Neo Heroic Fantasia Arion

About Neo Heroic Fantasia Arion

Here is what Neo Heroic Fantasia Arion (ネオ・ヒロイック・ファンタジア アリオン) is about, retold in plain terms: an action, adventure and fantasy anime by Sunrise (1986). In short: In a far-flung time when Gods and Men walk the earth together, the child Arion plays in the rolling hills of Thrace. His mother Demeter is troubled by both a curse - blindness - and by the concealed of Arion's birth.

Further in, an enigmatic stranger spirits Arion away, and seeks to shape the growing young man into an assassin, a hidden weapon to tilt the balance of the war between Zeus and Poseidon. Arion won't be manipulated easily, nor will he submit quietly to the hands of adversaries like the tenacious Ares, the intelligent and fierce Athena, or the elegant and scheming Apollo. Only his tremendous strength, a forgotten weapon forged by Prometheus, and the love and loyalty of his allies can carry Arion forward.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Voice work is led by Miki Takahashi as Lesphina and Shigeru Nakahara as Arion. If you count yourself among viewers who like fast, high-impact fights, put it on your list. With 1 episodes in total, there is enough room for the story to develop.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with Sunrise, which means the visual identity of Neo Heroic Fantasia Arion follows that studio's craft. Within the action category, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.2/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. On the casting side, Miki Takahashi voicing Lesphina gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 1986, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.