Let's get something straight. I am doing a review of the ORIGINAL 6-tape OAV.
There's more out there: The Legend of Crystania, a TV series, a number of manga
series, but those are NOT what I'm reviewing. I repeat, I am doing a review of
the 6-tape OAV series which started it all.

Let me begin by saying that this series is amazing! It is the best in fantasy
anime. Just watch the first episode and you'll find yourself immeresed in a
world with dragons and sorcery, good, evil, and amazing art and animation.

But I'll address the animation later.

The story revolves around a young, impetuous, and untrained warrior by the name
of Parn. After a group of maddened goblins attack his village, Parn is sent
by the mayor to seek out what is causing all the unrest among the creatures in
the world. Parn is joined by his boyhood friend Etoh (a priest of Pharis), the
sorcerer Slayn, the dwarf Ghim, the elf (who, consequently, falls in love with
Parn) Deedlit, and the human thief Woodchuck. This group ends up unearthing a
plot by the evil island of Marmos to take over the rest of Lodoss.

There's more to the story than that, though. There's a plot by the evil wizard
Vagnard to resurrect the evil goddess of destruction. There's a witch by the name
of Karla, who has lived for longer than anyone and whose sole goal is to ensure
that... well, actually, I won't reveal that one. But there is so much more to
this OAV series than I can put into one review, and even if I did put it all down,
I'd reveal more than I really should (why ruin the surprises of a good plotline,
right?). And before I forget, I'll mention the mercenaries Shiris and Orson, who
end up playing an important part in this anime as well (plus Megs would never forgive
me if I didn't mention Shiris, who is her favourite character, not to mention a lot
like her, hence why her alias is sometimes Shiris, but that's just an aside....).

The artwork for this anime is amazing. It's some of the most beautiful art that
I've ever seen. The still-shots in it are worth the price of rental or purchase
alone. And, let's not forget the animation. While short-cuts are often used during
battle scenes (such as re-using the same animations or using still shots along with
flashes of light to signify sword slashes and clashes, among a couple of others),
the animation for this series is still as stunningly beautiful as its artwork. However,
as is the case with Yotoden, the animation is simply not groundbreaking. It's more
than nice to look at, but it's still doesn't quite push the boundaries.

And while the storyline is amazing, I've heard complaints that the series itself
is too short. It's six tapes, with thirteen twenty minute episodes in total, but
at times it does feel like there could be a bit more to tell. However, I myself
am quite satisfied with it. A longer story would have been nice, but I never felt
like I had been cheated of any details.

Another issue I'd like to address is how close the dubbed version stays to the original
japanese version (well, to the subtitled version, I should say). The dubbed has very
small changes to the story and the lines, if any changes at all. The only drawback is
the voices: these need major work, as is more than often the case with most dubs. Deedlit's
voice (as supplied by Lisa Ortiz, of Slayers fame where she voices Lina Inverse) is quite
fitting, and even Parn's voice isn't too bad, but the others need work. Especially Etoh's.

What's the final verdict? The animation is beautiful, though not groundbreaking. The
story and plot is a great fantasy epic, and while the dubbed sticks close to the original
script, you're still better off with the subtitled version.

The final final word: Buy this series. It's AD&D done anime-style!

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