The Heroic Legend of Arslan ( アルスラーン戦記) is a 25 episode fantasy epic based on the novel of the same name by Tanaka Yoshiki. The series is inspired by the medieval Persian epic Amir Arsalan and aired on TV in Japan in 2015.
Set in a fictional land the crown prince Arslan of the kingdom of Pars find's himself fleeing for his life. His father, King Andragoras is defeated through treachery in battle with the a neighboring nation Lusitania. With a large portion of the forces destroyed in the battle, the capital of Pars is over taken by the zealous Lusitanians. With the help of one faithful warrior Arslan survives the battle and flees into the wilderness, seeking help from anyone he can trust. Eventually Arslan gathers a handful of faithful and set's out to challenge the invaders for the right to the thrown of his mother nation. Gathering those forces still loyal to him.
In the mid 90's I had watched the first few episodes of the incomplete OAV series of this story but remembered very little of it. I have never been a big fan of fantasy based anime but something about the Arslan series is a little different. This is based on and in the spirit of classic hero epics, the types of stories that became the basis for literature. The epic it is based on is set with the Islamic states defending themselves from invading European Christian armies. The series mirrors that in Arslan and the Pars people resisting the invasion from the religiously zealous invaders, who themselves in the anime mimic the dress of Crusaders.
While the Lusitanian's kill everyone that does not agree with their faith, Pars has it's own moral issues. Issues that Arslan confronts, learns from and resolves to correct in his quest for the throne. He goes through a growth pattern very familiar to students of mythology. The hero's that surround him, on both sides, take on legendary attributes, even while Arslan himself is unremarkable in physical traits.
Art wise Arslan is average in quality, at times the CG used in larger battles is clunky, but over all the battle scenes and character designs are good. As the series neared its conclusion the art quality began to diminish noticeably. The story telling on the other hand remained excellent, if not improved in the second half. The way the series ended it was also little secret that a second series would be coming. That series is The Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance and will begin airing in July of 2016.
The series was simulcast by FUNimation and will be releasing it on video at some point. The manga is currently available on Crunchyroll manga and in print by Kodansha. The original OAV's from the early 90's are out of print.
Set in a fictional land the crown prince Arslan of the kingdom of Pars find's himself fleeing for his life. His father, King Andragoras is defeated through treachery in battle with the a neighboring nation Lusitania. With a large portion of the forces destroyed in the battle, the capital of Pars is over taken by the zealous Lusitanians. With the help of one faithful warrior Arslan survives the battle and flees into the wilderness, seeking help from anyone he can trust. Eventually Arslan gathers a handful of faithful and set's out to challenge the invaders for the right to the thrown of his mother nation. Gathering those forces still loyal to him.
In the mid 90's I had watched the first few episodes of the incomplete OAV series of this story but remembered very little of it. I have never been a big fan of fantasy based anime but something about the Arslan series is a little different. This is based on and in the spirit of classic hero epics, the types of stories that became the basis for literature. The epic it is based on is set with the Islamic states defending themselves from invading European Christian armies. The series mirrors that in Arslan and the Pars people resisting the invasion from the religiously zealous invaders, who themselves in the anime mimic the dress of Crusaders.
While the Lusitanian's kill everyone that does not agree with their faith, Pars has it's own moral issues. Issues that Arslan confronts, learns from and resolves to correct in his quest for the throne. He goes through a growth pattern very familiar to students of mythology. The hero's that surround him, on both sides, take on legendary attributes, even while Arslan himself is unremarkable in physical traits.
Art wise Arslan is average in quality, at times the CG used in larger battles is clunky, but over all the battle scenes and character designs are good. As the series neared its conclusion the art quality began to diminish noticeably. The story telling on the other hand remained excellent, if not improved in the second half. The way the series ended it was also little secret that a second series would be coming. That series is The Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance and will begin airing in July of 2016.
The series was simulcast by FUNimation and will be releasing it on video at some point. The manga is currently available on Crunchyroll manga and in print by Kodansha. The original OAV's from the early 90's are out of print.
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