Legend of Crystania
Synopsis
From the golden pen of Ryo Mizuno, comes an all-new adventure set in the aftermath of the Lodoss Wars! Ashram, desperate to find a home for his people, is tricked into selling his soul. 300 years later, Pirotesse’s devotion to her king remains unshaken. In the sacred world of Crystania, amidst a civil war waged by shape-changing warriors, she searches for her beloved Ashram. She meets Redon, a young prince obsessed with avenging his murdered parents. Together, they confront Ashram’s captor, Barbas, who aspires to rule Crystania as “The Gods’ King.” Will they free Ashram’s soul… or will Redon’s innocence become the next sacrifice to Barbas’ emerging power?
Review
Lodoss war fans, gets a little more of the Lodoss taste as Ashram and Pirotesse is back. The first thing that strikes anyone is the title name. No longer is it Record of Lodoss War, but Legend of Crystania. I recall, Crystania was mentioned somewhere in Record of Lodoss War, but was never really developed for the fans. This show bored me for about fifteen minutes, but then as action and story kicked in, my system reacted by kicking in turbo.
The shape-changing warriors are interesting. Their transformation is based on which god ruled the region that they were born in. They can either go, full man, half man-half animal or full animal. Record of Lodoss War is known for its’ RPG style, Legend of Crystania brings that style back, of course not as good as Record of Lodoss War, but adequate. The show is now more violent than Record of Lodoss War. Soldiers get sliced in half with blood gashing all over. There was one scene where a lizard warrior had a whole chunk of neck bitten out. So… yeah, I hope you get the idea after the last example :P.
Record of Lodoss War fans should stick with Record of Lodoss War. Legend of Crystania is different from Lodoss War. The animation is not the same, the setting is not the same, and although the action and story can be entertaining at times. I do not see a reason why a fan of Lodoss War should go on to something that is not Lodoss War. Unless you are a fan of Ashram and Pirotesse then I can see the reason.
The Breakdown
Legend of Crystania is not something you would watch every two weeks or so. It is something you would watch once every two years or so. The re-watch value is just not up there.