|
Heroic Legend of Arslan began as a series of books by Legend of the Galactic Heroes author Yoshiki Tanaka, though it has had manga and anime adaptations before, a new TV series has started this season based on Hiromu Arakawa's (Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon) manga which started in 2013. Tanaka has always had a huge interest in Chinese history and Arslan is very much in the mould of Romance of the Three Kingdoms only set in a low fantasy world (no elves or dwarves, very little magic), although a lot of the detail in Arslan is actually of Persian origin, including names and measurements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjbF1mE744g Characters (some of these are going to be a bit vague because they haven't appeared in the anime yet): Arslan  VA:Yūsuke Kobayashi Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Pars, a gentle young man who is always attempting, and somewhat failing, to live up to his fathers expectations. In the first episode he rescues a slave and and has his worldview on the necessity of slavery questioned. Turns out to be unexpectedly deadly with a sword. Daryun  VA:Yoshimasa Hosoya An excellent swordsman who is sworn to protect the Prince at any cost by his Uncle. One of the Marzbāns (basically a general) in the Parsian army, he is eager to speak his mind even at the risk of angering the king. Narsus  VA:Daisuke Namikawa Formerly a retainer to the King of Pars, now a hermit due to a disagreement with the king over the kingdoms policy on slavery. Elam  VA:Natsuki Hanae Child of a slave freed by Narsus and now his servant. Gieve  VA:Kenn A wandering bard who is more than he appears. Farangis  VA:Maaya Sakamoto A Priestess who is excellent with a bow and uses the closest Arslan has to magic. The first episode was kind of slow and basic world building plus Arslan's character, the second episode goes full on with the plot and is pretty  probably one of the best TV anime battle scenes I've seen and suitably brutal.Pretty much anyone who is a fan of RotTK or Suikoden should give it a go. Fun fact: The UK version of the original Arslan OAV was renamed to 'Arislan' because it sounded a bit too much like 'arse'. Forgot to mention how  everyone looks, if you like bishounen (and apparently women with huge boobs) this show is for you as well.Show is streaming on Funimation on Sunday in the US and Viewster whenever they get around to it in the UK. Sakurazuka fucked around with this message at 16:33 on Apr 12, 2015 |
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 16:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 01:59 |
|
|
A lot of the details in Arslan are Persian because the story is based on the epic of Amir Arsalan. I've been a fan of the original movie and OVAs since I was a kid and I'm a fan of both Yoshiki Tanaka's LoGH and Hiromu Arakawa's FMA so I was looking forward to this. The first two episodes were great. Here's hoping the TV show takes the story farther than the OVAs did.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 16:46
|
|
|
I enjoyed the first episode and will watch the second in a few hours. High hopes.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 16:53
|
|
|
Is it out yet? I didn't saw the original OVA and novel but I'm reading the Arakawa manga and it looks p good. The bad guys are Byzantine in inspiration, right?
