Dungeons & Dragons: Part 1/2 - Classic Cartoon Review
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
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Jonathan French's novels can be purchased here! www.amazon.com/...
RetroBlasting is back with a new feature review on the classic 80s cartoon, Dungeons & Dragons!
#RetroBlasting #Dungeons&Dragons
The cartoon is bloody amazing
One of the greatest telly shows ever. They dealt with rather grown up issues
Don't forget Dragonlance the movie which takes place in Krynn at the same time.
Agreed, it holds up well
I want a new series.
Tell me you're Aussie without telling me you're Aussie
I have a theory... The DM is a sadist. He has teleported people to this place many, many times before. The unicorn is a character forced on every party the DM bring there. This is why the Unicorn freaks out every time it sees him, even senses him. I think it maybe so traumatized by the experiences it''s had that it no longer can speak. Its noted later on in the series that there WERE actual people in that setting who are stuck there forever from previously being pulled in to that setting by the DM. In the end, the DM is a literal god, who amuses himself with the torture and eventual enslavement of teens and kids being stuck in his pocket dimension, forced to live out the roles he assigns them.
Edit: Unicorns have "Detect Evil." Just sayin'.
Well you're wrong, if you bothered to pay attention at all to anything in the show you'd realize what is going on. But apparently, trying to paint DM as evil for a cheap gag is all the rage.
Guy says you are wrong, yet he provides no evidence to support his statement...
I've looked askance at the Dungeon Master a few times. Having GM'ed games myself, I know that if you aren't following an adventure written by someone else, you have to become a master villain. You have to craft, on a weekly basis, an adventure that your players can _almost_ fail at surviving every time.
Your post reminds me a little of something Chris Claremont said about Professor X. It alluded to the original ending planned for X-Men 138, had Jean survived the Dark Phoenix storyline, as originally intended. She and Scott were to leave the team, and there would have been a scene where Xavier tearfully begs them to stay, but they don't. Wolverine witnesses the scene, and when they were gone, he was going to say, "Hey, Charley, you know the only difference between you and Magneto?"
"What, Wolverine?"
" *He* can walk."
Xavier was going to have a moment where he realizes Wolverine may have a point. Xavier was a man who took children from their parents _while charging their parents _*_huge_*_ amounts of money,_ and regularly put these children in life-threatening situations while indoctrinating them to his point of view. And he did all of this under false pretenses because he believed the end justified the means. One can legitimately question the morality of such a man. The same might be said of Dungeon Master.
If you've seen the final episode that never aired "requiem" you'd see that DM is Vengers father, yes people were in the realm against they're will. Prisoners of Venger, in the final episode when they Save Venger vs. Destroy him the kids get to finally go home, nice throw back to the Merlin episode when Presto decides to stay in the realm as Vengers apprentice, "Merlin did promise to make me a better magician." I'd love to see a sequel cartoon were the group decides to revisit the realm.
Hmm good theory ,never saw that but I will recheck
I read in an interview Mark Eveniar that Eric was created as a sort of compromise between parent watchdog groups, as they felt that kids needed to be taught that "The group is always right; the complainer is always wrong" and that kids should learn to go along with the majority group even when they disagree, something that the creators themselves completely disagreed with but hey thats censorship for ya.
Eric is a Paladin with a Shield of protection from Evil. There fore Eric takes NO damage.
Eric was my spirit animal. ;)
source?
@@CarlosArmstrong-mg7vj I don't remember exactly where but I saw it in an interview, google Eric and DnD behind the scenes I'm sure you'll find something you look long enough.
I always assumed that Venger rides a "Nightmare" which if you played the game, is a demon horse who flies without wings, and I also assumed that Venger's actual wings were just for decoration, much like some demons whos wings are non functionable.
Also the unproduced Series finale "requiem" is on UA-cam now.
Quest of the undead knight, was my favorite.
MTG has a Nightmare as well
I was in the Army when this show came out, and I thought it was one of, if not the, best Saturday morning cartoons ever produced in my lifetime, simply because it didn't treat the audience like children. I agree with pretty much everything you guys said about the show. When they turned on Dungeon Master and rejected his quest, I felt like I'd seen something in a cartoon that I had been waiting for all my life. It was breaking away from the "formula." Few moments in cartoons throughout the 70s and 80s even came close to that. Maybe the deaths of Roy and Ben on Robotech.
