- For the first game of the series or Dragon Quest I, see Dragon Quest.
- For the whole Dragon Quest series and franchise, see Dragon Quest series.
This page is under construction
Dragon Quest: Legend of the Hero Abel (ドラゴンクエスト 勇者アベル伝説, Dragon Quest Yusha Abel Densetsu), originally released as Dragon Quest (ドラゴンクエスト) and as Dragon Warrior in the United States, is a Japanese animated TV series loosely based on the first four video games of the Dragon Quest series, especially leaning heavily on elements of Dragon Quest III. The show tells the story of Abel and his efforts to rescue his beloved Tiala from Baramos.
The TV series was first broadcast on Fuji TV every Saturday at 19:30 from 2 December 1989 to 22 September 1990 for part one and every Friday at 16:00 from 11 January 1991 to 5 April 1991 for part two, achieving a total of 43 episodes plus one extra summary episode. It was later re-broadcast since 1996 on other networks, such as TV Osaka, Channel NECO and TV Shizuoka. However, the re-broadcast differs from the original in number of episodes: episode 32 was edited with episode 33 to become a single episode, decreasing the total of episodes from 43 to 42. The DVD release restored both episodes to normal and also added the Legend of the Hero Abel epithet.
Setting[]
In the Ariahan village, on her 15th birthday, Tiala receives a red jewel from the elder Yogi. The jewel is the key to awaken the Great Dragon, whose blood grants eternal life. Due to this, the demon Baramos kidnaps Tiala. His childhood friend, Abel tries unsuccessfully to save her. He is given a blue jewel, the counterpart of the jewel that Tiala received, that can seal the Great Dragon and embarks on a mission to rescue Tiala.
Characters[]
Protagonists[]
Antagonists[]
- Baramos
- Hargon
- General Rudolph
Episodes[]
Only 13 episodes got an English broadcast, although they never got a home release.
Part one[]
Ep. | Title | Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | Level 1: "Ariahan Village" (レベル1 (アリアハンの村 別離)) |
2 December 1989 |
2 | Level 2: "Departure" (レベル2 (謎の竜伝説を追え!よみがえる大魔王)) |
9 December 1989 |
3 | Level 3: "Leebe Village" (レベル3 (敵か味方か!? ナンパ魔法使いヤナック!)) |
16 December 1989 |
4 | Level 4: "Girl Warrior Daisy" (レベル4 (モンスター襲来!! 愛なき女戦士デイジィ!)) |
23 December 1989 |
SE[n 1] | Hero Abel! The time of departure has come now! (勇者アベルよ!いま旅立ちの時は来た!!, Yusha Abel yo! Ima Tabidachi no Toki wa Kita!!) | 13 January 1990 |
5 | Level 5: "Port Myla" (レベル5 (船を手に入れろ!港町マイラで大騒動!!)) |
20 January 1990 |
6 | Level 6: "Light of Hope" (レベル6 (炎の地下帝国に潜入!! 竜の灯台をともせ!!)) |
27 January 1990 |
7 | Level 7: "Escape from Dragon Channel" (レベル7 (生か死か!? モンスターだらけの竜海峡!!)) |
3 February 1990 |
8 | Level 8: "Lunar Eclipse" (レベル8 (魔王バラモスの弱点!? ティアラ脱出作戦!!) |
10 February 1990 |
9 | Level 9: "Attacking Guam!" (レベル9 (伝説の村ルイーダ・ティアラの秘密!?)) |
17 February 1990 |
10 | Level 10: "Training and Preparation" (レベル10 (水上都市ベルギン!氷冠大陸をめざせ!!)) |
24 February 1990 |
11 | Level 11: "Hardship in Nether" (レベル11 (吹雪の剣を探せ!激闘!! 氷河魔人vsアベル!!)) |
3 March 1990 |
12 | Level 12: "General Ludoff" (レベル12 (呪いをとけ!史上最強の戦士・ルドルフ将軍!!)) |
10 March 1990 |
13 | Level 13: "Najimi Tower" (レベル13 (金の鍵を奪え!激突・ナジミの塔!!)) |
17 March 1990 |
14 | Level 14 (レベル14 (海峡の門・恐るべき竜伝説の謎!?)) | 24 March 1990 |
15 | Level 15 (レベル15 (会心の一撃!! アークデーモンの逆襲!?)) | 14 April 1990 |
16 | Level 16 (レベル16 (戦慄!! 闇の帝王エスターク・ゾーマの出現!?)) | 21 April 1990 |
17 | Level 17 (レベル17 (ドラン城の怪!? いざ亡霊の島へ!!)) | 5 May 1990 |
18 | Level 18 (レベル18 (魔の海に浮かぶ孤島・亡霊の島とは!?)) | 12 May 1990 |
19 | Level 19 (レベル19 (再びドラン城へ・ジキドの陰謀!?)) | 19 May 1990 |
20 | Level 20 (レベル20 (新たなる旅立ち・伝説の勇者たち!!)) | 2 June 1990 |
