How Dungeons & Dragons is Shaping Anime (Plus some of our recs)`

How Dungeons & Dragons is Shaping Anime (Plus some of our recs)`

In recent years, the cross-pollination between Western tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and Eastern media has become more apparent than ever. One of the most fascinating examples of this cultural exchange is how Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), the iconic tabletop RPG, is leaving its mark on the anime industry. While anime has long drawn inspiration from various global sources, D&D’s unique blend of collaborative storytelling, expansive world-building, and diverse character archetypes has begun to play a significant role in shaping modern anime. We’ve organized only some of the MANY D&D-inspired anime series by category. Enjoy!

Fantasy

Record of the Lodoss War- originated from a serialized novelization of a group’s D&D campaign making it one of the earliest examples of D&D’s influence on anime.

Castlevania- Very Curse of Strahd -esque. It’s based on a video game but now turned anime.

Delicious in Dungeon- one of my favorite animes of 2024. You think it’s just a cutesy anime about food and dungeon crawling but it gets dark; it’s still amazing, hilarious, and has tons of TTRPG elements. 

 

Frieren-The story follows the adventures of an elf mage, Frieren, whose world ages around her. “The show takes a clever approach to showing us what life is like for a near-immortal like Frieren to interact with short-lived but ultimately beloved humans.” I have not seen this one yet but it’s definitely on my watch list. From what I gather, it’s similar to  Violet Evergarden because it’s a roller coaster of emotions. You can read a better review of it here.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles- Also one of my faves of 2024. In a world ruled by magic prowess, Mash is a young man born with no magic. He compensates by getting gains 💪 and enrolls in a school of magic. A hilarious watch and reminds me of One Punch Man.

Grimgar - of Fantasy and Ash

Class-Based Animes

Claymore- An older anime/manga but still gold. “the world is overrun by Yoma: powerful demon entities... The mysterious Organisation imbibes young women with Yoma DNA, recreating them into superhuman warriors who are then contracted to hunt and kill Yoma. The fighters are called Claymores, named after the swords they use to hunt their foes, and are distinguished by their white hair and silver eyes.” This manga was probably one of my first introductions to animes based on fantasy RPG classes. I remember reading this in high school. Loved the plot, it was action-packed, fast paced and dark. The manga art is just, detailed and grotesque in a sort of beautiful macabre way. You can read this blog for a better review of it. (Contains minor spoilers)

Solo Leveling-Necromancer-based manhwa (Korean manga) turned anime. Probably one of the biggest productions of 2024. The level-up system is great. Art is beautiful and who doesn’t love a good necromancer protagonist?

The Popularity of Actual Play and Isekai

The rise of actual play series like Critical Role has spotlighted how dynamic and cinematic D&D storytelling can be. This popularity has likely influenced the growing trend of isekai anime (where characters are transported to or reincarnated in fantasy worlds). Many isekai shows feel like animated versions of a D&D campaign, complete with overpowered protagonists, dungeon crawls, and loot-laden quests.

 

Omniscient Reade-I know I promised you guys anime but seeing how this one is going to be released soon, I couldn’t pass up the offer. This story is about the socially awkward young adult, Kim Dokja whose reality suddenly turns into the world of his favorite webnovel after reading the last chapter. Dokja forms a team and tries to survive and fight through the scenarios he gets thrown into.

Re: Zero-Starting Life in Another World

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime- features a leveling up system similar to that of D&D. The characters gain abilities through leveling up and face morally ambiguous choices

Sword Art Online- exemplifies this intersection, blending video game mechanics with D&D-style adventuring

D&D as a Cultural Bridge

Dungeons and Dragons has been a storytelling tool that fosters creativity and imagination. As anime continues to gain popularity in the West and D&D enjoys a renaissance among younger audiences, the exchange of ideas between these two mediums only deepens. From storytelling techniques to character design, D&D is helping to shape the next generation of anime while introducing fans of one medium to the other.

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