Dungeons and Dragons is, perhaps, the most ubiquitous story-telling medium that everyone can use. People can craft totally unique characters from dozens of races, moral alignments, and backgrounds. Beyond that, DMs can create wholly immersive journeys or choose from pre-made stories that everyone will enjoy.
With the recent news that Chris Pine would star in a new D&D movie, more people are searching for media to fill that fantasy itch. For inspiration or simply to enjoy with friends, here are 10 anime D&D fans should watch.
10 Record of Lodoss War
This might be the ultimate D&D anime made to date so far. It features direct inspiration from D&D lore with characters from distinct classes. Record of Lodoss War is also just a beautiful, top-tier example of elite animation for the time period. In fact, it looks leagues above some modern anime today due to the way animation and technology have evolved.
But D&D fans will appreciate the not-so-literal translation of classes and monsters into a unique world with its own history. Dragons also feel like gargantuan, mythical beasts in this, as well. There is no “Fus-Ro-Dah-ing” a creature compared to whom the player is the size of an amoeba.
9 Golden Kamuy
Fans might scratch their heads at this entry given that it is set after the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 – 1905. But the plot is essentially a treasure hunt with a rotating party and there’s a large focus on food. Golden Kamuy shines in its ability to fuse found family motifs with exciting action and characters who, though they might make bad choices, are irresistibly likable.
D&D fans will most appreciate the show’s ability to imbue every moment with lore. From learning about the Ainu to Abashiri Prison and the characters’ own lives, the anime is full of wonderful details. The show recently started episodes in season three, as well.
8 Slayers
This is another classic D&D inspired anime that everyone should watch. Though older, it ages well with eye-catching visuals and unique character designs. Slayers can be pretty goofy at times, but that’s part of the fun of D&D campaigns, right?
This shares the same trait of Golden Kamuy in that, at its heart, it is a treasure hunt. It also makes a great anime to watch with friends, too.
7 Fire Force
Having recently wrapped up its second season with a huge reveal, Fire Force stands out as one the most popular shows on this list for 2020. Each episode seems to reveal another unique fire-related ability or a juicy detail about The Evangelist. Beyond its epic action scenes and great lore, there’s much for D&D fans to enjoy about the show.
All of the characters seem to fall into distinct classes based on their abilities. For instance, Arthur is a self-proclaimed Knight (read: Paladin) while Maki is a “fire witch.” Joker is basically Gambit in terms of powers, and Captain Obi is an OP, unpowered Fighter ready for anything. Though there is so much more to be revealed about the world, the show has created a truly fantastic world full of narrative opportunities.
6 Little Witch Academia
The VR broom racing game was a bit of a non-starter, but this show deserves all the love in the world. Not only is it a fantastic show about all kinds of female characters, but it also establishes hard and fast rules about its magic system early on. Without spoiling too much, there is only a finite amount of magic, so batteries often get used making for a techno-fantastical setting.
But the characters also show off unique talents and skills that could be labeled as classes. For instance, Sucy, one of the main characters, absolutely LOVES poison and mushrooms; she could be a necromancer. Another character, Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechtsberger, has a touch of engineer or artificer about her. Fans of the show will already know who the Bard is.
5 Yu Yu Hakusho
Perhaps as loved as Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho follows the spirit detective Yusuke as he trains to fight spirits and demons as a teenager with a single mom (as one does). But there’s precedent for D&D fans already adapting the show’s universe for campaigns and one-offs.
Between demons like Hiei and Kurama to characters like Jin who is basically a wind Genasi Fighter, D&D fans will dig the action and appreciate the epic Drips from Team Urameshi.
4 Escaflowne
Though people can watch the film version of this, the anime Visions of Escaflowne has a bit more breathing room for story-telling. The world walks that line between science and magic in the best way possible. It also employs the “fish out of water” trope in that the main character gets plucked from a modern-day setting.
D&D fans will fall in love with the world-building in the show. The main character gets involved in a war for dominance led by the Zaibach Empire, gets caught in a love triangle, and also there’s a big robot made of dragon bones. Swap that out for a Githyanki warrior and his Red Dragon and that’s a solid foundation for a campaign right there.
3 Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
No D&D campaign is complete without some kind of dungeon crawl. This quest is where Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic begins and is inspired by Arabian Nights. The show follows Aladdin and Alibaba as competing groups target them for Aladdin’s genie.
The classes of the characters, as with other shows on this list, are also clear-cut like they would be in a campaign. It can be a great source of inspiration for campaign or character ideas for DMs and players alike.
2 Soul Eater
Atsushi Okubo, who writes and draws Fire Force, also created Soul Eater. It follows weapon meisters who wield weapons to fight evil people trying to devour souls. Also, the weapons are actually people who morph into these weapons, and witches are almost always coded as being villainous.
Though a little more focused on character development, the show still excels at developing unique fighting styles across its cast. It’s a master class in how to create a solid storyline and it is very entertaining and silly, too.
1 Legends Of The Galactic Heroes (Original)
This is what Game of Thrones wants to be when it grows up. Legends of the Galactic Heroes is indifferent to a character’s significance to the plot or love level among fans. This is space war business and it is serious and also explosions don’t make noise in space, okay?
In all seriousness, the original series displays almost flawlessly how best to craft characters with distinct and realistic motivations and nuance. The show undoubtedly influenced anime that came after it, so why not mine it for campaign and character ideas?
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply