Rune Soldier (Japanese: 魔法戦士リウイ, Hepburn: Mahō Senshi Riui, lit. Magical Soldier Louie) is an anime and manga series based on the original light novel series by Ryo Mizuno, which features soldier Louie as the hero. The series takes place on the continent of Alecrast on the world called Forcelia, and is related to the novel, anime, and manga series Sword World. It is a sibling series to Record of Lodoss War (which is also directed by Mizuno), taking place on a continent north of Lodoss Island.
Louie
A member of the Magician's Guild in Ohfun and the adopted son of Carwes the guild's master. Muscular and a little on the dumb side; Louie is prone to getting drunk in bars, chasing after girls, and brawling when he should be studying his magic. As a result, he tends to use brute force instead of magic, much to the chagrin of his companions (for example, on his first adventure, Louie lost his temper when a troop of goblins clubbed him on the head and then broke his wand when he used it to club them back). Despite his shortcomings as a wizard, Louie possesses a strong sense of justice and is unfailingly loyal to those he considers his friends. Louie's stupidity mostly results as a lack of planning and forethought, he's actually a lot smarter than he usually appears to be, often figuring things out that others overlook. While it isn't mentioned in the anime (other than Louie's strong resemblance to him) it is strongly hinted in the manga that Louie is the illegitimate son of the King.
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi (Japanese); Jason Douglas (English), Jon Goiri (Spanish)
Melissa
Adventurer and priestess to Mylee, god of war. Naive and idealistic, Melissa's dream is to serve a chosen hero of her patron god which of course causes her great despair when Mylee reveals her destined champion is Louie (in the anime she frequently says "This is against my will" several times an episode). Throughout the course of the series, Melissa gradually begins to realize that perfect heroes don't exist and by the end of the series not only fully accepts Louie as her chosen hero but may also have developed feelings for him as well.
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Shelley Calene-Black (English), Jaione Intsausti (Spanish)
Genie
Adventurer and former soldier of Ohfun. She has a rather cool demeanor but Louie's stupid behavior tends to push her to the point of violence. A highly adept warrior, Genie's favorite weapon is a broadsword as big as herself and likewise is strong enough to slug it out on the same level as Louie. As the story progresses, Genie comes to respect Louie as a friend when she finds that he, unlike most men, doesn't look down on her because she is a woman and even teaches him basic sword fighting.
Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese); Christine M. Auten (English), Maribel Legarreta (Spanish)
Merrill
Adventurer, thief and part-time job worker with a fanatical obsession for money. When not adventuring, Merrill is either raising funds for the next adventure through various part-time jobs or looking at any scheme to get rich, including running booths at various events in Ohfun. Like Genie, Merril is driven crazy by Louie's behavior and frequently explodes in violence at him.
Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (Japanese); Allison Keith (English), Ana Bego Egileor (Spanish)
Aila
Member of the Magician's Guild and Louie's friend. Despite many attempts to get Louie on a date, especially considering her rather voluptuous frame, their relationship remains platonic and open much to her dismay. Although highly knowledgeable in magic theory and magical item lore (her chief area of study), Aila herself claims to be inferior to Louie in raw magical prowess. She also tends to go to pieces and pass out whenever trouble surfaces on adventures she tags along with. In the manga, Aila's character is more sultry than in the anime and she especially enjoys getting Louie flustered by flirting with him.
Voiced by: Akiko Yajima (Japanese); Jenny Strader (English), Ana Tere Bengoetxea (Spanish)
Celecia
A beautiful elf girl the group met while journeying through a forest.
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese); Kelli Cousins (English)
Anna Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki (Japanese); Hilary Haag (English)
Gannet Voiced by: Ryoka Yuzuki (Japanese); Jessica Boone (English), Jaione Instsausti (Spanish)
Joan Voiced by: Ryoko Nagata (Japanese); Nora Stein (English), Maribel Legarreta (Spanish)
Three young teenage priestess of Mylee that hold Melissa in esteem. They have a low opinion of Louie and see him as a burden to Melissa during the entirety of the anime series. They don't appear in the manga.
First series
0. 魔法戦士リウイ0 (ISBN 4829115009 March 25, 2003)
A side-story about Genie before she meets Louie, Merrill, and Melissa.
1. 魔法戦士リウイ1 (ISBN 4829128453 October 25, 1998)
2. 魔法戦士リウイ2 (ISBN 4829128674 February 25, 1999)
3. 魔法戦士リウイ3 (ISBN 4829128917 June 25, 1999)
4. 魔法戦士リウイ4 (ISBN 4829129328 December 25, 1999)
5. 魔法戦士リウイ5 (ISBN 482912959X April 25, 2000)
6. 魔法戦士リウイ6 (ISBN 4829129948 August 30, 2000)
7. 魔法戦士リウイ7 (ISBN 4829113375 March 25, 2001)
8. 魔法戦士リウイ8 (ISBN 4829113693 July 25, 2001)
9. 魔法戦士リウイ9 (ISBN 4829114053 February 25, 2002)
Second series
1. 剣の国の魔法戦士( オーファン王国が舞台)
ソードワールド・ノベル 剣の国の魔法戦士(ISBN 4829124776 February 15, 1993)
Old edition
魔法戦士リウイ 剣の国の魔法戦士(ISBN 4829113723 September 20, 2001)
New edition
2. 魔法戦士リウイ 湖岸の国の魔法戦士
ザイン王国が舞台。(June 1996-March 1997 serialization)
(Old edition) (ISBN 4829127678 August 25, 1997)
(Corrected edition) (ISBN 4829113731 September 1, 2001)
3. 魔法戦士リウイ 砂塵の国の魔法戦士(ISBN 4829115564 September 25, 2003)
Third series
1. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 賢者の国の魔法戦士 (ISBN 4829116331 August 25, 2004)
2. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 呪縛の島の魔法戦士 (ISBN 4829116986 March 25, 2005)
3. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 牧歌の国の魔法戦士 (ISBN 4829117982 February 25, 2006)
4. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 鋼の国の魔法戦士 (ISBN 4829118849 December 20, 2006)
5. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 神代の島の魔法戦士 (ISBN 978-4-8291-1970-9 December 25, 2007)
6. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 嵐の海の魔法戦士 (ISBN 4829133163 August 20, 2008)
7. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 煙火の島の魔法戦士 (ISBN 978-4-8291-3537-2 January 20, 2011)
8. 魔法戦士リウイ ファーラムの剣 魔法の国の魔法戦士 (ISBN 978-4-8291-3673-7 June 20, 2012）
The Rune Soldier anime consists of 24 episodes. The episodes are either a stand-alone adventure, or a story arc consisting of multiple episodes. In general the plot of each episode or story arc revolves around the group looking for, finding, and participating in an adventure. Probably due to interpretation or stylistic differences most episodes have a verbal spoken and written name that does not match exactly.
The anime had an NTSC release of September 13, 2005 by Section 23. There were 6 discs total.
