This is the first time I've ever done this sort of page where I just give my thoughts about a series... more or less this is just going to be a bunch of meaningless rambling. So if you'd rather not hear it (and who would?) you should probably leave now.
The first thing I would like to say that, if you haven't seen the last episode of Lodoss War, I'd advise you to watch the final ending credits, and not simply hitting the rewind button. It's rather strange, but I found it a bit more worth while to sit and let the end sink in, and just watch the ending animation sequence.
If your into anime sound tracks, I highly recommend the Lodoss sound track! If you have any interest in classical music at all, it is a must have. For the most part I liked just about every track! In my opinion it rates a 10!
Well, I'm glad to say that the dubbing wasn't all that bad on Record of Lodoss War. It would have been a crime to butcher the dubbing like some anime.. (ie. Sailor Moon *cough*). The voices all seemed to fit very well (and Parn even sounds like a wimp). I did notice that a few places that were originally no sound, that the dubbing people felt a compulsion to dub voices in anyway (like when Parn watches his father leave when he's a child and says "Papa" which was silent in the Japanese version). As for the subtitles, Beld sounds about 100 times more threatening. And in my opinion, Karla sounds more ominous also! Of course maybe I'm biased since I like subtitles better.
This is something I'm not sure how to put... I guess I should start by saying that anime is one of those media formats where occasionally the villains are more likeable than the heroines! Certainly Ashrum, and Pirotess are great characters. The odd thing is that many people I've talked to think that it rather sucked how Ashrum got the short end of the stick. Although I have to admit, I like Asrhum better than Parn also, the story works out the general way it should. Hey, it would have really sucked if Ashrum had turned all goody goody, and then started being a nice guy!
One of the things that I absolutely loved about Record of Lodoss War, is the conflict between light and dark. Originally I thought it was sort of your regular type of good verses evil sort of thing, but it is really more than that. The lines become blurred, and it makes you wonder exactly what is the difference between good and evil. Even though I didn't realize this until the end, this is one of the reasons I really like this series. The theme of light and darkness manifests itself in many forms.
| Dark | Light |
|---|---|
| Falaris - god of darkness | Falis - god of light |
| Kardis - goddess of destruction | Marfa - goddess of creation |
| Beld - King of Marmo | Fahn - king of Valis |
| The demon sword Soulcrusher | The holy sword of Valis |
| Narse - dragon of Marmo | Mycen - the golden dragon |
Perhaps the most interesting conflict was between Beld and Fahn. Once they were part legend, allies and friends. Eventually their destiny led them to combat. Though good and evil choose the fate of many, another driving force exists: balance. Most clearly representing balance is Karla - the Grey Witch. I would also include Ashrum. Even though he was initially on the dark side of things, he never really defined himself as evil, simply a man with aspirations. In times evil may triumph, in times good may triumph, but perhaps balance is the most important thing.
© 1998 archen@scythe.net