I did have a problem with Eric until *one line* that I wish you guys had mentioned. I don't recall the title, but I think Jack Kirby had the writing credit. The group had been offered hospitality by a wealthy sheik, and as they bunked down for the night, they shared their impressions. One of the girls comments "I like him. He reminds me of my Dad." And Eric quietly muses the line which would forever change my impression of him: "*My* Dad was never like that . . . "
Oh. My God. That one line and its delivery explained *everything* about him. He wasn't the contrarian just to be obnoxious; he needed to be "first in all things" (like Rayek of ElfQuest) because he felt neglected and ignored by a father whose attention and approval he desperately craved. At this point, it was second nature to him to try to draw the limelight to himself. And by the way, this made me look at his swordlessness differently. There's a metaphor for incompleteness in what is essentially a knight possessing only an item of *defense,* without an item of offensive combat. A sort of subtle impotence about the character who we learn feels impotent in this key relationship.
And finally, this show is quite an example of what I have been saying about everything from Doctor Who to the new Ghostbusters to Wonder Woman. It doesn't MATTER if the character is a female. You put her in because she's a good CHARACTER, and allow us to enjoy her for the very same reason. You don't have to do something to make a point. Often, the point will be made better from the lack of trying.
@John Griffith Oh, my goodness! I remember when you couldn't swing a cat without hitting a fan! My *first* exposure was "Homespun," in Epic Illustrated #1, but I really took my first look at the comic proper in December of 81, right after the first 5-issue color reprint came out. Never missed an issue until well after the tribe split. Found myself in an elevator with Wendy in either '82 or '83, and she told me that I looked like her idea of Rayek. Back then, "cosplay" was not only not taken seriously, but it wasn't even a *word* yet, so my bright idea to get a Cutter to act out the Trial of Hand at a con never went anywhere. Joined the Green Valley Holt (official holt listed in the Lodestone) during college. I'm lucky enough to have scored hardbound copies of both the novelization of 1 - 5 and the first volume of Blood of Ten Chiefs. And I really really hated the fact that the Two-Spear storyline ended with a cliffhanger, because *that was the best one!* ElfQuest was the BEST.
Hey, remember that issue of Fantastic Four where Juliette D'Angelo was rehearsing a scene from EQ? :)
Shade and sweet water to you, man!
WakenerOne extremely insightful and an incredible comment.
The episode was "City at the Edge of Midnight" and the character was called Ramu. It was one of the few times Eric actually wanted to stay in the Realm. The other was "The Garden of Zinn" where an evil queen tried to convince him to marry her.
The Greatest Lesson this show teaches is that "The ends do not justify the means". Excellent Series!
For me, the end title music is the tonal personification of the beauty and finite nature of childhood. The fluttered harp, the sweeping melody, the crescendo and punctuation of horns - it never fails to move me whenever I hear it. A superb and entertaining cartoon series. Great work with the review, it was a deserving and affectionate tribute.
Oh wow, I never thought I'd read a comment from someone who describes that ending theme so beautifully! Any time I hear it, I'm just...I dunno...taken away. There's something about it that touches me in words I can't describe.
The end music in episode is sad
Yes. 80s & earlu 90s cartoons were known for their music --- especially theme songs --- for being of such high quality that they sound like they came off a chart-topping album!! They were the ORIGINAL Kids Bop tunes!! Or should have been!! I remember most of them, music AND lyrics to this day!!
Totally agree. It's a beautiful tune that, for me, is a massively integral part of the show. I couldn't imagine turning off the episode or skipping to the next one until those end credits finish!
I can't believe none of you understand why Eric doesn't have a sword. Only a shield.
Eric is always on the verbal , psychological offensive. Eric is selfish and sometimes cruel. He lacks empathy most of the time.
The shield is his lesson. He needs to learn , by being forced, to take care and sheild the group. To protect.
To give him a sword would only allow him to become a tyrant.
Great video. This was the only video i found about this show in UA-cam. I live in Brazil and the popularity of this show is HUGE. To this day people of differente generations still discuss plot points of the story and world of the cartoon. My brother who is 40 years old and watched it on the 80's when was first aired here and young kids in their 20's all love the show and from time to time talk about it. Every time is reprised in TV the audience of the channel goes through the roof. I was actually surprised to know that in the US it wasn't popular.
My favorite character was Eric. When i was a kid i liked him because he was a knight (although the lack of a sword bugged me too), as i grew up i started to like him because he was the most realistic character. He was the one who got angry, frustrated, sad, made mistakes, called the bullshit of Dungeon Master, but always cared for everyone. His evolution and growing maturity was the most evident on the show, in my opinion.
Check out projareds review of the series
projared has one. Yell Lyndsy Ellis to review dnd and dragonlance please.
The Renault Television commercial from Brazil has to be the most tear jerking commercial I’ve watched since Harry Carey posthumously announces the Cubs took the series. If you look up Brazilian Car Commercial Dungeons and Dragons, you might be happy that after three decades, the kids made it home.
