, sometimes humorous series. It’s worth a watch on its own, no question asked. As a Lodoss series, it’s required.

Anyway, thanks for reading this week’s anime review. We’ve had so much fun watching all the Lodoss series again, our next review is sure to be a horrible, awful, no good anime that everyone will hate! Until then reader!