Record of Lodoss War

Record of Lodoss War
ロードス島戦記
(Rōdosu-tō Senki)
Genre Action/Adventure
Sword and sorcery
Fantasy[1]
Novel series
Written by Ryo Mizuno
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
Original run 1988 – 1993
Volumes 8
Game
Record of Lodoss War, Record of Lodoss War 2, Record of Lodoss War, Record of Lodoss War, Lodoss War, Record of Lodoss War
Developer Hummingbird Soft
Genre RPG
Platform (PC 98) (1988)
(X68000) (1991 and 1992)
(PC Engine) (1992 and 1994)
(Mega-CD) (1994)
(SFC/SNES) (1995)
(Game Boy Color) (1998)
(Dreamcast) (2000)
Released 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000
Original video animation
Directed by Akinori Nagaoka
Written by Mami Watanabe
Music by Mitsuo Hagita
Studio Madhouse
Licensed by
Released June 30, 1990 – November 20, 1991
Runtime 25-30 minutes
Episodes 13
Manga
The Lady of Pharis
Written by Ryo Mizuno
Illustrated by Akihiro Yamada
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Original run 1991 – 2001
Volumes 2
Manga
The Grey Witch
Written by Ryo Mizuno
Illustrated by Yoshihiko Ochi
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Original run 1994 – 1998
Volumes 3
Manga
Chronicles of the Heroic Knight
Written by Ryo Mizuno
Illustrated by Masato Natsumoto
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Original run 1998 – 2000
Volumes 6
Manga
Welcome to Lodoss Island
Written by Rei Hyakuyashiki
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Volumes 3
Manga
Deedlit's Tale
Written by Ryo Mizuno
Illustrated by Setsuko Yoneyama
Published by Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher
Demographic Shōjo
Volumes 2
Anime television series
Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight
Directed by Hitoyuki Matsui
Written by Katsumi Hasegawa
Music by Kaoru Wada
Studio AIC
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run April 1, 1998 – September 30, 1998
Episodes 27

Record of Lodoss War (ロードス島戦記 Rōdosu-tō Senki, lit., "Lodoss Island War Chronicle") is a franchise of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno based on the work he originally created for a world called Forcelia as a rules-free setting for role-playing games (RPGs).[2] There have since been multiple manga, anime and computer game adaptations, several of which have been translated into English. The plots generally follow the conventions and structure of the RPG systems including Dungeons & Dragons and Sword World RPG, in which several characters of distinct types undertake a specific quest.

Origins

Record of Lodoss War was created in 1986 by Group SNE as a Dungeons & Dragons "replay" serialized in the Japanese magazine Comptiq, though they also used the setting with other systems such as Tunnels & Trolls and RuneQuest.[2] Replays are not novels, but transcripts of RPG sessions, meant to both hold the interest of readers and convey the events that took place. They have proven to be popular, even to those who do not play role-playing games but are fans of fiction (including fantasy fiction). Similar to light novels, many characters and parties in replays have become popular as characters of anime. An example of such a character is the female elf Deedlit in Record of Lodoss War, who was played by science fiction novelist Hiroshi Yamamoto during the RPG sessions.

The popularity of the Record of Lodoss War replays was such that the Dungeon Master Ryo Mizuno started to adapt the story into some of the earliest Japanese-language domestic high fantasy novels in 1988.

When the replay series went on to become a trilogy, Group SNE had to abandon the Dungeons & Dragons rules and create their own game, dubbed Record of Lodoss War Companion and released in 1989. All three parts of the replay series were eventually published as paperbacks by Kadokawa Shoten from 1989 to 1991:

The last volume of Mizuno's novelization was published by Kadokawa Shoten in 1993, and followed by two collections of short stories in 1995:

The first volume forms the basis for the first eight episodes of the Record of Lodoss War OVA series, as well as the Record of Lodoss War: The Grey Witch manga series. The second was also adapted in manga form, and as a four-CD radio drama. The final five episodes of the OVA series are loosely based on the story told across the third and fourth novels and, having caught up with the ongoing novelization at that point, feature an original ending. The Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight TV series is a more faithful adaptation of volumes three to seven. The first collection of short stories was adapted into the Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit's Tale manga series.

