# So, do you like Lodoss War?



## avin (Nov 29, 2008)

Most people already know that Record of Lodos War (the anime) was inspired on RPD, mostly D&D...

Record of Lodoss War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(watch opening here if you don't know what I'm talking about)

[ame=http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=5srS0L7PI-Q]YouTube - Record of the Lodoss War[/ame]

So, do you like it?


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Nov 29, 2008)

Absolutely.  In the debate over what was better: the D&D tv show or movies, I kind of wanted to reply, "They both suck compared to RoLW!"  It does a good job of implenting pieces of role playing games onto the screen.  The only one I didn't like was Legend of Crystannia.

Also, my first "dates" with my girlfriend (now fiancee) were initiated by, "You want to see Record of Lodoss War?  I have the DVDs in my dorm room!"  So, yeah...


----------



## DandD (Nov 29, 2008)

avin said:


> Most people already know that Record of Lodos War (the anime) was inspired on RPD, mostly D&D...
> 
> So, do you like it?



Hell, YEAH!!!


----------



## bloodyrose1985 (Nov 29, 2008)

I really wish that the system that the series came from could be translated and published and sold over here, it would be fun and enjoyable to play the game that the anime came from. There is a Fusion system version of Record but I would still like to play the official game.

Edit: Isn't that the same group who does the music for the .hack// series?


----------



## Shroomy (Nov 29, 2008)

I know it only from reputation (I'm not a huge anime fan by any stretch, but I've watched enough in my day), but I am curious.  If I was going to watch some, where would I start?


----------



## avin (Nov 29, 2008)

Shroomy said:


> I know it only from reputation (I'm not a huge anime fan by any stretch, but I've watched enough in my day), but I am curious.  If I was going to watch some, where would I start?





It depends what you like... sci fi? fantasy? I started with Akira... animes are much like movies, some you lobve, some you dislike... and some you will never forget.

I would start with Rurouni Kenshin OVA (Samurai X, but not the TV Series for kids...)... powerful, violent... tragic and sad... very sad... check how it starts:

[ame=http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=R6o8i1mrrNg]YouTube - Rurouni Kenshin OVA 1 part 1[/ame]

... the soundtrack is astonishing beautiful.

If you are into Sci Fi go Ghost in the Shell, movie 1 first, then movie 2, then series

[ame]http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc_jDEvGC7s[/ame]

[ame]http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=kjunGF83pN4&feature=related[/ame]


----------



## I'm A Banana (Nov 29, 2008)

> I really wish that the system that the series came from could be translated and published and sold over here, it would be fun and enjoyable to play the game that the anime came from. There is a Fusion system version of Record but I would still like to play the official game.




The game (Sword World) is a bit math-heavy, a bit clunky, but not bad. Pretty old-school feel.

What is kind of cool is that what EN World knows as "story hours" are a genre of fiction in Japan -- people publish these things for the reading public. IIRC, that's where Lodoss started: as one of these first published "story hours."

Deedlit's player was a (male) Japanese Sci-fi author, for instance.


----------



## RobJN (Nov 29, 2008)

One of my favorites, though that is the opening to the26-episode follow-up TV series, Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight. The original Lodoss is a 13-part OVA.

I liked the original, lost interest about a third of the way through the TV series, even though that opening is my all time favorite anime opening ever. 

bloodyrose: the song (_Kiseki no Umi_ "Sea of Miracles") was written by Yoko Kanno (Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), not Yuki Kajiura (.hack, Noir)


----------



## I'm A Banana (Nov 29, 2008)

> Yoko Kanno (Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex),




Yoko Kanno is hell of awesome, though.

She's pretty much responsible for Cowboy Bebop's soundtrack. My personal musical goddess for that one.  

Seriously. Get some of those albums. So good.


----------



## thedungeondelver (Nov 29, 2008)

*RECORD OF LODOSS WAR* was, or at least started as, someone's Basic *D&D* campaign (at least that's my understanding of the story of its development), so yeah, I like it.

Even if it wasn't, that's what drew me to it and I found myself enjoying it.  Dragon slaying, wars, elves, dwarves, clashing swords.  Good stuff, and devoid of a lot of tropes that later came to define a lot of popular Japanese cartoons.


----------



## Fallen Seraph (Nov 29, 2008)

I've got the complete OVA on DVD better believe I like it.