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 16:55
|
|
|
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-04-09/arakawa-designs-heroic-legend-of-arslan-characters-for-anime-before-manga/.86952 Not sure if it is spoiling, but It looks like the anime will go past where the manga is currently is at the moment.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 16:56
|
|
|
After seeing the second episode this show is definitely a keeper. I can't wait until the king gets his idiot rear end killed and Arslan can call shots. Everything was pointing towards "attacking is a bad idea" Edit: my spoiler is just speculation on my part.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 20:23
|
|
|
TheLovablePlutonis posted:Is it out yet? I didn't saw the original OVA and novel but I'm reading the Arakawa manga and it looks p good. The bad guys are Byzantine in inspiration, right? First two ep's should be up on Funi now. Don't know enough history to compare them but I liked that the enemy empire is set up to look almost progressive compared to Pars, if you ignore the whole religious zealots thing. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 20:33
|
|
|
Sakurazuka posted:First two ep's should be up on Funi now. Don't know enough history to compare them but I liked that the enemy empire is set up to look almost progressive compared to Pars, if you ignore the whole religious zealots thing. I summon Smoking Crow to speak of Byzantium.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 21:20
|
|
|
It's kind of backwards though because I always remember the Sassanids being the one making the incursions into the Eastern Roman empire, to extract tribute or land, the romans were more interested in just defending and maintaining the border.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 21:24
|
|
|
Sakurazuka posted:Forgot to mention how  Ka-kawaii, camel chan~
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 21:30
|
|
|
Ep 2 definitely went darker and more violent than I expected, this is a weekly watch now. I dig the majestic beards/eyebrows on display and that people actually wear their loving helmets when in battle. Daryun is stone cold, too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:03
|
|
|
Sharkopath posted:It's kind of backwards though because I always remember the Sassanids being the one making the incursions into the Eastern Roman empire, to extract tribute or land, the romans were more interested in just defending and maintaining the border. It happened occasionally. That's how Julian the Apostate died after all! But then the Lusitanians have anti-slavery laws and a whole bunch of other poo poo you see later on that makes no sense for Roman analogues so eh.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:13
|
|
|
Rodyle posted:It happened occasionally. That's how Julian the Apostate died after all! Oh yeah it's all fantasy, trying to tie it to the history is real muddled. I'm mostly speaking about the empire around the time of the Byzantine-Sasanian wars, the setting itself going by clothing isn't placed super well but it seems well past Julian, but before the Ottomans or the Ummayad's even. I'm still waiting for the Parthian anime though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:20
|
|
|
Goddamn Daryun you're so manly
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:21
|
|
|
I just want a really anime reaction page of somebody explaining the concept of the parthian shot and an onlooker being absolutely shocked by it. "R-r-riding away and shooting at the same time?!?'
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:21
|
|
|
The way all the Lusitanian soldiers look is actually kinda weird though, they're basically knights templar instead of how the soldiers actually looked, that pushes the setting way forward ahead to the time of the islamic empires and the crusades, which is a time far away from the independent persian kingdoms. It's like a combination of the Crusades and the Sassanid/Byzantine wars except told from a place where the persian perspective can be more sympathetic. Timewise it's all over the place. Byzantine soldiers even up to the latest time periods didn't look all that much different from the armies they were fighting. This is an old angus mcbride piece of them in the 14th century. I forgot in the comic too the Lusitanians are mentioned to have attacked a county following the eastern branch of the religion, and they are the western branch, so I guess they actually are the crusading armies of europe after the time of the fall of constantinople in the fourth crusade, but still wearing the byzantine cross. A pastiche of a pastiche transplanted into a new time period altogether. Anyways none of that really has anything much to do with the cool comic and this cool anime I can't wait to watch later tonight, but I thought somebody might enjoy the light history. Sharkopath fucked around with this message at 22:59 on Apr 12, 2015 |
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 22:40
|
|
|
Another oddity is that the Lusitanian king is, iirc, (extremely minor setting spoiler) called High Priest and doubles as the religious head, when no such dual leadership ever really existed for Christians. Emperors until Gratian ruled with Pontifex Maximus among their titles, but only in the pagan use of the office, afterwards the title drifted off into a nebulous position, usually referring to the bishop of Rome but never as an official title.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:17
|
|
|
You mean the historical details in a work of fiction are wonky? Holy poo poo! Seriously though the almost real but not quite setting is something i see working in this show's favour.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:22
|
|
|
Respect history.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:24
|
|
|
Arslan is more fantasy with some vague historical notions, even in the original novels I think. Ad Astra is like an illustrated textbook in comparison but I also like that one.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:28
