The Legend of the Legendary Heroes - Part 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 8 Ryner Lute, bearer of a deadly-powerful Alpha Stigma (strange eyes that give him magic powers), partners with the beautiful swordswoman Ferris Eris. Together, they quest to find Hero Relics for King Sion Astal's plan to make the world better. But brewing wars change everything, and they aren't the only ones looking for Hero Relics. In fact, others have found them and are using them, but Ryner isn't your normal Alpha Stigma....This first part is four DVDs. That's quite a bit, but I'm glad I had all of that to watch. This first part ends at a perfect place, beginning a shift in the characters' personalities, knowledge and goals that changes everything. I started out with the sub, but quickly switched to the dub, which is not something I do a lot. The English voice acting in this case is more exciting and alive; I get a better sense of the characters. The downside is the liberties taken with translation. Most of it is pretty much the same as the sub, but there are some things they have reworded (and not to match lip flaps) that changes the meaning of things somewhat. That being said, it was still quite enjoyable. The story grows and evolves as we learn more about the characters and the politics of the regions. There's a lot going on in this ever-expanding world, and some of it is a little out-there. Towards the end of Part 1, there are mind games and madness, but not in the way we're expecting. The story does its best to explain things and provide background, but some things are not as well developed as they could / should be. The story starts out reminding me a bit of The Slayers, only darker and heavier — partner dymanics, unexpected "oops" like awakening a giant dragon, the female swordsman / woman, humor about Ryner being a pervert, etc. Miran Froaude, the "helpful" bad guy, even reminds me of Rezo the Red Priest in some ways. I appreciate the evolution of Ferris's obsession with dango, and it filters through Ryner as well, which is nice. Her lengthy scenarios about her vision of Ryner's scandalous love life was funny the first couple times, but it got old quick. Very quick. If they weren't so long and convoluted, it would have worked at little better with the frequency we're subjected to it. The fun "quest" atmosphere slowly starts to fade out as sub-plots emerge, new powers and characters come into play and things, in general, get more complicated. The demi-god creatures we see in some strange dream-like place was reminiscent of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I expect more of this darker, psychological imagery to be more prevalent in Part 2. The art is very nice. The CG is only apparent very slightly in a few scenes — mainly the ones that show whole armies with their banners. There's a fair amount of blood and gore. Most of the gore is actually done as silhouettes, black on red, which is a fantastic way to do it! This is a story that deals with war as well as magic, so it's fitting. The Alpha Stigmas often have the bloodiest powers, but a few other characters have some pretty horrific powers themselves. I appreciated seeing the softer, more "human" side to these beings, as well as seeing humans as more of the "monsters." It all becomes much more realistic, and helps us to empathize more with Ryner, when these perspectives are continually contrasted. I enjoyed this series more than I thought I would. Somewhere in disc two, I realized I was really getting into the story; the story was also turning darker and more serious (less quest-like) at this point. By the end, I was quite satisfied, and I'm looking forward to Part 2. It's definitely a series worth checking out, especially if you like the Swords and Sorcery-type series. Written: June 14, 2012
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