21 | Level 21 (レベル21 (闇のバザール・勇者の武器を探せ!!)) | 9 June 1990 |
22 | Level 22 (レベル22 (砂漠の果て・廃墟の街ドムドーラの怪!!)) | 16 June 1990 |
23 | Level 23 (レベル23 (アベルよ急げ!ティアラがすぐそこに!!)) | 30 June 1990 |
24 | Level 24 (レベル24 (めざめよティアラ!赤き珠の聖女として!!)) | 7 July 1990 |
25 | Level 25 (レベル25 (正か邪か!? いまよみがえる伝説の竜!?)) | 28 July 28 1990 |
26 | Level 26 (レベル26 (アベルよ!竜に立ち向かえ!! 封印せよ!!)) | 4 August 1990 |
27 | Level 27 (レベル27 (アベルを救え!風の山の死闘!!)) | 11 August 1990 |
28 | Level 28 (レベル28 (アベル復活!! 唸れ稲妻の剣!!)) | 18 August 1990 |
29 | Level 29 (レベル29 (呪いのかぶと・謎の戦士オルテガ!?)) | 25 August 1990 |
30 | Level 30 (レベル30 (竜伝説を追って再び故郷アリアハンへ!!)) | 8 September 1990 |
31 | Level 31 (レベル31 (激闘!! アベルvsオルテガ・意外な真実!?)) | 15 September 1990 |
32 | Level 32 (レベル32(大勇者アベルに栄光あれ!!)) | 22 September 1990 |
Part two[]
Ep. | Title | Airdate |
---|---|---|
33 | A New Determination for the Heroes!! (勇者たちの新たなる決意!!) | 11 January 1991 |
34 | An Enemy or an Ally!? The Handsome Swordsman Adonis (敵か味方か!? 謎の美剣士アドニス) | 25 January 1991 |
35 | Revive!! Phoenix Lamia (甦れ!! 不死鳥ラーミア) | 1 February 1991 |
36 | Appearance!! Floating Sky Island (出現!! 天空の浮遊島) | 8 February 1991 |
37 | Blue Temple - Abel Pulls out the Holy Sword!! (青き神殿 アベルよ聖剣を抜け!!) | 15 February 1991 |
38 | Assault! Showdown of Estark Castle (突撃!エスターク城の決戦) | 22 February 1991 |
39 | The Legendary Dragon is in Ariahan!? (伝説の竜はアリアハンに!?) | 1 March 1991 |
40 | A Hidden Riddle at Dragon God Lake!? (竜神湖に秘められた謎!?) | 8 March 1991 |
41 | Angered Dragon VS Super Baramos (怒れる竜VSスーパーバラモス) | 15 March 1991 |
42 | Birth of a Great Hero!! Miracle of the Blue and Red Ball (大勇者誕生!! 青と赤の珠の奇跡) | 22 March 1991 |
43 | Final Showdown!! Abel VS Baramos (最終決戦!! アベルVSバラモス) | 5 April 1991 |
Theme songs[]
Opening for episodes 33-43:
- "Mirai o Mezashite" ("未来をめざして")
- Vocals: Toru Furuya
- Lyrics: Shiregu Amano
- Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto
- Arrangement: Akira Mitake
Ending for episodes 1-26:
- "Yume o Shinjite" ("夢を信じて")
- Vocals: Hideaki Tokunaga
- Lyrics: Hitoshi Shinohara
- Composition: Hideaki Tokunaga
- Arrangement: Ichizo Seo
Ending for episodes 27-32:
- "Niji no Miyako" ("虹の都")
- Vocals: Kabuki Rocks
- Lyrics: Ichiban Arimura
- Composition: Hidemaro Aoki
- Arrangement: Kabuki Rocks, Nobuhiko Sato
Ending for episodes 33-43:
- "Niji no Brand-New Day" ("虹のBRAND-NEW DAY")
- Vocals: Masako Katsuki
- Lyrics: Shiregu Amano
- Composition: Toshiaki Matsumoto
- Arrangement: Akira Mitake
Insert song for episode 7:
- "Tiffany's Whisper"
- Vocals: Masako Katsuki
- Lyrics: Ren Takayanagi
- Composition: Mickie Yoshino
- Arrangement: Mickie Yoshino
Insert song for episode 12, 14, 24:
- "Long Way Home"
- Vocals: Masako Katsuki
- Lyrics: Ren Takayanagi
- Composition: Mickie Yoshino
- Arrangement: Mickie Yoshino
Cast[]
- Toru Furuya as Abel
- Masako Katsuki as Tiala
- Toshiharu Sakurai as Moco
- Yuko Mita as Daisy
- Keaton Yamada as Yanack
- Daisuke Gori as Dodonga
- Takeshi Watabe as Baramos
- Hidekatsu Shibata as Moore
- Katsuji Mori as Jikido
- Miyoko Aoba as Chichi
- Junko Shimakata as Coco
- Hirohiko Kakegawa as Ortega (young)
- Kenji Utsumi as Ortega
- Hiroshi Otake as Zanack (part 1)
- Naoki Tatsuta as Zanack (part 2)
- Chie Sato as Abel (child)
- Hirotaka Suzuoki as Baharata
- Isamu Tanonaka as Yogi
- Nobutoshi Hayashi as Prince Frank
- Ryo Horikawa as Adonis
- Takeshi Aono as General Ludoff
- Tomoko Naka as Sara
Main staff[]
- Original work: Bird Studio, Chunsoft, Enix, Armor Project
- Original plan: Yuji Horii
- Chief direction: Rintaro
- Direction: Katsuhisa Yamada (part 1), Takeyuki Kanda (part 2)
- Series organization: Takashi Yamada
