Chaos Dragon: The Complete Series

A Japanese role-playing game—the Nippon equivalent of Dungeons & Dragons, if you will—inspired this TV series featuring a rich pantheon of strange fantasy characters. The central figure is Ibuki, a boy prince of Nil Kamui, an island nation conquered by the arrogant Kouran empire. Nil Kamui was supposedly being protected through strategic political alliances—as well as a guardian deity, the monstrous Red Dragon. But the human allies turn out to be unreliable, and the reptilian god has gone rogue, indiscriminately laying swaths of destruction. Ibuki renounces his throne in an attempt to prevent violence by occupiers, but further bullying by the sadistic Kouran forces him to join rebels and make a pact with the dragon: Ibuki will be able to fight with immense power, but at the cost of heartbreaking human sacrifice (key characters die regularly). Others—including a sort of steampunk cyborg—are also hunting for the Red Dragon and the source of its magic and madness. Featuring stylized bloodshed and peek-a-boo nudity, this epic tale boasting an imaginative array of weapons and warriors will likely find favor with anime fans. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2015 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-MA, extras include a music video. Recommended. (C. Cassady)