Rating: 
Summary: Not worth the full 5, but at least a good 4.5
Review: Alrighty, what can I say that hasn't really been said? I disagree with some of the reviews. I've seen both sets, and this one by far is better. I don't understand where one reviewer got the "Grainy" viewing on DVD, mine doesn't have that. Yes, the English dubs aren't as good as the origional voices, but that's a given in almost any anime.The first episode is a catcher episode, but takes place later in the plot. Aside from that, I found nothing confusing about it, even when the people split up and it skipped back and forth. The only annoying thing about it is the little commercial break thingy in the middle of the episode. If you sit down and watch all 13 in a row, you'll know what I mean. I enjoyed this anime more than the others of it's type because it has character. You see progress with each character, as they become more proficient in their abilities. Another plus is that even though Good triumphs over evil, good isn't the unstoppable force that only takes a few scratches. Some major setbacks occur, and I almost had to watch a couple scenes twice to make sure that really happened, my mind woulnd't believe it. The storyline also includes several plot twists, that will make you actually reconsider who is good and who is bad. The full VHS cost me almost twice the DVD cost. When I saw it for DVD for only 50 bucks, I ran out and bought it. This is most definately worth every penny I've spent, and I've seen the entire series 3 times and am still not tired of it. I highly recommend this not just for any anime fan, but for any fantasy fan as well.
Rating:
Summary: Record of Lodoss War: A Fantasy Classic
Review:
I think that there is a shortage of good fantasy anime out there, and this is definitely one worth a buy. The original Lodoss series is far better than it's sequel (the crappy 2nd series that reintroduces the characters entirely!). To put it bluntly, NO (and I mean no) fantasy/medieval-setting saga compares to the original Lodoss' nice art, solid voice-acting (except for Parn), and compelling story. You won't find stupid spacmonsters that shoot fireballs out of their butts or high-powered renegade cyborgs - it's all good ol' fashioned heroics with knights, dragons, and well-developed characters.
In fact, the only downside to Lodoss is it's inconsistent and sometimes annoying main character, Parn "the Free Knight". Parn is a wimp at first, and anyone and their dog can kick him around, and the story forgets to mention how he quickly develops his super-duper sword skills by the end of the half-season's worth of shows. Aside from that, characters like Deedlit, Slayn, and Ashram add a great supporting crew. The only character that improves in the second series, by the way, appears to be King Kashue of Flaim - who is the 'fatherly' type of figure to Parn in this series. Overall, I love this first series, and I think it can't be lame or cliche when there is nothing out there quite like it when it comes to epic adventures and the fantasy genre.
Rating:
Summary: Anime at it's Best
Review: This anime is for the those that love fantasy, it has knights, dragons, elfs, witches, wizards, dwarves, heros and vilians. For people that have read and loved the world of Tolkien, this anime is for you. The animation is in one word beautiful, the soundtracks are awesome. This is a must have for any anime collector.
Rating:
Summary: Unparalled
Review: This is a story told in a classic style. It's an old fashioned quest, that takes a while to build to a conclusion. I am an anime fan of 15 years, now, and I have to admit that at the end, I was near standing on my couch, cheering for the hero to save the damsel.[p] There are only two down points. The first episode is near the middle of the series, making you wonder why you suddenly see the hero by himself in the next episode. The other is that the old fashioned dubbing leaves you wanting to shove ice picks in both ears. Both are easily overlooked in the grand picture, though.[p] This is for those that want a classic adventure, told only the way that anime could, with lots of intrigue, plenty of magic, and striking visuals
Rating:
Summary: This anime will hold you spellbound until the very end.