Mizuno later went on to pen two new series of novels: a prequel titled Legend of Lodoss (ロードス島伝説 Rōdosu-tō Densetsu) (1994 to 2002) and a sequel titled Record of Lodoss War Next Generation (新ロードス島戦記 Shin Rōdosu-tō Senki) (1998 to 2006), the first of which forms the basis for the Record of Lodoss War: The Lady of Pharis manga series.

Characters

Record of Lodoss War recounts the adventures of a youth by the name of Parn, the son of a dishonored knight. Part of his motivation for adventuring is to find out what happened to his father, and to restore his family's honor. Despite his inexperience, Parn is considered the leader, who is accompanied by his childhood best friend Etoh, his friend and sometimes advisor Slayn (and later by Slayn's lover Leylia), and his newfound mentor Ghim. They are accompanied by Parn's romantic interest, the high elf Deedlit, who comes from the Forest of No Return seeking an answer to her people's isolationism and an end to what she sees as a slow march to extinction and a thief named Woodchuck. Throughout the series, Parn comes into contact with friends and foes alike. His allies include King Kashue, King Fahn, Shiris, and Orson; his enemies include Emperor Beld, Ashram, and the evil necromancer Wagnard.

The manga adaption and its anime derivative Chronicles of the Heroic Knight continues the adventures of Parn for the first eight episodes, but then focuses on Spark and his adventures to complete a quest tasked onto him to protect Neese, the daughter of Slayn and Leylia. He is accompanied by his own cast of friends in the form of Leaf, Garrack, Greevus, Aldo, and Ryna. The television series shares similarities with the plot of the OVA, such as Wagnard seeking to kidnap Neese in order to use her as a reagent for the resurrection of Naneel, a priestess and the Avatar of Kardis who was slain by Leylia's mother, the high priestess Neese a short time after the battle with the demonic god. Leylia was the reincarnation of Naneel, but when she lost her virginity she was no longer capable of being the doorway or reagent needed to unseal Naneel.

The third series, Legend of Crystania, places the former villain Ashram into the seat of a would-be hero who is placed under a spell by a "god beast" of Crystania. The series then focuses on Pirotess, his dark elven lover, as she tries to find a way to free him from the clutches of the spell and to restore him back to his living self.

Other media

Home video releases

The original OVA series and the TV series had both been released in North America through Central Park Media on VHS and on DVD. The OVA and TV series were slated for a Blu-ray release through Media Blasters,[3] but they have now dropped all plans to re-release the series.[4]

Lodoss Online

The Japanese online game company GameOn announced that it acquired the global license to make an online game for computers and mobile phones based on the Record of Lodoss War fantasy franchise from Kadokawa Production and Slowcurve. Ryo Mizuno, the novelist and co-creator of the franchise, will serve as a supervisor on the development of the online game. GameOn plans to release the game outside Japan. GameOn also said that the new game will not be browser-based.[5]

Anime

French VHS edition.

Manga

Soundtracks & music

Video games

Radio Drama

Books on tape

The first three are original stories.

References

  1. ↑ Legulalp, Serdar (2014-05-28). "Sword & Sorcery Fantasy Anime (Top Best List)". About.com Anime. About.com. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  2. 1 2 Yasuda, Hitoshi. Afterword. Record of Lodoss War 1: The Grey Witch (ロードス島戦記 灰色の魔女 Rōdosutō Senki Haiiro no Majo). By Ryo Mizuno. Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko, 1988. 291.
  3. ↑ "Confirmed: Media Blasters Rescues Record of Lodoss War from Central Park Media". Otakureview.net. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  4. ↑ "Media Blasters Drops Lodoss Wars Release Plans - News". Anime News Network. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  5. ↑ "Lodoss Online Game's Global Rights Licensed by GameOn - News". Anime News Network. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  6. ↑ "Record of Lodoss War". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis (72): 88. July 1995.

Further reading

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