Deltora Quest (TV series)
A quest to restore the Belt of Deltora and defeat the Shadow Lord.
Deltora Quest is a Japanese anime television series based on the children's book series of the same name by Australian author Emily Rodda. It aired for 65 episodes on TV Aichi from January 2007 to March 2008.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Adventure, fantasy
Facts from the source article.
Story
The Shadow Lord, an evil sorcerer from the Shadowlands, has conquered Deltora by destroying the magical Belt of Deltora and scattering its seven gems. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief, son of blacksmith Jarred and his wife Anna, receives the repaired Belt and learns that his father was the best friend of former king Endon and helped him escape when the Shadow Lord took over. Accompanied by Barda, a former palace guard, and given a map showing where the gems are believed to be, Lief sets out to restore them. Their first destination is the Forests of Silence. After meeting Jasmine, whose parents were taken by the Shadow Lord's soldiers when she was seven, they find the Topaz. They continue to the Lake of Tears, with Jasmine joining them after encouragement from her deceased mother's spirit. Along the way they meet Manus, who helps them defeat two of the sorceress Thaegan's thirteen children. After discovering a resistance against the Shadow Lord, they reach the Lake and persuade the guardian Soldeen to give them the Ruby. They are forced to fight Thaegan, who dies when Jasmine's raven Kree cuts her finger, restoring the Lake to its former appearance, Soldeen and other creatures to human forms, and the voices of Manus and his people.
Characters
Lief is the son of a blacksmith living in the rundown city of Del. Described by Barda as a young hot-head, he spends his time roaming the streets. On his sixteenth birthday he leaves Del on his father's quest to find the missing gems and the heir destined to wear the Belt. Lief grows in bravery, strength, wisdom, and patience. He competes in a contest where his special skill is speed. He shows romantic interest in Jasmine and occasionally considers giving up the quest but continues for the sake of his friends. Barda initially appears as a poor beggar but is revealed to be a skilled swordsman and ex-palace guard who becomes Lief's protector. He is about the same age as Lief's parents and is the son of Min, the childhood nurse of Endon and Jarred who was killed by Prandine. Barda competes in a contest where his special skill is strength. He is always strong-hearted, never gives up hope, and is a gentle giant.
Production
The Japanese anime adaptation of Deltora Quest was brought to life by production company Genco, with animation handled by OLM and SKY Perfect Well Think. Author Emily Rodda had received numerous film proposals, but only this studio agreed to keep her story intact. The show premiered in Japan on January 6, 2007. Mitsuru Hongō served as director, with character and creature designs by Hiroyuki Nishimura and Junya Ishigaki. The writing team included Oketani Arawa, Reiko Yoshida, and Natsuko Takahashi. Kow Otani provided the original score, though the English version replaced it with new music. Most of the animation is traditional, but the Guardians were rendered using CGI. Geneon originally acquired North American rights as one of its final projects, but folded before releasing anything. Dentsu’s newly formed North American branch later rescued the series, partnering with Ocean Productions and recording at Blue Water Studios in Calgary. John Mitchell and Tom Keenlyside of Anitunes Music Inc. composed and produced the English soundtrack. Strong popularity in Japan led to an expansion from 52 to 65 episodes, incorporating material not found in the novels. The English dub, however, restored the original book ending and omitted those 13 extra episodes. A complete DVD boxset from Cinedigm arrived on May 13, 2014.
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