Tears to Tiara

Title:Tears to Tiara
ティアーズ・トゥ・ティアラ (Japanese)
Overall:Rent
Keywords: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Notables: Animation - P.A. Works
Original Concept - Aquaplus
R1 Distributor - Section23 Films (ADV)
R1 License - Subtitled Only
Set in a fictitious land during a medieval-like era of magic and fantasy, Tears to Tiara unfolds with the Divine Empire’s rise to power as it conquers and rules lands far and wide. On the island of Erin, still ruled by the Ancient Kingdom, the Goidelic people are attempting to sacrifice priestess Riannon to revive protagonist and demon king Arawn to lead the resistance against the Empire. Although the ritual fails and Riannon survives, the seal imprisoning the demon king is broken and Arawn is resurrected. Armed with mysterious and devastating powers and a human’s demeanour, Arawn joins Riannon, her brother and battalion commander, Arthur, as well as their team of fighters comprising a swordsman, an archer and a quintet of magical pixies, in the epic struggle against the Divine Empire. (Source: ANN)

26 TV eps (~24 min)
New series set to air starting April 5th '09.
Animation by Oriental Light & Magic, and WHITE FOX.

Anime series based on the Japanese strategy role-playing ↗eroge PC video-game by Leaf that was later remade on the Playstation 3 entitled "Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi" with the mature content removed.
See Wikipedia entry for more information about the ↗Tears to Tiara game.

3:45 min full opening: YouTube Video
5:26 min full closing: YouTube Video
OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Rent 8 7 8 7 7 7 Ggultra2764 [series:2086#1552]
It's far from being the best anime I've seen, but Tears to Tiara did do enough to entertain me for a medieval fantasy series as it focuses on Arawn, Arthur and the Gael clan dealing with an enemy kingdom and divine figures in their quest to create an independent nation for themselves. This series has all the typical elements you would expect of medieval fantasy: knights, dragons, magicians, elves, ogres, religious crusades, corrupt authority figures. The series does offer enough fleshing out and focus of major characters like Arthur and Arawn for one to connect with the characters. In particular, Arthur comes to grips with the fact following laws that involve slaying those not following his clan's beliefs are not the proper path and more details are slowly unveiled regarding Arawn's origins as he isn't truly the demon that humans perceived him to be. However, the series does carry with it a good number of shallow villains to give Tears to Tiara the typical black and white morality in terms of who the audience is expected to root for and it often resorts to deus ex machina (especially in later episodes) to conveniently allow the Gaels to cream through whatever seemingly devastating odds they were up against. Still, this beat much of the otaku pandering garbage that anime studios were tossing out to fans when this came out two years ago. If you're a sap for medieval fantasy titles, then Tears to Tiara is a decent watch for you to check out.

Last updated Saturday, October 15 2011. Created Saturday, October 15 2011.
Rent 8 8 6 8 9 Diwafiven [series:2086#3160]
This was a pretty good anime, I would say that if you enjoy medieval fantasy you should watch this at least once. on a 10 point scale, I would give it a 7.

The art and animation could have been better, but were still good. the characters personalities tended to go a little too far into the extreme for my tastes. the storyline was excellent however. reminded me a lot about the stories of king arthur.

So, if you are thinking of watching this anime enough to be reading the reviews, then it is worth the time to watch, if you are into fantasy or medieval fantasy, this is a good one for you to watch.

Last updated Saturday, December 12 2009. Created Saturday, December 12 2009.
Rent Jan-Chan [series:2086#967]
Hummm... too much like a RPG computer game or one of those D&D based movies. I am certain that some might like this series, but it does not do too much for me.

If you are interested in Demon-Lord/Harem stories, there is very similar manga series called Shina Dark which dates back to 2006 and can be found at MangaFox.

Last updated Saturday, November 21 2009. Created Saturday, November 21 2009.
Buy 10 10 10 10 Xenoknight [series:2086#2967]
HONORABLE MENTION ANIME WINNER - Best Video-Game Adaptation Thus Far

still trying to bring myself to watch the final ep....

