This review is spoiler-free

It began with the forging of the Great High Fantasy Animes. For within these animes was bound the strength and will to govern each fanbase... But they were all of them deceived... for another anime was made. In the land of Japan, in the fires of Madhouse studio, Ryou Mizuno forged in secret a Master Anime that preceded all others... and into this anime he poured nothing special.

More than 30 years before Sousou no Frieren came crashing down on everyone's favourite animes list, Lodoss-tou Senki ushered the era of Japanese high fantasy animes.

If the world is your playground, the possibilities are limitless. However, when it comes to high fantasy, stories tend to be cautiously articulated around very rigid concepts such as good vs evil, justice vs chaos and light vs dark, in a world bathed in magic, inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, and many more races. The story of a party of heroes setting out on a perilous adventure in order to defeat a demonic entity and release the world from the shackles of evil is as standard as it gets, but some series offer an interesting twist on this formula such as Rokka no Yuusha that narrates the struggles of Among Us players before the heroes depart on their journey or the beloved Sousou no Frieren which takes a reflective journey down memory lane after the demon lord's defeat. Lodoss-tou Senki, however, is not meant to challenge the high fantasy paradigm, quite the opposite, it's one of the pioneers of high fantasy animes. Transcripts of actual Dungeons and Dragons game sessions were adapted into light novels and subsequently into animes, namely the Lodoss series. Hence, much of what transpires in the show follows the events of those DnD-like sessions. Is Lodoss-tou Senki's story creative? Not at all. Is it fun? Kinda! Truth be told, I have a soft spot for this kind of setting, and I'm sure most people familiar with JRPGs, Dungeons and Dragons-style games, or even Zelda will find something enjoyable here, evoking a feeling of blissful nostalgia.

I've made multiple references to Sousou no Frieren and Lord of the Rings already, because I'm sure most people are familiar with these two and they come in handy to describe what exactly Lodoss-tou Senki is. An incongruous party of motley adventurers on a quest to bring peace to the world, a warring world where peace is as fleeting as the treaties that guarantee it; it's to be expected since Dungeons and Dragons is directly inspired by Tolkien's work, the great haberdashery from which each high fantasy author draws to weave their own story. Lodoss-tou Senki takes you to the roots of Japanese high fantasy. As much as Sousou no Frieren is a kind of deconstruction of a classic high fantasy story, Lodoss is simply its construction.

We thus follow our protagonist, Parn, an exceedingly kind-hearted young man who finds himself, alongside his party, in the midst of a war opposing two former friends, the King of Hyrule and Ganondorf - I mean Fahn and Beld. From slaying goblins to kobolds, Parn's journey doesn't offer much food for thought as characterization through flashbacks or introspection takes a step back in favor of a focus on rather scarce dialogues between characters and action scenes. The lack of characterization and development unfortunately makes it hard to care for our heroes. For example, in episode 1, Deedlit the elf remarks that she doesn't understand humans at all, but this aspect of her character is never explored in greater details. The same goes for villains - except for Karla - whose intentions remain mostly unfathomable or reduced to a simple desire for conquest and power. This stark Manichean narrative, coupled with poorly developed characters and plot, offers an easy-to-digest but also forgettable story.

If there's one thing Lodoss-tou Senki does right, it's the visual aspect of the anime, which stays consistently impressive throughout its entire run. While the backgrounds are pleasing without standing out much and the animation is clean, the character and creature designs are truly wonderful. Art is obviously very much subjective, and one might like generic anime designs more than Lodoss-tou Senki's, but it would be criminal not to praise the sheer amount of details, the impeccable line work and shading in every single shot from the latter. The 90's aesthetic, combined with remarkable artistry, creates a very powerful visual impact. It's only fitting for Lodoss-tou Senki to have been animated by Madhouse, the same studio behind Sousou no Frieren, and they're clearly showing off just how good they can be with this early project.

I'm sure it's now pretty clear what Lodoss-tou Senki entails. I've written much without really saying anything about its story or characters, because there simply isn't much to go through. Lodoss-tou Senki, the godfather of Japanese high fantasy, thrives on conventionality, placidly riding on the wave of its stunning art direction. Desperately self-aware and content with its identity, it's hard to really dislike it: charming, yet ultimately forgettable.