YES!! I loved how he called "bullshit" on Dungeon Master as well. Even when I rewatched the series as an adult, I was like: "Dungeon Master --- who do you think you're fooling with your existential guilt-trip bullshit?? U SAID you were goin' to tell these kids how to get home 20 episodes ago and at the end of ea. episode, you emotionally blackmail them into making impossible decisions that no kid should have to make that ends up keeping them in this God-forsaken realm, ALL so they can serve YOUR purpose which is to help you get YOUR son --- VENGER!! (which you so "conveniently" neglected to mention til the unaired season finale) --- back to his 'good' self & make life lade-da for you again, nevermind, those kids NEVER asked to be KIDNAPPED & brought to your realm & embroiled in your family drama!!"
What stuck out to me from Dungeons & Dragons is that while the protagonists fought against evil, they didn't set out to fight it to protect a planet like with He-Man or anything like that. They were basically just a bunch of kids that were trying to get home.
Mighty Max ended up following that formula
They're two reasons why Eric never held a sword:1) Like you pointed out; due to FCC, and other groups, standards he was not allowed to wield a sword and hit people. The writers could get around this if produced a magical effect. The character Ramuud from the episode "the city at the edge of midnight" who used a scimitar sword is a perfect example of this. 2) This is a more symbolic reason. Writers love symbolism. His shield is a physical representation of his sarcastic and snobbish attitude which is a shield to protect his inner feelings of being in a unloving relationship with is father as again seen in "the city at the edge of midnight"hope this helps.
my thoughts exactly
I'm glad someone else pointed this out. Thank you. Although it's true this reveal didn't happen until Season 2, so another reason might simply be that Eric knew picking up a sword would make him a "combatant", and how many times did he ever willingly march into combat at the beginning? Eric's cowardice wasn't a perpetual one-note caricature like, say, Shaggy from Scooby Doo. His was my favorite character evolution in this show because it wasn't rushed.
I hated Eric's guts as a kid. I couldn't stand how cowardly and "stupid" he was. When I re-watched the show these many years later with the box set, I fell in love with the guy. He seemed a bit smarter than the others. Yes, he goes off on his own too much, but he tries desperately to convince the other's that he's right, and often leaves more in frustration, than in a "I hate these guys, I'm just out!" kind of thing. I don't remember if they ever did this with Eric, but I was always under the impression that if he did leave on his own and he honestly DID find a way home, he wouldn't go until he got the others to come with him. The episode where Dungeon Master gives his powers to Eric (Day of the Dungeon Master) is by far my favorite, right after Dragon's Graveyard.
I thought it was because he was a coward. Made sense to me as a kid.
Huh, nicely done. I like it when people try to see deeper meaning in a silly cartoon show, especially one that has hidden depths like D&D.
I have a theory on why Venger needs his horse while flying. I think Venger can fly on his own, but he isn't very fast. So he uses a levitation spell on his horse, and with it he can travel much faster through the air.
The 'horse' is a Nightmare. It can fly (and Nightmares are supposed to have wings). I imagine that it flies magically, rather like a Gold Dragon.
@@ColTaylorDyath
I thought nightmares didn't have wings and could fly with some sort of devil's magic.
Something about them being pegasuses that devils enslaved and part of the process involved removing the pegasus's wings.
It's a winged Night Mare.
Night Mates are horses from the lower planes (Hades) and can serve as mounts to very evil individuals....they are capable of flight.
As a long time D&D player, I LOVED THE SERIES as a kid. It was freaking AWESOME....and I miss those days. (Legitimately sheds a regretful tear...)
You're fooling no one, Michael. Your "brother" is just you from the Star Trek "Mirror Universe". .... (You guys seem cool. )
Could all most see Netflix do a new version of the D&D series, seeing how they've got Vultron on there. But that's just me.
Mrbandit81 Or at least a new finalized version dvd of REQUIEM. And a War Duke vs. Strong Heart Distrare story. 3rdly, Karoc vs. the munchkin wizard. The 1 in the jewel mine who almost got them home. Plus, The Black Knight, from SPIDER-MAN & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, Thor, also SM&HAF, Dr. Strange could pay D&D a visit. Their respective villans i.e. Loki, Mordred, The Frost Giant Queen, etc. also.
IF it's done I would love them to continue the story maybe telling Requiems story, or have an intro glossing over Requims story, and then start up with the open ending they well... open...
Go Lion*
I would love to see more episodes, but I do fear it would have flash (good animation) without the heart/soul of the original series, which would be a shame. I still take out my DVD and rewatch the whole series every few years. The show and scriipts still hold up almost 40 years since it premiere.
