Review of "Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King": The revival of the legend and its appeal

"Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King": A tale of wind and legends

"Legends: The Dragon King Resurrected" is a TV anime series that aired from 2004 to 2005, and is based on a toy created by Kenji Watanabe. It aired on Fuji TV every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:00 from April 4, 2004 to March 27, 2005, with a total of 50 episodes. This anime tells the epic story of ancient monsters, "Legends," who are resurrected in the present day.

story

The story begins when the "Legends", monsters that flourished in ancient times, are discovered in the 21st century as crystals (Soul Dolls). The story is set in New York. On the way home after a dramatic strikeout at a baseball game, the protagonist Shu (Shuzo Matsutani) receives a toy called a "Talispod" from his father. The Talispod is a device that allows children to raise the virtual monsters Legends, which are all the rage among children, and project them in 3D images. However, the Talispod that Shu got his hands on was special, as it had the power to revive real Legends, not 3D images.

Shu is pursued by the evil toy company DWC (Dark Wiz Company). DWC also has a talispod that can revive the Legends, and corners Shu. A soul doll resides in Shu's talispod, and Shiron, the legendary strongest Legend "Windragon", is revived and defeats the DWC goblin. It becomes clear that Shu has a deep connection with the Legends, and his destiny begins to move.

character

There are many unique characters in "Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King". The main characters are introduced below.

Shillong

He is a Wind Dragon and a Legend of the Wind. He has overwhelming strength and is said to be the one who will "ignite the Legends War." When he is reborn, he gives off a scary vibe, but normally he has a cute hamster-like appearance. He is voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue.

Shu

An 11-year-old boy from the Kaze Saga. He is not good at thinking deeply about things, and is destined to fight alongside the Legends to protect the Earth, but he is unaware of this. He has a carefree and happy-go-lucky personality. His voice actor is Akemi Okamura.

Meg

In the Water Saga, she is an 11-year-old girl. She is Shu's classmate and childhood friend. She often makes jokes about Shu, and she loves photography so she always carries a camera with her. Her voice actor is Megumi Nasu.

Mac

An 11-year-old boy from the Earth Saga. He is Shu's classmate and childhood friend. He loves hamburgers and eats them all the time. He has a generous and calm personality, and is a good friend of Shu's. His voice actor is Suzuki Masahito.

Dino

An 11-year-old boy from the Fire Saga. He is a cool genius boy who excels at everything from studying to sports to music. He is a rich boy who lives in a big mansion, and has closed his heart since his mother left home, but he begins to open up to Greedo and Mac. His voice actor is Omi Minami.

Haruka

A 25-year-old part-time teacher who works at the school where Shu and his friends go. He loves Legends and is a Legends otaku who will drop everything for Legends. He was influenced by his father, an archaeologist. His voice actor is Yuriko Fuchizaki.

B.B.

He is an employee of DWC, and although he is not a Saga, he can reborn real Legends. He tries to steal Shu's Talispod, but often fails as he is blown away by Shiron. His voice actor is Yuri Amano.

J1 and J2

They are BB's subordinates, a pair with the same name but complete strangers. They are dressed in all black, and are sad office workers who obey orders without question. J1 is voiced by Hidefumi Takemoto, and J2 is voiced by Tsuyoshi Maeda.

Yuru

He is the CEO of DWC and studied the Legends as an archaeologist, but after summoning Ranshine, he learned the horror of the Legends and began to hate them. His voice actor is Masashi Ehara.

Rad

She is Haruka's mother and Yuru's wife. She witnessed the Ranshine that Yuru summoned 10 years ago and became possessed by the Jabberwock crystal. Her voice actor is Junko Iwao.

Sasuke

Shu's father, he works at DWC as a toy developer. Sasuke was also the one who created the toy version of the Talispod. He has a laid-back personality and doesn't pay attention to small details. His voice actor is Hiroyuki Sawada.

Bruno

Dino's father, he is the president of Duck Mind Company. He made a lot of money by selling cheap knockoffs of popular products, and became very wealthy. Although he showed affection for Dino, the father and son had different feelings for each other. He is voiced by Koji Ishii.

Greedo

A Blaze Dragon and a Legend of Fire. A nihilistic Legend covered in fire, he is said to be Windragon's greatest rival. He has been best friends with Garion since ancient times. His voice actor is Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi.

Hen

He is Bigfoot and a legend of water. He is strong, has a large body and a scary face, but he has a pure and kind heart and a strong love for Meg. His voice actor is Ayaka Saito.

Garion

A griffin and an earth legend. He is a special being among the four great legends, and is respected by the other legends for his strength, nobility, and intelligence. He is proud and somewhat of a clean freak, and loves nature and feels disgust towards people who destroy it. His voice actor is Mika Doi.