As for good anime to start with, just gonna list a bunch in this sblock to not take up space:

[sblock]


*Ghost in The Shell: *One of the animes that helped found cyberpunk, along with AKIRA. This is a breath taking anime especially at the time. It follows a cyborg and her task-force as the hunt down who or what the "Puppet Master" is and explore what being Human is.
*Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex: *It is the tv/add-on movie version. Though should be noted it is much more post-cyberpunk then cyberpunk, ie; the atmosphere and themes are different then the original.
*Cowboy Bebop:* I know you said you saw some of it, but I recommend giving it a second shot, the series is a ton better then the movie. Once you get more invested in the characters it really gets good.
*AKIRA:* This along with Ghost in The Shell were two of the big animes that introduced anime to North America during the late-80s. It is a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo and involves extremely powerful-psychics.
*Grave of The Fireflies:* Get ready to bawl your eyes out over this extremely touching and sad, WWII story. It involves two siblings trying to survive in war-torn Japan. Robert Ebert has even called it one of the best war films of all time.
*Perfect Blue:* This is probably the best stalker film in general I have ever seen. Extremely gripping, tons of twists and genuinely creepy at times. Note though, if your not a fan of violence or nudity it may not be for you.
*Paprika:* This is simply a visual feast, it involves the world of dreams and the world of reality slowly molding together.
*Millennium Actress:* This is another extremely touching movie. It is about two documentary makers interviewing a old retired, Japanese actress. As she tells her story of her life, her movies and her life begin to interweave into one magical story. It is another feast for the eyes as well.
*Tokyo Godfathers:* Yet another sweet movie 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 This one involves a odd-ball group of homeless living in Tokyo who discover a abandoned baby and their journey (at times quite funny) to reunite it with its mother.
*Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya:* It is a quite hilarious television show about this girl Haruhi who has the capabilities to essentially control the universe and dream up whatever she wishes, but she doesn't know.
*Azumanga Daioh:* Another teenager one, but it is quite funny, with some oddball surreal parts. It is following the journey of 6 female students through their days in highschool.
*The Girl Who Leapt Through Time:* The last teenager one. This involves a female student who finds out she has the ability to "leap through time" (or more accurately into the past). It is about her troubles, joys, and tribulations as she deals with this potential. It can be both hilarious and quite sad.
*Spice and Wolf:* This is about a merchant in a loosely-hidden version of medieval Europe. He ends up becoming partners with a Wolf-Goddess who looks after the wheat fields. They journey to see what has happened to her home in the north.[/sblock]


----------



## Psion (Nov 29, 2008)

Oh, yeah. It's the quintessential D&D experience AFAIAC.


----------



## mach1.9pants (Nov 29, 2008)

I voted no.....I really loathe anime, I have tried to like it. Watched a lot but to me it like grinding in MMos and Rugby League...they have a lot of things I _should_ like but they bore me to tears.


----------



## Oni (Nov 29, 2008)

I enjoyed it when I saw it, but I wouldn't exactly call it good.  If you like dnd and you like anime then you should probably watch it just 'cause.

[edit: even more cheesey but recommendable on the same grounds is Bastard!]


----------



## Shroomy (Nov 29, 2008)

Well, I had my fiancee reserve the first disc from the library, so I guess I'll be able to give some sort of opinion later this week.


----------



## Serendipity (Nov 29, 2008)

Eh, it's not bad.  My tastes in anime run more to horror and SF generally. I never really got much of a D&D feel from it honestly.   Haven't seen it in ages though.


----------



## Aldarc (Nov 29, 2008)

I think that it would be fairly easy to convert Lodoss to 4E. The Forest of No Return could easily lead into the Feywild and Marmo could have links with the Shadowfell. There is a distinction created between the high elves/eldarin (ie Deedlit) and wood elves/elf as well as half-elves (ie Leaf). The dragonborn could be integrated as connections to the ancient dragons. Turn halflings into grassrunners. Tieflings may be a bit of a problem. 

Also the deities of Lodoss is rather interesting. They were created by a greater deity whose act of creation of the world and the gods caused the Ao-like deity to die. The gods had physical forms that helped to establish the world but the war of the gods caused their mutual annihilation, but although their physical forms are dead, their spirits form the backdrop of the world and can be tapped into and felt by the inhabitants. Also some deities' avatars can be resurrected.


----------



## justanobody (Nov 29, 2008)

Still haven't seen the D&D anime yet, so cannot vote.


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Nov 29, 2008)

Oni said:


> [edit: even more cheesey but recommendable on the same grounds is Bastard!]




