Product Details

• Actors: Nobutoshi Kanna, Shiho Niiyama, Mitsuru Miyamoto, Michie Tomizawa, Shotaro Morikubo
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Us Manga Corps Video
• DVD Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Run Time: 620 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1586640046
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,919 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Record of Lodoss War - Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (Complete Series)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Record of Lodoss War began as a serialized role-playing game in Comptique magazine in 1986. The story was adapted to novelizations, audio books, and video games, followed by a 13-part OAV (original animation video) series, which was released in two parts in 1990 and 1991. Five years later, the 27-part broadcast series was completed. Although some characters, settings, and incidents appear in both continuities, the OAV and broadcast versions of Lodoss War were made independently, and the discrepancies in their sword-and-sorcery narratives can't be reconciled.

The broadcast series is divided into two linked adventures involving the supernatural treasures hidden by the last rulers of the Kingdom of Sorcerers 500 years earlier. The first tale (eight chapters) centers on Parn, the honorable Free Knight, and his High Elf companion Deedlit, the heroes of the OAV series. With some help from an assortment of allies that includes King Kashue of Flaim, an annoying grass sprite, and a berserker mercenary, Parn defeats the megalomaniacal knight Ashram, who seeks to rule a united Lodoss with the Scepter of Domination. The second adventure takes place 10 years later and focuses on Spark, a young Knight-in-Training at the court of King Kashue, who idolizes Parn. Spark and a veritable army of secondary characters battle the evil sorcerer Wagnard, who plots to resurrect the destroyer-goddess Kardis. Kardis will destroy every other living thing in Lodoss, leaving Wagnard to rule an eternal Kingdom of the Dead. From these adventures and Parn's counsel, Spark learns what it means to be a true knight; he wins the respect of his men and the love of his lady. Unfortunately, the story line breaks down in the later episodes, when writer Katsumi Hasegawa seems to lose track of the plot and many of the characters. Ashram returns--despite having fallen into a lava pit in episode 8--but as a noble and prudent ruler. Karla, the ancient gray witch, opposes Wagnard, then allies with him. Several "dei ex machinae" appear at the last minute to save situations. The lapses in the storytelling may help to explain why many fans prefer the shorter OAV series, although both versions offer plenty of ancient prophecies, spells, dragons, duels, star-crossed romances, and apocalyptic threats. The individual episodes are separated by "Trailers," odd little segments in which child versions of the main characters make fun of each other and the story. Unrated. Suitable for ages 13 and up: minor nudity and profanity, considerable violence and grotesque imagery. --Charles Solomon

Product Description

Five years past, a band of six adventurers defeated the conquering armies of Marmo, the dark island, and saved the accused island, LODOSS. Since that day, the survivors have been honored as heroes, and their deeds have become legends. But the darkness never perished... Now, a mad wizard threatens to raise an ancient evil — the goddess of destruction. Old heroes must heed the call to defend their homeland and new heroes are forged as the battle for LODOSS begins anew.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars some good, some not so good... mostly worth it, December 7, 2000

By 

M. Scott Walters "-mscott-" (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Record of Lodoss War - Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (Complete Series) (DVD)

I have to say that "Chronicles of the Heroic Knight" doesn't seem as good as the original Lodoss War series, but is still mostly worth it.  There is a lot to this one, about 9 hours or so over 4 DVDs, and the quality is a bit up and down.

The series (broken up in 20 minute episodes) starts out with the familiar heroes (Parn and Deedlit, mainly) of the original series and passes the torch on to a new group of heroes.  The storyline puts a little revisionist history on the original plot and sometimes seems as much a re-make as a sequel when it recycles some of the plots familiar from the first series.  This is most prevalent in the first and last DVDs.  The middle two are the high-point of the set and are what saves this series.

The first DVD focuses on the original heroes of the Lodoss War and is the most derivative.  It's good to see the characters back again, like old friends, but after a few minutes you start to be bothered by things.  The quality of the animation seems a bit below par and it feels as if it's being written towards a younger (pre-teen?) target audience.  Dumbed down & too cutesy, in other words.  This is also where they ignore some of the history of the first series and re-use an entire plot line.

The 2nd and 3rd DVDs, however, are much better. The quality of the animation comes back up to par, they pick up a new story thread with new heroes, and the writing/production seems to have been re-targeted to a more mature audience.  This is the best part of the set and what makes it worth while, in my opinion.

The last DVD in the set loses some ground again, compared to the middle of the series.  I almost wonder if they were running low on money or getting tired of making it or something.  It brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion, but it does feel as if the quality of the animation slips some in the last few episodes, and as if the writers weren't making any great effort to do anything except get it over with.

DVD features include a bunch of previews and the expected language options, nothing much else.  I quickly took to skipping over the last two minutes of every episode where they do their "comedy theatre" bit at the end.  I really wish that had been done as a separate chapter so I didn't have to watch it (I, for one, hate that little featurette), but could still listen to the closing theme music.  Instead, it's all one chapter.  The music is excellent and worth suffering through some fast forwarding.

If you are a fan of the original Lodoss War, you will probably be disappointed at first, feel better about it in the middle, and then be left a little disappointed at the end.  Still, overall, I think it is enjoyable and worth it.  Could have been better, but it's still nice to come home to Lodoss again with this set.

39 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW...hard to beleave but Better then the First set., July 14, 2000

By 

"grpdagod" (Mt. Prospect, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Record of Lodoss War - Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (Complete Series) (DVD)

Five years past, a band of six adventurers defeated the conquering armies of Marmo, the dark island, and saved the accused island, LODOSS. Since that day, the survivors have been honored as heroes, and their deeds have become legends. But the darkness never perished... Now, a mad wizard threatens to raise an ancient evil - the goddess of destruction. Old heroes must heed the call to defend their homeland and new heroes are forged as the battle for LODOSS begins anew.

I saw this on the VHS tapes and all I can say is WOW. the First story drew me in and I loved it. this one is SO much more...almost Twice a long with even More adventures and better animation. if u enjoyed the First one this one will Blow you away.

Greg

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read the incuded booklet thingie, May 9, 2001

By 

Kato (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Record of Lodoss War - Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (Complete Series) (DVD)

People complain about the repeats in the story line and such, it seems as if they didn't take the time to read the booklet that was in the first disc. It explains that much of this series *is* just a rehash of the OVA because the OVA was an incomplete adaptation of the novels, the animators decided to do a more complete and accurate retelling of the novels. The things in this series that negate the previous series are suposed to be taken as true, what you saw before didn't happen. Just pretend it was something you heard 2nd hand from an unreliable source.

I find it different enough to remain intersting, the animation is great, as is the music (the opening sequence is fantastic on both aspects).

At the end of every episode you get a super-deformed short called "Welcome to Lodoss Island". I find it hilarious in an "Oh my god that is so stupid" kind of way. Those episodes alone are almost worth buying the video for.