@@Jshaw71 I heard talk about doing something about them as adults.
My favorite Saturday morning cartoon. Heads and shoulders above any other 80's cartoons!
Peter Cullen is Best known as Optomus Prime from the Transformers, a Show in which Frank Welker is the Villain Megatron.
This used to be my favorite show when I little. Wish they can somehow reboot this show today
16.20 You keep referring to the German Luftwaffe pilot as a Nazi. Not all Germans were Nazis. Josef had given the impression that he was not a Nazi, especially when he said that he "wanted to be free of that terrible war, and the tyrant who caused it". (I presume he meant Hitler, and not Churchill).
Josef would probably be a little irked to be branded a Nazi, just because he has blond hair, blue eyes and is in the Luftwaffe, in the same way that a D&D player would be irked to be branded a devil worshipper.
To me there all nazis.
meh...we can just call him Hanz
alphatrion100 While you can make a point that the racism that carried the day in Germany in that period damned the German people
1) a lot of them Hated Hitler because they rejected what he was selling
2) Members of the German military (a professional modern military) tried to kill Hitler
3) the fact he was willing and able to have feelings for Diana marks him (as much as a show at the time could do) as more progressive then the still very racist US (who had American styled Apartheid and race based terrorists before and after WW Period and far into the Cold War) and USSR (who after the war would kill millions in race-class based purges at the command of Stalin ).
The more you know. ;)
Flash forward to 2018- "every one who disagrees is a Nazi"
ColTaylorDyath ALL Soldiers weather German Or otherwise; HAD to swear an oath to Hitler.
Every single person who fought for the Weirmecht or SS was a “Nazi” .
That being said: not all “Germans” were Nazis , now where companies that sold or worked with the Nazi government.
....nor was all soldiers for the party! But they were all nazis!
I use to work for Denny’s...I HATE Denny’s, I didn’t like or endorse Denny’s....but i was a “Denny” worker.
I never realized the pole vaulting was a trend in these cartoons. I'd add Lady Jaye to that list as well.
+Ben Penserga Good call! I knew there had to be others, but in the moment completely forgot about Lady Jaye.
+Ben Penserga
Consider that the Summer Olympics were held in LA in 1984. Then it seems not so mysterious to see pole vaulting and gymnastics abilites surfacing in D&D, Mr. T, and He-Man just before the Olympics, and GI Joe and Thundercats just after.
Jeffrey Piatt And for that my younger self was very grateful 😍
Sheila and The Baroness are my Chics.
Later on Gluko from mon colle knights. I also love Arcee.
@@Desslar The acrobat class was added to d&d in Unearthed Arcana (1985)
10:03
Captain America: Hey! Don't dis the shield, or it could fly in your face one day.
I am re watching this cause i just finished re watching the dvd set. I love the episode of the dragon's graveyard,cause you even see Hank lose his temper at Dungeon Master,and the choice he has to make at the end,may make it the standout episode of the series. I also believe in that episode DM calls Venger his son,but the show's heroes don't hear him say that.
I have seen venger as a human on youtube. venger rides a pegasus.
Always wanted an energy bow. Hank ruled :) To this day I dont understand why Saturday morning cartoons went away. Heck I was still watching them when they did lol. I never grew up.
Frank Welker was a Part of both the Scooby-Doo CAST and the D&D CAST, on Scooby-Doo he was Fred Jones, and on D&D he was Uni the Unicorn.
I have the dvd and I wouldn't change a thing in the show grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons the greatest time of my life.
I miss those times when girls were just called heroes and were apart of a squad. No pedastool, just holding their own. Equally
Don't care what other people ever comment about how long it takes you guys to release a episode but every time you release one, they are awesome, keep the quality up and I will forever keep on coming back. You guys keep reminding of how awesome my childhood was.
Hands down my favorite Saturday Morning cartoon. Honorable mentions would be Spiderman and His Amazing Friends and Thundarr the Barbarian. Just me my bro a bowl of cereal and the 1000 pound floor model TV that I had to change channels with pliers cuz the knob fell off. Good times...….Good times.
When I was a kid as I watched this show, I has hoping eventually, they'll get more weapons. Like the Eric getting a sword, or Presto getting a Magic wand that shoots magic mussels, and other offensive weapons. Something like they'll have two weapons each.
Also I was dreaming that they meet up with the characters my friends and I used for our games. :D
Thanks for giving this show the recognition it deserves.
No BS, I think that may be the best part 1/cartoon review you've ever done. You're definitely "firing on all thrusters"!
