Arc The Lad DVD

Elk is the youngest member of the Hunters Guild — a world of mercenaries who take contracts involving monsters, criminals, and the increasingly dangerous supernatural threats spreading across a land where magic and advanced technology uneasily coexist. He is quick, powerful, and driven by one consuming goal: find Arc the Lad, the notorious outlaw he holds responsible for the destruction of his village. Alongside him travels Lieza, a mysterious young woman with the ability to communicate with and command monsters — herself a survivor of horrific experimentation — and the powerful warrior Shu. As Elk hunts for Arc, he begins to discover that the trail leads not to a simple criminal but toward something far larger: a sinister organization called Romalia that has been conducting illegal experiments on humans and monsters alike, engineering hybrid creatures, and maneuvering toward what appears to be the apocalyptic destruction of the world itself. When Elk finally confronts Arc, what he finds forces him to reconsider everything he thought he knew about who the real enemy is.

Arc the Lad is a 26-episode action series produced by Bee Train — the studio behind Noir and .hack//SIGN — directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, and based on the PlayStation RPG franchise developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It aired on WOWOW's Anime Complex block from April to October 1999. The series is notable as one of Bee Train's earliest productions and as a game adaptation that develops substantially beyond its source material, building an original story around the game's characters and world. The English dub was produced in Los Angeles by Animaze and features Steve Blum, Brianne Siddall, Melissa Fahn, Michelle Ruff, and Barbara Goodson.

Originally released in North America by ADV Films on six individual DVD volumes from 2001 to 2002; a Complete Collection box set followed on October 21, 2003. The series also aired on the Anime Network. 

Notable Staff & Voice Talent

Director: Itsuro Kawasaki
Original Game Franchise: Sony Computer Entertainment (PlayStation)
Studio: Bee Train (Noir, .hack//SIGN, Madlax)
Music: Masahiro Kawasaki

Japanese Cast:
- Hiroki Takahashi as Elk (Project ARMS)
- Atsuko Enomoto as Lieza (Steel Angel Kurumi, Maetel Legend, Project ARMS)
- Ryotaro Okiayu as Shu (El-Hazard, Burn Up W, Nadesico)
- Hikaru Midorikawa as Arc the Lad (Green Legend Ran, Gestalt, Fushigi Yugi)
- Megumi Hayashibara as Tosh (Slayers, Evangelion, Gestalt, Tenchi in Love, Love Hina)

English Dub Cast (Animaze — Los Angeles):
- Steve Blum as Elk (Cowboy Bebop, Mahoromatic, Moldiver, Noir, Saint Tail, Ah My Goddess)
- Brianne Siddall as Lieza (Tenchi Muyo! Mihoshi Special)
- Michelle Ruff as additional cast (Noir, Bleach)
- Melissa Fahn as additional cast (Mahoromatic Something More Beautiful)
- Barbara Goodson as additional cast (Tenchi Movie 2, Love Hina Christmas Special, RG Veda)
- Bridget Hoffman as Iris (Mahoromatic, Nightwalker, Fushigi Yugi, Descendants of Darkness, Ah My Goddess)

DVD Volume Breakdown

- Vol. 1 — Hunters and Monsters (Episodes 1–3)
- Vol. 2 — Blade and Bullet (Episodes 4–6)
- Vol. 3 — Wanted! (Episodes 7–9)
- Vol. 4 — Alliance (Episodes 10–12)
- Vol. 5 — Oath of Vengeance (Episodes 13–15)
- Vol. 6 — Day of Reckoning (Episodes 16–18... through 26)

DVD Features (Individual Volumes)

- ADV Films Previews
- Note: Complete Collection 6-disc box set also available (October 21, 2003)

Spoken Languages: English & Japanese Audio, English Subtitles

Edition Details

Japanese Title: アークザラッド (Āku za Raddo)
Runtime: ~650 Minutes (Complete Series, 26 Episodes, 6 Volumes)
Director: Itsuro Kawasaki
DVD Release Year: 2001–2002 (U.S. Individual Volumes, ADV Films); Complete Collection box set October 21, 2003
Original Broadcast Date (Japan): April 5 – October 11, 1999 (WOWOW Anime Complex)
Publisher: ADV Films
Rating: 15+
Region: Region 1 (U.S. / Canada)
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Themes: Hunters Guild, Half-Human Monsters, PlayStation Game Adaptation, Bee Train Early Work, Apocalyptic Conspiracy

Media assumed VG+ unless otherwise noted.