Dark Schneider is a key character in the manga and anime called Bastard !! In the narrative, he is the most powerful wizard in the world, capable of causing destruction comparable to those that lead to a change in the continents and even the planet itself. Previously, he was the Dark Lord, but he was captured. At the moment, he is about 400 years old, although, according to the assurance of Dark Schneider himself, he is absolutely immortal.
History of creation and character features
The director of the manga and TV adaptation of Bastard !! made by Katsuhito Akiyama. The protagonist of his creation turned out to be surprisingly satirical, representing an allusion to the classic Dark Lord, pathos and evil. Dark Schneider is not without his own concepts of honor and dignity, he can not raise his hand at the girl and in his own way stuck to his partner in wanderings - Eco. Despite the fact that in any photo, Dark Schneider almost always has a grin on his face, as the heroine claims, he is even kind and complacent. Akiyama himself says that the antagonist in Bastard is the real face of the hero, as he should be in a gloomy apocalyptic world. The 6-episode OVA was released in 1992, the manga is still published and has 26 volumes.
Key storytelling figures
The key figure in the story is Tia not Eco, the daughter of High Priest Metallicana and the only love of Dark Schneider. In fact, the antagonist is afraid of her, because it is the kiss of Eco that turns the boy Luscha into Dark Schneider and vice versa. However, over time it becomes clear that any virgin will do. Betrayed by the Lord, but follows him from his principles and motives. Modest and quiet, she, however, subdued the Antichrist with her mercy.
Lushe / Dark Schneider is the main anti-hero whose number of titles exceeds all conceivable limits. It is not known how he got his powers, although he claims to be the greatest magician. It gravitates to the magic of fire and lightning, does not know the school of cold. Once he conquered the world with his fiery blade with ifrit, but he was imprisoned in the body of a boy. He wants to regain power. In the form of the Lord is a muscular tall man with long white hair.
Dark Schneider has his generals. Heroes went on a journey together. Here, the half-blood is a dark elf and a mage of cold, even a close friend of Schneider. For some reason, they all want the death of the protagonist or are testing him.
The characters in the anime Dark Schneider are all charismatic, unique in their own way. The whole setting is riddled with black humor, numerous references to real prototypes and other literary works. At some point, it even seems that the entire opus is a kind of mockery of serious works. Quite possibly, this is true, at least in part.
Atmosphere and world
A few hundred years before the events of the series, a disaster of an unknown nature occurred. The war with the demons began, which, although it did not wipe all people off the face of the Earth, but significantly reduced their numbers. At the same time, Dark Schneider comes to power, relying on the power of his generals. When the Lord was defeated, the mighty army fled, clashes between the allies began, which ended in anarchy. At the moment, the main character is trying to bring his power together. At the same time, there is a more powerful enemy of Schneider, which should significantly turn events in the plot.
References
The named main enemy of Dark Schneider, Lars, who later turns out to be the prince of Metallicana, is a living reference to Lars Ulrich, drummer of Metallica. In addition, it is impossible not to notice the hero who, with the light hand of the localizer, received the name Bon Jovin. As mentioned above, in the work there are a lot of such "Easter eggs" for attentive fans. Often, the creation is compared with Metallocalypse, a satirical cartoon about the rock band Deathclock.
Should I read / watch today?
Despite the fact that at first glance Bastard !! very outdated, it remains an extremely entertaining product of the lively influence of the media on creatively gifted individuals. "Bastrad" captures, it's true. It does not contain the cruelty that is characteristic of creations of the Berserk format, and all the "malice" is fake and satirical. That is why this creation is still worth rereading or revising even now, although the picture seems morally obsolete. The anime with Dark Schneider is definitely recommended for viewing.