My absolute favorite Saturday morning cartoon
This was a great cartoon. Between this and the story lines of Star Blazers it made me realize there was entertainment that was engaging. As a kid I didn't know it. However this D&D cartoon was the only thing I looked forward to on a Saturday morning. Now as an adult I know why. Your episode explains it so well. Thank you.
Presto's name isn't "an annoying logic problem".
Presto was his nickname before they got stuck in the dnd world because he used to try to do card tricks and other magic tricks, which is why dungeon master gave him the magic hat. He gave all of them an item and character class that suited them. He made Diana an accrobat because she was already a gymnast and he made Bobby a barbarian because of his anger and lack of caution. Shela was a thief and got the invisibility cloak because she was shy so hiding suited her personality. Etc...
I always thought the deal with Eric (The Cavalier) only having a shield was based in the fact that his selfish, rich-kid personality was the fault he needed to work on - to become part of the team, to willingly defend those that couldn't defend themselves. To be selfless instead of selfish.
That actually makes a lot of sense.
@@nilsnyman6767 cheers 😀
This is a brilliant video. Very well done guys! This is a great video to expose new fans to Dungeons & Dragons and how cool it was to be a kid of the 80's!
I see that Broken Vader subscribes to the Timmy Jackson school of Dungeon Mastering. And way to go using the Basic D&D rules and Isle of Dread module! Those would have been the ones people were playing at the time of the cartoon, so kudos!
21:53 that’s one reason I love Spider-man and especially Spider-Man 2. Peter is CONSTANTLY screwed over by choosing to put on the red and blue suit even to the point he does give up but in the end as he sees what the world is like without Spider-Man he chooses to do the right thing. He chooses to be a hero not because it’s easy...but because it’s the right thing to do. That’s a damn powerful message especially to a child. Kids need to know that a lot of the time doing the right thing isn’t easy, in fact it can be damn hard and you may be put through hell for it but it’s still worth doing. We always have a choice and we can always choose to do the right thing. That’s what it means to be Spider-Man.
This was my favorite cartoon of all time...all I ever wanted was Hank’s bow!
I want Sheila. Sheila has nice legs.
This was my favorite Saturday morning cartoon, barely edging out Spidey and his Amazing Friends. when I was 9 or 10 I would pretend I had an energy bow at recess. So freaking cool. Eric was dumb, but I appreciated that they included a coward and jerk in the group to contrast the heroic virtues of the others.
I love this show so much. The complex storylines and twists. No cartoon was better. Eric was a breath of fresh air. He was not a conventional hero. He was real and fearful. He was meant to be defensive because we had attackers. Diana is a legend. So many great episodes and riddles thought provoking.
This is one of my all-time favorite cartoons!
You continue to have some of the most entertaining content in all of the retro youtubiverse. Bravo, keep it up!
Your channel deserve way more views
Thanks, we think so too!
Wondering how big of a change the music makes in "The Dragon's Graveyard" ...still have my original boxed set and it's worth it just for the booklet they included with D&D character sheets for all the characters (although Hank's Bow really needs it's own complete rulebook if it were show accurate).
your dnd red box dvd boxset tore a bit though. right ?
I prefer the mills creek dvd boxset. dnd is for free on youtube. with dragonlance the movie.
7:00 it’s so cool seeing his brother! Such a strong family resemblance
Great review.
As a teen I derided the cartoon, with its modern kid characters and the presence of a Dungeon Master as an in-world character. Now I've watched it as an adult and find it charming and even moving at times. Part of that is nostalgia but I also think we are presented with a decent fantasy setting in its own right, filled with tales that both entertain and explore ethical themes. It would have been cool if a few more of the action figure characters had featured in it, but you can't have everything. :)
That intro is an instant classic. So glad you guys are back down to business. Totally worth the wait.
Now i wanna Pick some of Jonathan's books up.
+william lydon Please do! www.amazon.com/Jonathan-French/e/B009TAMF5U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1449775716&sr=8-1
+Jonathan French Any writer who has THIS in their bio..
His greatest literary influences are Robert E. Howard and Lloyd Alexander.
...has my attention in SPADES!
Tex
(from the Robert E. Howard Forum at Conan.com)
+1701Tex REH is king. The Del Rey compilation books were the match that lit the black powder trail of my writing career. I had read Conan stories as a youth, but much of it was the pastiche work of de Camp and Carter. Finally getting the original, unaltered Howard just inspired me to start writing seriously. While I don't/can't claim to emulate his style, I do earnestly give his works full marks for my personal inspiration.
RB always does such top notch work. Such a joy to watch. Not only do the videos take me back to my childhood, but educate and point out to the viewers the many great details of 80s popculture that we would have never picked up as kids. Keep up the great work.
