Legend of the Legendary Heroes Rating: 3 (of 5)
Review: Really, a character named Lieutenant Milk? Who thought that was a good idea?
Occasional ridiculous names aside, Legend of the Legendary Heroes is a light novel series adaptation which has a similar feel to fantasy RPG-based series. (There is apparently an associated PSP game released earlier this year, but that is a parallel development.) It seems intent on laying out a grand scale to its story, as its first episode establishes two distinct but somewhat related plot threads which are filled with potential intrigue, idealism, magic, bishonen and bishojo, and even occasional bouts of silliness.
In the series’ setting, demon lords supposedly once ravaged the lands but were, in time, beaten down by equally mythical “legendary heroes.” In one of the established plot threads, the prospective wizard Ryner Lute, who possesses the singular magical analysis ability Alpha Sigma, is on a quest to finds relics of those heroes of bygone eras, with beautiful, no-nonsense, dumpling-obsessed swordswoman Ferris along as his bodyguard. Naturally the two run into both magical and mundane trouble, including the aforementioned Lieutenant Milk and her Taboo-Breaker Pursuit Squadron. (That Milk is incompetent and surrounded by bishonen subordinates is apparently supposed to be a joke.) Meanwhile, back in Ryner's home country of Rolan, young Hero King Sion Astal is working fervently to reform his kingdom into a more idealistic place after taking it over a couple of years prior, but despite the enthusiastic support of his underlings a long struggle against the power of the country's nobles looks to be in the making.
Legend clearly wants to be the kind of series which can smoothly transition between action, intrigue, and goofiness while developing a good deal of depth along the way, but as of the end of the first episode that balance still needs some work. There is potential here, as the foundations for some good storylines are present and there are pretty characters for both the ladies and the guys, but at this point it is difficult to take the series as seriously as it wants to be taken. The art and animation, courtesy of ZEXCS, is nothing special, and the music does not impress either.
This one could end up being good, but right now it's just average fare overall.
Legend of the Legendary Heroes is available streaming at Funimation.com.