Yes, Bastard! is great.  Might be worth mentioning it has nudity and swearing, if those are concerns for whoever would be interested.  Also has some gore (like limbs flying off), but I'm guessing the first two would upset more people than that. *sigh*


----------



## Amy Kou'ai (Nov 29, 2008)

Kamikaze Midget said:


> The game (Sword World) is a bit math-heavy, a bit clunky, but not bad. Pretty old-school feel.




I was under the impression that the original system _was_ Dungeons and Dragons, and that Sword World was the subsequent custom-built system for the setting.


----------



## ProfessorCirno (Nov 29, 2008)

I LIKE Lodoss, but I dunno if I _kile_ it ;p

As for Yoko Kanno, she does some amazing soundtracks even if the show itself was a stinker.  Like, say, Arjuna 

Personally, I perfer slower paced shows.  Planetes was amazing.  Dennou Coil was wonderful.  Haibane Renmei is probably my favorite series ever created.


----------



## Aldarc (Nov 29, 2008)

Amy Kou'ai said:


> I was under the impression that the original system _was_ Dungeons and Dragons, and that Sword World was the subsequent custom-built system for the setting.



This is my understanding of it as well.


----------



## Syunsuke (Nov 29, 2008)

Maybe this is fifth time I explain about Lodoss war...
http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-lounge/60832-etoh-record-lodoss-war.html#post1096230
The original system was Dungeons and Dragons(OD&D).
You can see some charactor sheets.











But Group SNE made custom-built system for the setting, ロードス島戦記コンパニオン(Lodoss Tou Senki companion).





"Sword World RPG" is another system made by Group SNE.
Official world for this systme is named フォーセリア (Forcelia? I don't know official spelling), and include the continent (called an Island during the series) Lodoss.




"Arecrast" is name of the biggest continent.
Lodoss is at south (mentioned as "Iland of Damned" in this map).

Years after, Group SNE publised revised systme of Lodoss RPG.





And they also publised Lodoss campaign setting book for Sword World RPG.


----------



## questing gm (Nov 29, 2008)

Record of the Lodoss War is the epitome of a campaign that I want to run someday. I much prefer the OVA than the series though.


----------



## Thanee (Nov 29, 2008)

It's anime, so the answer has to be no.

Bye
Thanee


----------



## Pseudonym (Nov 29, 2008)

StreamOfTheSky said:


> Also, my first "dates" with my girlfriend (now fiancee) were initiated by, "You want to see Record of Lodoss War?  I have the DVDs in my dorm room!"  So, yeah...




For me it was Slayers, though we did watch Lodoss eventually.


----------



## Oni (Nov 29, 2008)

StreamOfTheSky said:


> Yes, Bastard! is great.  Might be worth mentioning it has nudity and swearing, if those are concerns for whoever would be interested.  Also has some gore (like limbs flying off), but I'm guessing the first two would upset more people than that. *sigh*




I believe the final episode of Lodoss has some nudity as well, which as far as I can tell the reasoning must have gone like this.  "Crap, we made an entire anime series without showing any boobies....quick get Deedlit in here, they'll like that!"


----------



## howandwhy99 (Nov 29, 2008)

I fell asleep watching the two hour original series or whatever it was someone had on DVD about 5 years back.  Maybe it isn't my kind of fun, but I don't care for stuff like this.


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Nov 29, 2008)

Oni said:


> I believe the final episode of Lodoss has some nudity as well, which as far as I can tell the reasoning must have gone like this.  "Crap, we made an entire anime series without showing any boobies....quick get Deedlit in here, they'll like that!"




Really?  If so, I totally don't remember that.  Deedlit mostly just had really short dresses.  Only actual "nudity" I recall is the Scepter of Domination, and I think even those carvings lacked the proper...contours to really be considered as nudity.  I really haven't watched it in like 4 years now, I need to correct that...


----------



## jdrakeh (Nov 29, 2008)

My only contact with Record of Lodoss War has been the Dreamcast game, but I liked it and thought that it would make for a cool TRPG.


----------



## WhatGravitas (Nov 29, 2008)

Thanee said:


> It's anime, so the answer has to be no.
> 
> Bye
> Thanee



That's a funny thing - I'm no fan of more modern animes, but Lodoss War s something I really like. I think that Japanese animation nowadays is sometimes a bit... "typecast". After their success, a lot of animation tried to keep the same stylistic and story conventions, which forms that "anime style" nowadays.

It's a bit harder to find off-beat animes nowadays (though Studio Ghibli usually does a good job it retaining their own style), as the big ones aimed at adolescents tend to dominate so much (even more in TV... I swear, German television only shows these - but then, back then, the Heidi cartoon in ARD was also Japanese animation).