|
|
|
the parthians are garbage
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:30
|
|
|
Smash the parthriarchy
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:41
|
|
|
Million Ghosts posted:You mean the historical details in a work of fiction are wonky? Holy poo poo!l It's not like we're critizing it, it's just interesting to talk about. Chill.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:49
|
|
|
Davincie posted:the parthians are garbage *shoots you with an arrow on horseback then turns back and shoots you again*
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2015 23:50
|
|
|
Sharkopath posted:Respect history. thanks
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 00:25
|
|
|
Guan yu's facial hair would blend well into Arslan.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 03:07
|
|
|
This show is badass.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 03:56
|
|
|
My favorite part is how extremely pissed off everyone except the prince looks at all times The shot where all the generals and whatever were quickly introduced was just a slideshow of really angry faces and I love it
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 06:17
|
|
|
new arslan is significantly less fabulous than old arslan 
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 08:52
|
|
|
Think I'm gonna watch the old OVA's today, I haven't seen them in years and I remember the super-posh British accents they dubbed everyone with being hilarious.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 13:45
|
|
|
Second episode is better than the first, and I enjoyed that immensely. Totally watching Arslan grow as an effimnate badass for as long as they'll show me it.Rodyle posted:Another oddity is that the Lusitanian king is, iirc, (extremely minor setting spoiler) called High Priest and doubles as the religious head, when no such dual leadership ever really existed for Christians. Emperors until Gratian ruled with Pontifex Maximus among their titles, but only in the pagan use of the office, afterwards the title drifted off into a nebulous position, usually referring to the bishop of Rome but never as an official title. The aggressive expansion of the religion by force and the theocracy indicates to me that they've also mixed in some caliphate to the Lusitanian mélange.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2015 18:31
|
|
|
I spent last night reading all of the manga of this that's on Crunchyroll. Really enjoying it... now to watch it animated!
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2015 08:08
|
|
|
I'm really excited to see where this show goes, its got a lot of things in it that I enjoy. A likable main character? Check A host of larger than life supporting characters? Check Epic scale? Check.  fight scenes? Definitely Check.It feels a lot like FMA:B which I loved the hell out of- hardly surprising I guess if the manga its based off of is written by the author of the FMA manga! And the original novels were by the LOGH author? That's some anime pedigree right there.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2015 23:22
|
|
|
Daryun rules. The end. Move along, people.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2015 23:49
|
|
|
Crossdressing Yona show is a cool show
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 03:48
|
|
|
The old OVA is a favorite of mine, so 2 eps in I reckon this at least has a chance. Though, I don't know if the music will hold up as it looks like it has a different person at the helm with nothing terribly reassuring compared to the amazing score the original was sporting----"Man of Peerless Strength" was one of the greatest and most fitting tracks of that era of anime and whatnot while remaining stuck in my head to this very day. I know it is probably too much to hope for this to be on a Hunter X Hunter or JoJo level as far as well wrought adaptations (of adaptations) goes---but so long as it has a better fate than the the likes of Guin Saga from awhile back then that'll do nicely.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 13:54
|
|
|
Regarding the setting and the cultures it uses for inspiration, it's likely that the Lusitanians are based on the Latin Crusaders, as opposed to the Byzantine Empire. In the manga, it's mentioned that Maryam, Pars's ally, also follows the cult of Yaldabaoth. However, they follow a different branch of the cult, so the Lusitanians view them as heretics. The eastern civilizations certainly viewed the Crusaders as barbaric religious fanatics (with some justification), much as the Parsians view the Lusitanians. Arslan Senki doesn't look like it's going to draw heavily on the Crusades and the craziness it unleashed, but it's still an interesting note. Something else worth pointing out: the Sage-king Jamshid and Kay Khosrow that the Parsian generals invoke are characters from one of the most famous Persian epics, the Shahnamah. Jamshid is the fourth and greatest of the primordial kings, who brings civilization to the world. Kay Khosrow is part of the mythological dynasty that takes up most of the first half of the poem. I hope you folks don't mind me sperging over these minor details here, but I've got a soft spot for Persian culture, so it's a delight to find a show where the creators did their research. Arlsan Senki combines pretty much everything I like into one big bundle and I am all kinds of pumped for this show. Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Apr 17, 2015 |
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 16:52
|
|
|
I think Maryam is supposed to be Armenia.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 17:01
|
|
|
Spergin about history is totally cool in this thread and actively encouraged, in fact.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 17:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 01:59 |
|
|
What day of the week does this come out?
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2015 20:55
|
|