Orphen

About Orphen

If you are hunting for a new action series, Orphen (魔術士オーフェン) deserves a look (1998). The setup goes like this. In short: Six years ago at the magic school known as the Tower of Fang, a grave accident happened involving the magical sword Baltanders and the magic user Azali. Unable to control the sword's strength, Azali was transformed into the shape of a great dragon who since that day became known as Bloody August.

Next up: Krilancelo, a young magician at the Tower who cared greatly for Azali found much to his disgust that the elders of the Tower of Fang were less than willing to save Azali and wanted rather to pretend the accident never happened. Angered by their stand, Krilanceloa swore that he would find a way to return Azali to her former self. Thus he forsook the name Krilancelo and declared himself Orphen, leaving the Tower and his magical studies behind to wander the world...

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Volkan (Kazue Ikura) and Dortin (Hekiru Shiina) are two of the characters you will meet early. Think of it as a pick for viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. At 24 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

J.C.STAFF is the studio behind Orphen, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.7/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. On the casting side, Kazue Ikura voicing Volkan gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 1998, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.