Review: This is without a doubt the best anime I've ever seen. The intriguing feel of this fantasy anime is absolutely amazing, not to mention the beautifully composed soundtracks. I'll start out by saying that the characters designed by Soeta Kazuhiro were really awesome. The characters are so intriguing and diverse. Very original and well thought out. The story is enthralling and captures your attention many times throughout the show. Some parts are so intense, it brings shivers down your spine. I'm actually not very supportive of dubbed anime, being that I try to stay true to the original Japanese dub, but I have to say the dub for this particular anime was wonderful. The voice of Karla was so amazing that she brought out the character to exceed the Japanese version. In other words, the dubbed version was better then the Japanese version. So, if you haven't bought this anime, I highly suggest you do.
Rating: 
Summary: Good fantasy adventure, if too cliche
Review: Lodoss War is a 13 episode fantasy adventure story, set in a fairly generic Dungeons & Dragons type fantasy world with all the ordinary complement of races such as elves and dwarves. While a comfortable setting in that, if you like fantasy, you already know the basics, it is not terribly imaginative. The story begins as a good vs. evil matchup, but some of the evil characters are far more complex than they appear, and the particulars of the alliances and animosities shift over time. It's reasonably well-executed and enjoyable, just not fresh or innovative. The soundtrack is nice, as well--I picked up 3 CDs to get it. The English dub cast takes some getting used to, as well--some of the voices are a little annoying at first, but I tend to think now that this was intentional. There are some concerns. First, the story is not chronologcal at first. It starts after the adventure has begun, then jumps back to start from the beginning; it can be hard to follow. Second, there are some real quality control problems on this disc. The second through fourth episodes are grainy and look pretty bad--not unwatchable, but disappointing for DVD. The audio sometimes goes up then down, which is distracting, but not fatal to enjoyment. If you like fantasy, this is a good, but not great, show at a reasonable price for 13 episodes; just be aware that the DVD is not technically perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: Great - but no AD&D
Review: As a Dungeons and Dragons player, I was very pleased with the Lodoss War series. I'll admit I watched the whole thing in one day. It had nice characters and interesting 'background' elements that most RPG players would pick up on (the mage and cleric actually recite their spells/prayers, taking away from their active time in battles). Most of the characters were stereotypical for their roles, which gave it an almost familiar air. As an animator and storyteller, I must say this tale is rather flawed. Several points of the series leave you confused without any resolution. It starts in the middle and hap-hazardly backtracks to try to explain up to the beginning spot, but fails to fill in a few details along the way. For those who love Anime, buy it. For those who love Fantasy Video Games (like Lunar on PlayStation/Sega Saturn), rent or borrow it - then buy it if you liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Not What You Usually Think About Anime
Review: When most people think of anime they either think of cute annoying animals on pokemon or people throwing energy balls on dragonball z. Lodoss is different though. Which is why more people will like it than the previous 2 i mentioned. With the magic, and swords, and evil magicians it has more of a Lord of the Rings fell to it than most of the anime seen today.
Rating:
Summary: Great As A Animated First
Review: This a a great animated movie. It would be good for a first time anime viewer since it is one of the best and won't shock people out of the genre. After this move on to Ninja Scroll or Ghost In The Shell :-) But stay away from Akira (Garbage In My Opinion)
Rating:
Summary: Starts... average, and ends... really really good.
Review: Like my little title says - episodes 1-6, on the first DVD of this set, are average-to-good fantasy fare. Don't get me wrong, they have their moments, but I've seen better fight scenes and it does suffer from the reuse of certain bits of animation from episode to episode. It's probably less noticeable if you just watch it one episode at a time, but watching two or three it is a little wearing. But... once you get on to the second DVD, things really start getting *good*. There's still the reused-animation problem, especially with the dragons, but the fights are suddenly a lot better and the plot starts getting more and more interesting. The last episode is slightly cheesy, but I don't care. Overall, I would highly recommend this anime. It's not *quite* as good as the hype makes it out to be, but it is almost that good. Plus, you get the whole thing in one set, which makes it a pretty good introduction to anime as a whole (I would really recommend Akira as a first-time watch, but that's only my opinion...). I would give this 4-and-a-half stars if I could, but I can't, so I'll err on the side of generosity and give it 5. Buy it if you like the look of it. Borrow it if you don't.
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