As far as the D&D cartoon goes, maybe it is just my odd point of view and making odd associations from childhood, but do these characters not have a huge resemblance to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? I swear that Eric from D&D and Edmund from Chronicle's are almost the exact character. Maybe it's a stretch, but does anyone else see it? Is it just the whole "fantasy" thing and is to be expected in this type of story theme, but D&D seemed to really borrow from that book. Either way, it was a great cartoon.
Torrey Frost D&D is actually fun lol
Dungeon master was clearly just a gnome illusionist, no matter how powerful. I bet most of the time he was never really there, he just used project image. :D
a real dm is just a guy or girl that stings at the table.
By far one of the best videos you folks have done. I was never a D&D fan but I thourghly enjoyed this. The interview with your brother was what I think makes it stand out. It's very well edited and the opening was great. "Now I am the Dungeon Master. " Keep up the great work.
I loved this cartoon as a kid. I was also an avid D&D player.
Quality not quantity! Best channel on UA-cam!!
+standepain Thanks so much! Comments like this are what keep us going!
Great show as always guys! I never played D&D and I watched the cartoon from time to time as a kid. So I really enjoyed this video and the "behind the scenes" of how this gem was created. I unfortunately didn't get into this genre as a kid so I feel like I missed out. This is why I love your videos so much because you talk about stuff that I kinda remember as a kid watching or playing with but never knew the big picture. It's almost like watching a mini documentary (for a lack of a better word) whenever I watch your videos. The production value alone is great. I enjoyed this show and it was cool seeing your brother. He really does look like you just with facial hair. (And I say that as a compliment not as an insult. I know that sometimes brothers don't like to be compared to their brothers. I know this first hand) :)
Personally, I can't see why the DM can't just give them a some magic things that would allow them to go between their world and the D&D world at will. They could go back and live their lives, and when there's a problem, the DM could use those magic macguffins to call them and bring them there to help out, then go home.
oh, and this was my absolute favorite cartoon, AND my first retro blasting! already subscribed and almost done with your videos!
+keith woodring more on the way! thanks for subbing!
@@retroblasting Tell Lyndsy Ellis to review this cartoon. I might reviewe Dnd, Dragonlance and Ranma 1/2.
This was one of my favorites. I bought it as soon as it came out in DVD. I didn’t know about the ep with the wrong music. I liked Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors.
I'm a 38yr old that loves the game and I've watched the cartoon. But I would love to see a reboot of the cartoon
This is such an excellent review of a vastly underrated animated series. One of the things that really makes me proud to be an 80s kid is that animated shows such as this one spoke to us as if we were young adults. It is almost unheard of these days to see an animated mainstream show treat kids as though they have minds. Today's stuff is so senseless and stupid compared to what we had as kids, and I am very grateful for it.
That's the way stories should be written, with no forced diversity or pushed PC. Morality should be in common with each character regardless of identity, gender, etc. You cannot be creative if you're worried about offending a miniscule amount of people. It's like trying to write a story with someone standing over your shoulder , questioning everything.
I agree with you and everyone about Diana. But I now wonder if the makers of the show purposefully made sure Diana was not the "Thief."
To any fans of the show you might want to check out your favorite online retailers like Big Bad Toy Store. There's a set of seven Animated D+D statuettes slated to come out late in 2019 of the kids and Dungeon Master in a diorama set. It's pricey, but looks great and is the newest merchandise we've seen for the series since the DD releases.
"We're pandering so much that we're raising generations of victims." Not bad at all, John.
This is doubly so in 2018 but hopefully the next new generation won't be so weak and whiney.
@@maxbrandt6 We shouldn't generalize the next generation. There is a term Ephebiphobia. The anxiety is something that is in us, our parents worried about us and their parents worried about them, all different factions played up on these fears. We should look at the things that the next generation can do and support it, not belittle them. Instead of generalizing, you parents out there, would you call your child a "victim"? I know I don't, everyday I am amazed by the clarity and emotional intelligence he has vs me at the same age.
Still great video and subscribed.
number one fault of Trumpers.
@@garygood6804 enlighten us.
@@cernstormrunner7263 can't Trumpers are too derp....
the ending to dnd is on youtube. you can search for it.
dragonlance the movie is part of dnd the cartoon. it takes place at the same time.
One of my favorites from the 80s.
Diana is the 80's version of Michonne in my opinion. She's awesome.
I'm in my 40s and I loved this show and the arcade game. I was pissed when they stoped showing the cartoon on Saturday mornings. I never played the game with cards and dice because it looked lame to me
When they put this show out on Blu-ray in a remastered format, they need to take the original audio background music from the region 2 European DVD set masters. While using both the region 1 & 2 DVD extras for an expansion of extras for the all-new Blu-ray set i reckon. Hope this comes to pass one day, either officially or by the D&D fans via "fan edits" of course!