- Script: Takashi Yamada (1-3, ES, 7, 11, 15-16, 19, 24, 28, 32, 37, 40, 42-43), Sukehiro Tomita (4, ES, 8, 12-13, 17, 22, 26, 30, 35-36, 39), Nobuaki Kishima (5, 9, 18, 20-21, 25, 29, 33-34, 38, 41), Mayori Sekijima (6, 10, 14, 23, 27, 31)
- Characters draft: Akira Toriyama
- Animation character design / chief animation direction: Hiroshi Kanazawa
- Art direction: Katsuyoshi Kanemura
- Photographic direction: Seiichi Morishita
- Sound direction: Mima Masafumi
- Music: Kazz Toyama, Mickie Yoshino, Koichi Sugiyama
- Producer: Hiromichi Mogaki, Tetsuo Daitoku (part 1), Masao Kodaira (part 1), Tatsuji Yamazaki (part 2)
- Animation production: Studio Comet
- Production: Fuji TV, NAS
Original broadcast[]
Despite being divided in two parts, the series is a single season. The series was temporary discontinued after the broadcast of the first 32 episodes, to be resumed a few months later for the remaining 11, which lead to calling them part 1 and part 2. In its original time slot, the series competed with TV Asahi's Obocchama-kun and TBS' Quiz Derby.
In the original episode 32, an old woman is telling a story to two children, a boy that looks like Abel and a girl that looks like Tiala. While not explicitly stated, it is implied that the old woman is Tiala and that all the other protagonists, except Abel, died. Around half a year later, the broadcast was resumed on a different time slot and it immediately showed that the other protagonists had not died, and that Moco, who should have died, just fainted.
There was also a summary episode broadcast on 13 January 1990 exclusively on the original Fuji TV run in which the first four episodes were recapped after a holiday break between this and the previous episode.
USA broadcast[]
Saban Entertainment distributed the first 13 episode of series in syndication in the United States under the title Dragon Warrior. This was prior to the anime boom of the 1990s, which, combined with poor time slots,[1] meant that the series wasn't successful, remaining in syndication only and never fully dubbed.[2] While the dub was uneven, the series was left mostly unedited, including the original score.
Home video[]
The series was released on VHS and DVD. The DVD restored episodes 32 and 33 to their original state, restoring the series to its original 43 episodes and added the epithet Legend of the Hero Abel to differentiate it from other Dragon Quest media released since the original broadcast, such as Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai and Emblem of Roto.
The series has been available via video on demand since 2018 on several digital distribution services like Niconico (through its d Anime Store), Prime Video and Fuji TV on Demand (FOD). This digital version, however, has the edited episode 32, so it only has 42 episodes.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Related[]
- Yume o Shinjite (single)
- Dragon Quest: Suite Dragon Legend
- Niji no Miyako (single)
- Dragon Quest: Mirai o Mezashite / Niji no Brand-New Day
- Dragon Quest: Suite Dragon Legend (2007)
Notes[]
- ↑ Summary episode of the previous four
References[]
- ↑ Anime Profile: Dragon Warrior. Absolute Anime. Retrived 2020-02-25.
- ↑ Ferreira, Samantha (2013-09-24). Seven long forgotten American anime airings. Anime Herald. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
External links[]
- Archived official website of the DVD release (Japanese)
- Series at FOD (Japanese)
- Series at Prime Video (Japanese)
- Series at U-Next (Japanese)
- Article at Wikipedia
- Page at TV Tropes
- Series info at Anime News Network
- Series info at MyAnimeList
- Series info at AnimeClick.it (Italian)
- Series info at Nautiljon (French)