Wolfie

A werewolf and an Earth Legend. A Legend who is skilled in swordsmanship, he is a member of GW Nicole. He is reborn as a DWC assassin by BB, reunites with Greedo, and is living in Dino's house. His voice actor is Yuto Nakano.

Leon

A manticore and a member of the Wind Legends. A member of GW Nicole, he has a scary face but a kind heart and is a bit of a goofball. He's a bit of a goofball, and Wolfie and Greedo often make fun of him. His voice actor is Tsuyoshi Maeda.

staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King". The main staff members are introduced below.

original work

Kenji Watanabe (With)

director

Heitaro Daichi

Series Director

Katsumi Ono

Series Concept

Hiroshi Nagahama

Character Design

Miyazaki Nagisa

Character Design

Kazuyuki Kobayashi

Chief animation director

Nam Jong Sik

Art Director

Shichiro Kobayashi, Jiro Kono

Background Director

Lee Hoey Youn

Color design

Masato Yokoi and Eiko Nishi

edit

Akio Nakagawa and Masafumi Ino

Director of Photography

Kim Kang, Ohk

Sound Director

Kazuya Tanaka

music

Jun Abe and Seiji Muto

Arrangement

David Matthews

Performance

David Matthews & His Orchestra

CG cooperation

G-PLUS, Synergy Japan

Project Director

Tetsuyo Yaruzaki

Project Assistant

Shinichi Nakahara

producer

Hideki Kunugiyama, Kim Young Doo, Akio Wakana, and Shigeo Sugimura

Animation Production

Gallop

Production Cooperation

DONGWOO ANIMATION

Production

Fuji TV, With

episode

"Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King" is a series of 50 episodes, each with a unique title. Below is the episode list:

• Episode 1: I was calling the wind ~CALLING IN THE WIND~ (2004/04/04)
• Episode 2: A DRAFT THROUGH MY HEAD (2004/04/11)
• Episode 3: Attacked by a crab ~ATTACK OF THE KILLER CRAB~ (2004/04/18)
• Episode 4: Crocodiles are crocodiles and crocodiles ~CROCODILE, WAIT A WHILE~ (2004/04/25)
• Episode 5: A Bird's Love is Heart-Pounding! ~A BIRD'S LOVE POTION~ (2004/05/02)
• Episode 6: Once you sneak in, you can go anywhere ~ENTER THE GOBLIN~ (2004/05/09)
• Episode 7: My Baby Baby All Over Again ~The Name of My Rose~ (2004/05/16)
• Episode 8: It's hot, it's hot, it's hot ~SOME LIKE IT FIERY~ (2004/05/23)
• Episode 9: Catty Professor (2004/05/30)
• Episode 10: It's a long story - LONG LONG TIME COMING (2004/06/06)
• Episode 11: Eating sushi is the ultimate, yay yay! ~And there we are no more sushi!~ (2004/06/13)
• Episode 12: Takotakohama is in big trouble ~OCTOPUS STRIKES BACK~ (2004/06/20)
• Episode 13: The Earth's Scream Was Heared ~THE GLOBE'S UNEARTHLY SHRIEKS~ (2004/06/27)
• Episode 14: Why and how is this happening!? ~STRANGERS IN THE SIGHT~ (2004/07/04)
• Episode 15: The Wind Knew the Answer - WHEN THE WIND BLOWS... (2004/07/11)
• Episode 16: What a Father! ~Everything You Wanted to Know About Dad You Never Ask~ (2004/07/18)
• Episode 17: The Gears of Calamity ~LOVE ME OR BELIEVE ME~ (2004/08/01)
• Episode 18: Zombies Galore - WHO'S AFRAID OF SLIMY SPECTER? (2004/08/08)
• Episode 19: After the Night, It Was Morning ~THE SUN ALSO RISES, AFTER ALL~ (2004/08/15)
• Episode 20: The First and Last Date ~TAKE ME OUT TO THE SKY~ (2004/08/22)
• Episode 21: Mice and Bridge, Over Troubled Water (2004/08/29)
• Episode 22: G and W Nicole Chubon ~ALONE AGAIN, UNNATURALLY~ (2004/09/05)
• Episode 23: The Night Sky I Looked Up At With You ~WHEN YOU WISH UPON A SPARK~ (2004/09/12)
• Episode 24: Uhiho, I Did It! Talisdam ~Mr. Sparks Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Beast~ (2004/09/19)
• Episode 25: An old saga emerges ~IT'S BEEN A LONG, LONG TIME, BUDDY.~ (2004/09/26)
• Episode 26: Feelings Everywhere in the Square ~CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE IN SQUARE~ (2004/10/03)
• Episode 27: Finally, I've come this far - MY BIG FOOT GEEK WELDING (2004/10/10)
• Episode 28: Once Upon a Time in the Wind (2004/10/17)
• Episode 29: Sing with Zujere Legends Club ~A SONG IS BORN IN THE CLUB~ (2004/10/24)
• Episode 30: The Love Song that Changed History ~Until It's Time for Him to Go~ (2004/10/31)
• Episode 31: Chased and Thrown Away ~CHASERS, RUNNERS, FLIERS~ (2004/11/07)
• Episode 32: Youth, Passion, Serenade ~STAND TALL BY ME~ (2004/11/14)
• Episode 33: Garion Garilre Garlic ~YET THERE STILL IS THE BLUE PLANET~ (2004/11/21)
• Episode 34: Three Cows Came! - THREE GROUND BULLS - (2004/11/28)
• Episode 35: The CEO Surprised at the End! ~When the Boss Goes Marching In~ (2004/12/05)
• Episode 36: Dad, You Are Great ~DAD ON THE RUN~ (2004/12/12)
• Episode 37: Who's Responsible for Painting the Sky? (2004/12/19)
• Episode 38: The Wind Stood Still - CROUCHING LEADER, HIDDEN DRAGON (2004/12/26)
• Episode 39: The Way She WAS (2005/01/09)
• Episode 40: Burning into Shiron ~WHEN THE WIND STOP BLOWING~ (2005/01/16)
• Episode 41: The wind has vanished from the town ~TOWN OF NO WIND~ (2005/01/23)
• Episode 42: Wind, Blow on Me! ~RETURN OF WIND-MAKER~ (2005/01/30)
• Episode 43: Who Wants to Stop the Unstoppable? (2005/02/06)
• Episode 44: Meanwhile, Our Journey ~MEANWHILE...ADVENTURE OF FIRED BROTHERS~ (2005/02/13)
• Episode 45: Swimming, flying, turning...huh? ~SPLASH, FLIT, TURN AND GO!~ (2005/02/20)
• Episode 46: Left Behind? Fall In! (2005/02/27)
• Episode 47: The Legends War is Over ~THE LEGENDARY, LONGEST DAY~ (2005/03/06)
• Episode 48: Don't go back the way you came ~SO IT WASN'T POINT OF NO RETURN!~ (2005/03/13)
• Episode 49: Let's get Hikari to comment! ~HOLY COW! GOIN' GOIN' GONE!~ (2005/03/20)
• Episode 50: Gone with the Wind ~FORGOTTEN BUT NOT TOTALLY GONE~ (2005/03/27)

