Fantasy genre

[Memphis]

Hola. I normally tend to stick with anime with mainly action, but I've sort of branched out here and there trying to get into some of the other genres. First one being fantasy.

Scrapped Princess is on-demand, and I've been watching it. Title alone I normally stay away from things such as this because it has something to do with magical girls or romance. (Sailor Moon type... Nothing against and no offense , I'm just not into them.) But this one hit me off guard. I'm up to episode 9, and I've been enjoying it.

Another reason I've been enjoying it is because it reminds me of Tales of Symphonia.. sorta. (Haven't really played much of it, 11-13 hours of it. The story seemed similar) I've also been playing Tales of the Abyss which also sparked the interest for the Fantasy genre.

I haven't had the chance to check out Tales of the Abyss just yet, although, I've seen about 10-15 minutes of the first episode.

I don't know if it counts as a fantasy anime (I count it as shonen[sp?]), but I've seen Fullmetal Alchemist.

So yeah, I'm looking for anime in the fantasy department. A plus if the anime is loaded with action. I feel deprived seeing that it's little action in Scrapped Princess.

[choujin1]

It's a bit older, but Record of Lodoss War is fantasy in a Dungeons & Dragons way.

I haven't watched it yet, but I'm sure you'll get plenty of recommendations for Berserk. Same goes for Twelve Kingdoms.

Have you tried Escaflowne yet? That's an action-fantasy with some mecha thrown in for fun.

[Senna]

Escaflowne is definitely good (don't let the female main character throw you off; there's plenty of other stuff to draw you in), especially if you're enjoying Scrapped Princess -- I count those as two of my very favorite anime.

12 Kingdoms is also another good one. Again we have a female character, but this isn't Fushigi Yuugi -- Youko learns to kick some serious butt, and meanwhile develops from a milksop into a wonderful character.

I've only seen half of Berserk (I definitely need to remedy that ...), but it's said to be about the best dark action/fantasy you can get.

Last Exile, Orphen, Jyu Oh Sei, and Rune Soldier are also worth looking into.

[pathos]

Actually, from his original post, I'd say Escaflowne is probably a risky choice. He might possibly like it, but I'd recommend other shows before it.

These are all the fantasy titles I can think of off the top of my head that are licensed here.

Record of Lodoss Wars Tv and Oav
Berserk
Claymore
Sorceror Hunters
Orphen
Escaflowne
Tales Of Symphonia (I think thats the one getting released this month?)
Those Who Hunt Elves

I'm probably missing quite a few, but I'm not at home to look through my collection

I really enjoyed Berserk and Claymore. Sorceror Hunters, Orphen, and Record are all decent. Haven't seen Tales yet. Escaflowne is ok. I really like some parts of Escaflowne. I'm not into the shoujo romance part of it though, which makes rewatches a bit tough.

Although Those who Hunt Elves is a fantasy title, it seems to be mostly comedy, which is hit or miss. I do consider it to have one of the funniest episodes in anime, however.

Unlicensed stuff, there is quite a bit. One recent one that was very good was Tower of Druaga, although it is unfinished. There is more to come from another season sometime soon.

edit - Utawarerumono - How did I forget this one? Definitely give this one a try.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by choujin1

It's a bit older, but Record of Lodoss War is fantasy in a Dungeons & Dragons way.

Yep. Too bad the OVA and the TV series don't quite jive together, but I'd recommend watching both.

Have you tried Escaflowne yet? That's an action-fantasy with some mecha thrown in for fun.

Yep. Good stuff there (love the idea of the mecha and fantasy mix, which is how I got into the still unlicensed Lord of Lords Ryuu Knight) thought the character designs take some getting used to (those noses...whew!).

I'd add Slayers for starters as a fun fantasy series that has some pretty good humor as well. If you like it, you can get the other two TV series as well.

[AstroNerdBoy]

Originally Posted by pathos

Although Those who Hunt Elves is a fantasy title, it seems to be mostly comedy, which is hit or miss. I do consider it to have one of the funniest episodes in anime, however.

From Those Who Hunt Elves 2 per chance (and from whence my avatar originates)?

[pathos]

Originally Posted by AstroNerdBoy

From Those Who Hunt Elves 2 per chance (and from whence my avatar originates)?

Bingo

[lesterf1020]

I would also recommend Utawarerumono if you liked scrapped princess but you wanted more action.

[Memphis]

While I'm at it, what's the difference between fantasy and adventure anime? I always thought they were one in the same. If there's really a difference, feel free to toss in some of those as well.

Senna: I forgot about Last Exile, although I didn't know what that would be categorized as. I've seen it, liked it, but I didn't know what was going on.

Turns out that people are labeling Inuyasha as a fantasy type as well, so I saw that, too.

[choujin1]

When I think of "fantasy" I always think of swords 'n sorcery stuff. So, I'd illustrate the difference between fantasy and adventure as the difference between Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones. There's plenty of room for overlap, though.