Cheers, LT.


----------



## el-remmen (Nov 29, 2008)

I started watching it, 10? 12 years ago?  And didn't get past the first couple of episodes. 

The style of story-telling turned me off.


----------



## TwinBahamut (Nov 29, 2008)

I rather like it. Actually, the first few episodes of the Lodoss War OVA were among the first things I ever saw that was specifically billed as anime, so in a way it is the show that made me an anime fan (or at least was partly responsible, it was Gundam Wing and Cowboy Bebop that made me a true fan of the medium). This was before I got into D&D, actually, so my fondness for Lodoss War has had more influence on my interest in D&D than the reverse.

I own the full OVA series on DVD, and have seen pretty much all of the TV series, but I have never quite seen the entire TV series from beginning to completion. I've never really watched anything else from that setting. I like the OVA best, but the TV series really has a fantastic opening.


----------



## el-remmen (Nov 30, 2008)

Can someone enlighten me?  OVA?


----------



## Fallen Seraph (Nov 30, 2008)

el-remmen said:


> Can someone enlighten me?  OVA?



OVA; Original Video Animation. Basically they are films or series (usually mini-series to one season size) animes that aren't shown in theatres or on tv and are straight to DVD.

So the Lodoss War OVA was only seeable if bought/rented... Though probably has been shown on TV since then I would assume.


----------



## Wombat (Dec 2, 2008)

Nope.

Don't like the music, don't like the big-eyes-pointy-nose depictions of people, and the story has a hard time grabbing me past the animation.

I like _some _anime/manga, but not that much.  Then again, the same could be said for Western comic books, fantasy films, and indeed most fantasy novels.

There are very few that really hold my interest; most of them simply seem childish.


----------



## Arnwyn (Dec 2, 2008)

My wife and I absolutely love Lodoss - both the OVA and the TV series.

We certainly own both on DVD.


----------



## Dragonbait (Dec 12, 2008)

Yes. Both the miniseries and the TV show. I'd have to agree that it was more D&D than any of the D&D movies or cartoons ever were. I love the opening theme of Chronicles.

I was told about everything that was in the novel series and MAN O MAN I wish they would translate those books!


----------



## Traycor (Dec 12, 2008)

I seem to remember reading an interview years ago where the creator of Lodoss War said that he loved Dragonlance and the story was loosely based off of that. Watching the anime, the story seems to line up with a great many Dragonlance elements.


----------



## Felon (Dec 12, 2008)

Here's the thing: when it was actually about the party of adventurers, it was cool. But Lodoss War fell back into the trap of putting one character in the center stage and everyone else getting more-or-less written out of the final acts. Man, Woodchuck was one of the cooler characters, and look at how they just threw him away.

Maybe it's just me, but ensemble casts are far more interesting than solo acts.


----------



## Darth Shoju (Dec 12, 2008)

Felon said:


> Here's the thing: when it was actually about the party of adventurers, it was cool. But Lodoss War fell back into the trap of putting one character in the center stage and everyone else getting more-or-less written out of the final acts. Man, Woodchuck was one of the cooler characters, and look at how they just threw him away.
> 
> Maybe it's just me, but ensemble casts are far more interesting than solo acts.




I'd agree, particularly when the character you focus on is as generic as Parn. Still, I enjoy Lodoss War quite a bit. I own the OVA and I'm looking to add the TV series one of these days.


----------



## Le Noir Faineant (Jun 21, 2014)

Syunsuke said:


> "Arecrast" is name of the biggest continent.
> Lodoss is at south (mentioned as "Iland of Damned" in this map).




Hi, and sorry for this insolent necro - but I am looking for a bigger resolution of this map - or, for the original source of the map, that is.

I own most Lodoss/Sword World stuff, but I haven't seen an English/Westernized map of the Arecrast continent, anywhere, which would come very useful for, well, actual games.  The one poster "Syunsuke" linked to is too small to be be usable, lamentably.

Can anyone please point me to a Western map of the Forcelia/SW main continent?

And, yeah, I know there are Western maps of Lodoss and Crystania, aplenty - I am not looking for those!

Thank you very much,

Rafe


----------



## sabrinathecat (Jun 21, 2014)

I always thought Ashram was more central character, and Paan was the outside figure--like Star Wars became more and more about Vader, and Luke became a side character.


----------



## Syunsuke (Jun 23, 2014)

I don't know the original source of the map.
And I think there're very little hope to find official English map of  Forcelia/SW.


