Lord Marksman and Vanadis Review (Anime)
Lord Marksman and Vanadis stood out to me amongst Anime Limited’s releases as it is, by far, the title of theirs with the heaviest fan-service. It is more than just stunning visuals, though!
The first episode goes to show how great the anime looks, and that it’s packing plenty of good laughs and action. There are obviously some harem tendencies here but it’s a breath of fresh air that the energetic Eleonora is so forward about it, telling the light-hearted and determined Tigre that she wants him from episode one after he impresses her with his archery skills, and in helping to stop an assassination attempt on her. Lord Marksman and Vanadis follows the capture of Lord Tigre of Brune (with his full name being Tigrevurmud Vorn), as he’s captured by an enemy army and held in the kingdom of Zhcted, a country ruled by the gorgeous War Maidens known as Vanadis. The cast is likeable and the story plods along nicely and, whilst it won’t blow you away in any aspect, it’s a fun ride whilst it lasts and did enough to keep me entertained.
Satelight have undeniably animated a beautiful show here with character design I’m fond of and although there’s plenty of fan-service here, I didn’t find it annoying me – it can be pretty ‘in your face’ but it’s far from the focus of the show. The bright colours, lush environments and highly expressive characters made this an easy watch, although the gleam effect used on characters, particularly the ladies’ breasts, is an effect I think I’ll always find a bit odd – I understand it’s supposed to look shiny, and it does, but sometimes it just looks downright strange and sometimes overdone.
There is more than a little CGI in Lord Marksman and Vanadis with most of it being used during the big battle scenes. Much of the series’ events are narrated and, during battle, there’s an overlay featuring battle plans that replace the characters with CGI chess pieces that move across the board before they switch back to the 2D action. This is a great method of showcasing the strategies and plans that go into the battles, especially as the numbers of soldiers on the battlefield tend to reach into the several hundreds, and so it’s an easy way to keep on top of things without being lost – admittedly, I don’t think it would be hard to understand even without the CGI chess pieces, but they add to the authenticity of it and I like that.
It’s not an Anime Limited release without the choice of English or Japanese voice-overs, is it? Fortunately, Lord Marksman and Vanadis doesn’t change that and so I found myself watching it in English and thoroughly enjoying it. No one is going to debate that Lord Marksman and Vanadis is a hugely popular anime, but it’s nice that a few more notable names were brought into the casting and that the English dub is overall excellent. I particularly liked the three most prominent characters – Tigre, Eleonora and Limalisha – voice talent who are Joel McDonald, Caitlin Glass and Alex Moore respectively. The music, OP and ED aren’t exactly memorable but aren’t displeasant to listen to either, and didn’t do too much to either enhance or hamper the experience.
Lord Marksman and Vanadis isn’t a series that’ll blow anybody away, but it’s an enjoyable 13-episode romp with some solid action, clean and colourful visuals and humour which hits more often than it misses, making it a recommendation if you’re fond of anime heavy on fan-service with some lighter harem tendencies. It won’t be for everyone and doesn’t stand among Anime Limited’s greatest releases, but it’s not a release that pulls their library down either. Lord Marksman and Vanadis is worth a watch, and I’d like a second season to happen considering there’s more than enough source material for it.
- Super Mario Odyssey Celebrates its One Year Anniversary - October 28, 2018
- Dragon Ball Z KAI Final Chapters Review (Anime) - October 28, 2018
- Resident Evil 2 Remake Gets a Steelbook Edition in Europe - October 24, 2018