I've got about 45 minutes of footage cleaned up from random clips throughtout the series. Stabilized scenes, dust specks removed, warped and distorted frames removed or repaired, color correction done on animation errors. Not really a remaster but a overhaul of the entire series. Not sure when I will have a full video to upload because I have to finish Requiem first.
I recorded the audio of these shows with a cassette recorder sat next to the TV speaker. In 1983 a VCR was something we could not afford so this was the next best thing for me . I listened to them so much when I watch the show now I realize that I created my own visuals for the stories only having seen them in some cases only once until it was possible to find them all over again. This was the same way for movies for me. see them once at the cinema then live in story albums and story books for years until you were able to see them again. I did not see the original Star Wars from 1977 until it came on HBO and I am not sure when that was but it was years after the fact
My favorite cartoon of all time! I thought it ahead of its time, and it was an immense inspiration for my own campaign adventures. Looking back upon it now, I do think the DungeonMaster was the most evil of them all.
I do love its soundtrack.
I kept on watching Dungeons And Dragons cartoon since I was a kid. It was aired in the Philippines on GMA7 back in the 80's every Saturday night but they replace Dragons and Dragons for another tv show
Man you guys came back hitting hard. As a kid in the 80's I also occasionally watched DD but never fully got into it. It wasn't until I was an adult and went to watch some episodes that I developed a fond appreciation for the stellar writing, it really is heads and tails about the rest. This was a fantastic video...cheers!!!
BATTLE OF THE PLANETS was my 1st exposure to mature cartoons.
In Baulders Gate 2 computer game, there are portraits in a merchants somewhere of the group, it mentions that they disappeared after going on an adventure, so I guess they did get home after all.
What a wonderful retrospective on my most favourite animated show of all time. I love the nostalgic feel of the music, the incredible artwork of the Realm and just the sheer dark theme of most of the episodes that we did get. I love how it took gambles and each episode you could watch on it's own and still be drawn in to watch them all. This is the show that I had always wished would make a wonderful feature film, just from the beginning of the kids at School, even with Jimmy Whittaker who couldn't join them because of homework (Fans will know immediately which episode I am referring to!) and enjoying their day at the theme park, then entering the realm for their first big adventure. Oh man, so much potential. Even with the special effects, this could easily be animatronic and CGI together and with the right script, even with involvement with the original cast (Some of their voices still so distinctive today, OK maybe not Teddy Field III!) and crew, this really would be epic. The goal of the kids getting back home was such an amazing journey and it still pains me that 'Requiem' didn't get greenlit by the network to wrap things up in the series. I love the fan-made production of Requiem and even adds in one or two wrap ups from some episodes, my particular favourite is 'The Last Illusion' which really emotionally caught me by surprise as I love the romantic aspects of the show. Absolutely brilliant review folks, thank you so much!!!
thanks for the info on the millscreek dvd set.
I love Sheila and Raistlin. It would be cool if Queen Mesmira was Sheila's mom.
Loved watching this Saturday mornings
Venger also looks extremely like the baddie from Time Bandits. I always thought that as a kid.
Walking while invisible is hard.
I had the original box set, and my wife sold it at yard sale a few years back for 5 bucks. One of the only cartoons I like as an adult. Actually one of the only cartoons i watched religiously back in 83.
This may not be the most well known of the 80s cartoons but it was one of my favorites. It is a shame there wasn't more episodes,as usual a great job on this video,hope we don't have a long wait for part 2.
I was glued every Saturday Morning to the D&D Animated series as a kid, but I have to admit Gargoyles although made much later is the pinnacle of Western Animation TV Series in the Fantasy Genre.
The 80’s tv show The Greatest American Hero did an episode named Wizards and Warlocks which is loosely based on D&D . And Full House star Bob Saget makes an appearance.
I watched every episode as a kid.
Did you know, a channel animated the final Requiem episode?
The openings of your dungeons and dragons videos are pure gold!
Great video, as always. When a notification comes up for Retroblasting I always watch it straight away.
(The video that is, not the notification!)
This cartoon was awesome on every level. The animation was great, the voice acting was terrific and the music in the show was very well done and set the mood of the show.
A javelin is a spear that's weighted specifically for throwing. She uses a staff, that isn't a quaterstaff. They used artistic licence a little to make it a pole for vaulting and a staff like a quarterstaff, both of which are different, but yay, cartoons.