Theme songs and music

The theme songs and insert songs of "Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King" were also attractive and captured the hearts of viewers. Below are the theme songs and insert songs.

Opening Theme

Legends of the Wind

• Lyricist: Heitaro Daichi
• Composer: Michihiko Ota
• Arrangement: Michihiko Ota
• Sung by: KYOKO

Ending Theme

"It just won't stop - nonstop"

• Lyricist: Yu Aku
• Composer: Shunichi Tokura
• Arrangement: Seiji Muto
• Sung by: Brenda Vaughn (ED1), Linda Yamamoto (ED2)

"Sky-blue Fingertips"

• Lyricist: Yurie Kokubu
• Composer: Masaki Iwamoto
• Arrangement: Masaki Iwamoto
• Vocals: Yurie Kokubu (ED3, IN1)

Ratings and Recommendations

"Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King" is not only an anime for children, but can also be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups. The story unfolds quickly, and new legends appear in each episode, so viewers will not get bored. The characters are also very unique, and Shu's growth and friendship with Shiron are particularly moving.

The animation quality is also high, and the designs of the legends and the battle scenes are particularly impressive. The music is also impressive, with the theme song and insert songs adding excitement to the story. Furthermore, the themes depicted in the story, such as friendship, family ties, courage and responsibility, deeply move viewers.

This work has a unique worldview that combines the fantasy element of Legends with the realistic setting of modern-day New York. The Legends battles that children love and the adventures of Shu and his friends have the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the conflict with the evil organization DWC and the process of uncovering the secrets of the Legends are also interesting, adding depth to the story.

The recommended points are as follows:

• A unique worldview that combines fantasy and reality
• Unique characters and their growth
• A fast-paced story that never gets boring
• High quality animation and music
• Themes such as friendship, family ties, courage and responsibility

"Legends: The Legend of the Dragon King" is an entertainment piece that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and is especially recommended for those who like fantasy anime and stories that depict the growth of characters. Please give it a watch.