----------



## Le Noir Faineant (Jun 23, 2014)

Thank you! Yeah, it seems it's almost impossible to find English material based on SW. There used to be SOME stuff out there, but only very, very little, and apparently from sources that have long been either taken down, or trimmed, considerably. 

I love the old series dearly, and I wish it had been marketed way better in the West. SW, while not a great game is still deeper than many of the "retroclones". - And that's not a snubb on the retroclones.


----------



## Scorpio616 (Jun 23, 2014)

bloodyrose1985 said:


> I really wish that the system that the series came from could be translated and published and sold over here, it would be fun and enjoyable to play the game that the anime came from.



Wasn't it Sword World?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_World_RPG


----------



## gamerprinter (Jun 23, 2014)

I've honestly not given it a chance. Despite being half Japanese and a lover of Japanese folklore, I absolutely detest anime/manga. As soon as I see a cartoon figure with giant eyes, I change the channel. I watched Speed Racer as a kid, but that seemed closer to reality than most anime titles. I've heard of Lodoss War, but that's about it.


----------



## sabrinathecat (Jun 23, 2014)

So you don't watch Disney either?


----------



## MarkB (Jun 23, 2014)

el-remmen said:


> I started watching it, 10? 12 years ago?  And didn't get past the first couple of episodes.
> 
> The style of story-telling turned me off.




That was pretty much my own experience. I enjoy anime and was expecting to like this series, but I've tried on a couple of occasions and just bounced hard off the first couple of episodes each time.


----------



## gamerprinter (Jun 23, 2014)

sabrinathecat said:


> So you don't watch Disney either?




Outside of movies my parents might have taken me to see as a kid, no, I don't watch Disney either. Giant eyed anime characters have significantly larger eyes than other cartoons, though I would agree that larger than life eyes is a common trait among many cartoon styles. I can tell the obvious difference between anime and other large eyed cartoon characters. Despite being a lifetime artist, I've pretty much stopped watching cartoons by the time I was 12. I love to create art, but I don't do cartooning, I prefer realistic style - in my art, in the art I most appreciate. Modern art turns me off, if I cannot readily recognizes what I'm seeing, I lack appreciation for it. You could simply state I don't watch cartoons ever, not from any culture, Japan, US or otherwise. I was never into comics either, except for a short stint reading horror comics like Vampirella, Cousin Eerie and Uncle Creepy - I was never into super heroes, so consequently superhero movies mean absolutely nothing to me, as well. Also consider that I use 3D software today, and have been for more than 10 years, despite that, I don't care for purely 3D animation movies like Beowulf, either.


----------



## sabrinathecat (Jun 23, 2014)

Depends which version of Lodoss War you're watching. The OVA 13 episode version is maybe better to watch as ep 2-6, ep 1, and then ep 7-13. The first episode was intended as a test to find out characters people would be most interested.

The TV show couldn't make up its mind whether it was a reboot or a continuation, so sort of bounced between the 2.

Good soundtracks for both--even if "Knight of Lodoss" was a recycle of a Jerry Goldsmith theme.


----------



## WayneLigon (Jun 24, 2014)

Loved it, but now I think Sword Art Online is a better western-like fantasy adventure experience. The Tower of Druaga is not bad, either.


----------



## Le Noir Faineant (Jun 24, 2014)

I have to say, I LOVED the series, back in the day! 

Now, from today's perspective, there is surely equally good stuff out there in the animation department, let alone all the mainstream-pleasing fantasy flicks, from LotR and the Hobbit, to Legend of the Seeker. But back in the day, when the series was released in the West in 1994, there was nothing quite like it. Objectively, the series has its corny moments, but mind you that it was competing against stuff like "Hercules - the Legenday Journeys", and such animated gems like "Amon Saga", and "Arielle The Little Mermaid". Apart from "Disney's Gummibears" (!), this was pretty much the only remotely enjoyable animated rendering of epic fantasy on the small screen, and I again have to say, this holds a place in my heart otherwise reserved for stuff like Star Wars, Twin Peaks, and Master and Commander. 

Now, the problem with the Lodoss universe was the same that Star Wars had.  At some point the original creator took over writing department: The series that everyone praises is the 1990 OVA; the follow-ups, 1995's "Crystania", 1998's "Lodoss War TV", and 2001's "Rune Soldier" were not even bad, just pretty mediocre. That the series is even talked about today is testament to the original 1990 series- and that one, I can recommend you to watch when you get the chance.


----------