It was absolutely one of my favorites 👍😄
When I was a kid watching this at 10:30 AM, and "The Dragons Graveyard" aired, I never understood why they didn't grab a couple better weapons when they easily could have...like the electric trident, or the whip. That is the best episode of the series regardless.
16:17 To stage an historical correction where "The Time Lost" is concerned, the simple fact of the matter is that the Luftwaffe was not a Nazi organization, and the majority of its members were not ideological fanatics.
Many African-Americans who became prisoners of war in Germany can attest to this, most notably the 32 members of the 332nd Fighter Group who became POWs, where they recounted the bitter irony of being treated with dignity and respect by their Luftwaffe captors, as opposed to the blatant discrimination they were subject to by the American military in which they served,
So, the prospect that a German WWII pilot would fall for a black woman in not startling by any stretch to anyone with a conceivable knowledge of the Second World War, but certainly perplexing to those who rely on movies and comic books for everything they THINK they know about history.
I don't find the German pilot romancing Diana so off-putting. He has grown up in one of the most paranoid, snitch-ridden, bigoted regimes ever known, and now he is entirely removed from it. There is now no SS, no fearful fellows to turn him in, and he sees this pretty, smart, capable girl who he can say as much to without worry. The ep shows he is loyal to his country, but not, to paraphrase Stevie Wonder, the nightmare that's become his real life.
I highly doubt his combined Teutonic cultural and temporal 1940 mindset combined with his military conditioning would allow him to so easily slip away from trained reflexes in the span of 20 minutes.
Fair point, but I still think that being loosed in a fantasy world and completely free of minders made something click in him that otherwise never would have.
Something I forgot - another 'quest' show of that era that was inches away from a true finale was the Bixby/Ferrigno Hulk. They had plans for a capture and trial scenario, maybe finishing with a cure. But the final season was already in trouble, and they pulled the plug.
Maybe you guys could do a combo-retrospective on all the 'quest' show cartoons that never reached the finish line - or would that require its own channel?
I thought it was creepy by she's about 16 and he's at least 28. Something weird about dating someone less than 2/3 your age.
Btw, Diana is how to do a minority character... just one of the heroes who just happens to not be white - no big deal and certainly not something that gets mentioned every episode. It doesn't hurt that she's probably the most athletic, competent and courageous of our heroes (the back up leader) and is almost never wrong (and never rubs it in anyone's face - except Eric who usually deserved it.)
Jack Alope I don’t see the age difference as creepy at all. The character traits Diana exhibits are those of an adult, and her experiences in that alternate universe would make them even more so. She is technically of age to be married.
Great video!
Well worth the wait.
You guys have the formula down.
+awesomefanger Thanks dude!
This, Ulasyes 31, Dogtanian, around the world in 80 days, lost cities of gold... What a time to be a child
One of my favorite cartoons. Love those character sheets you are using and I remember them well!
I was a kid in the '80s watching this show and really enjoyed it. The writing was a lot more sophisticated than most other cartoon and I totally picked up on that, though at the time it frustrated me that they always got so close to getting home, but either didn't or chose to stay. I just wasn't used to it, but it made me want to keep watching, that maybe, just maybe, next time they would make it. I also vividly remember the premonition you mention in the episode with the dark-haired girl. It's seared into my memory, because it was conformation of what was to come (though we'd never see it). I also remember my dad hated that I watched it, sometimes even making me turn it off (I'd wait a minute and turn it back on after he left the room. I was that hooked on the show! After all, if they got home and I missed it, I'd never forgive myself!). It got to the point where I'd just lie and say I was watching He-Man or something and he was fine with it. He totally believed the anti-D&D propaganda and that was why he didn't want me watching it.
We in England and Britain in general don't give things like D&D and Elder Scrolls a second thought. We certainly don't think of such things as Satanic. To us they're just imaginative fantasy games. It takes another level of crazy to think of them as anything other than games.
German uniform is Luffwaffe, not a SS Luftstaffen. Think rank and file german officer, if he was a Nazi officer he would have an SS Staffen pin on his collar especially since he was a Colonel and flying an accurrate JU-87 dive bomber.
This was one of my favorite shows as a kid. As an only child raised in the boondocks of the south, I wasn't big on D&D, but the show captivated me. It was one of the few kids shows where I felt I was possible for one of the kids to get killed. I would love to catch all of these shows again in a collection. Great video!
The cartoon was incredibly popular in Brazil (as famous as He-Man and Thundercats), but curiously absolutely nobody her knew what a "tabletop role-playing game" was back in the 1980s! People only started actually playing D&D in the 1990s (Steve Jackson's GURPS was the first really successful system, and a few years later Vampire: The Masquerade was all the rage).