Ep 25: The brilliance of action and story merge again to form a great episode. Our heroes face their last foe only to fail miserably to delay his plans for the destruction of the world. Arthur did prove that things don't always go as planned though. A sudden transition makes things go from bad to worse as a terrible beast is summoned. All is lost until a certain someone returns and evens the odds with some much needed firepower. The stage is set and the die is cast for an aerial battle of epic proportions to end this fantastic series. Amazing ep...

Ep 24: What a furious battle! The enemies attack our respective heroes with hellish abandon. Drwc, especially, puts up a sizable fight against the sibling duo. The UFWs have their pallet for battle quenched in the coliseum as the enemies just keep coming stronger and faster than before. Even Rathty and Llyr rise to the occasion and show what real elves are made of. As the forces of darkness grow stronger, our heroes begin to lose hope. Riannon pulled off a surprising reversal as she owned Drwc with a crippling blow! The small back story with Primula and seeing the flushed face of "Mr. G-status" Ogam was hilarious. Watching Dyrnwyn and Edram resonate and the resulting trashing our heroes are able administer thereafter was well worth it. The gang regroups on the final stage and meets their final enemy. The final two eps are going to be fantastic! Amazing ep...

Ep 23: The battle begins! Everyone gets separated and must face their battles alone. Octavia and Morgan must face their fears in the coliseum while Riannon and Arthur stared in disbelief at the newly reborn Drwc, the priest who summoned Arawn. Watching everyone suffer with unbeatable odds is tough to watch, but a necessary evil nonetheless. Riannon's other self and true name were finally revealed with intriguing effect and resulted with Riannon unlocking a "hidden power". I can't wait to see how this battle will conclude! Great ep...

Ep 22: Incredible storyline. It's episodes like this that put everything into perspective. Arthur finds the legendary sword, Dyrnwyn, and discovers the foundation of all living things forged by the elves and gods. Regulus or "little king" (Pwyll) and Lucifer (Arawn) forge the destiny of the world together with a tale for the ages. The back story is exemplary and we come to understand what Arawn sees in Arthur and the "King's Path". With the light of hope riding on his new blade, Arthur prepares to create a new peace on earth. I am thoroughly enjoying this title. This ep is the "light of brilliance", rekindled...

Ep 21: Lucifer, finally realizing his arrogance, was rather compelling. He disobeyed the other spirits after understanding Myrddin's sacrifice and took matters into his own hands (what would you do if you were to take the shaping of the world into your own hands against all that is mighty?). Back in the present, the battle is becoming more dire and frigid, and our heroes are forced to fall back! Taliesin, having being enlightened, decides to face his hardships head on (!) and has a serious discussion with Arawn. He decides to make a stop to the enemies' advance and performs the "Song of Origin". Arawn and Arthur both have to come to grips that they aren't strong enough yet and vow to get stronger (this scene is important for Arthur's future). Epona lets out her song in appreciation and praises Taliesin for his efforts. Great ep...

Ep 20: Lucifer's back story. His father, Myrddin, was a "G" for realizing everything before anyone else could. It's a shame it filled the entire ep, but now we understand the circumstances of the world thanks to Myrddin's sacrifice. Lucifer is a rookie new spirit, but he quickly becomes one of the twelve white spirits. His pride seems to get the best of him most of the time, but one could say that he pays the highest price for his arrogance. Slow yet informative ep...

Ep 19: The story continues with more intriguing elements to move things along now that the new enemy has been realized. Taliesin is the main star in this ep as his back story and future fears are revealed. Riannon peers into his future and tells of his unavoidable hardships that he must face. The scene with him and Epona is really interesting and helped bring the whole picture together. I didn't like Epona at first, but it just goes to show that nearly every character is important and has an important role to play. Arawn is able to come up with a plan to defend the tribe now that their castle has been ravaged by war and it involves a much higher altitude. Being the "G" that he is, Taliesin gets separated from the group and runs into what seems to be the ghost (recording at least) of Lucifer. What ancient memories await Taliesin in the next ep? The beautiful new end credits (full version at bottom) signifies the beginning of the end now that there is only seven episodes left. What an incredible adventure this has been! Intriguing ep...

Ep 18: An award winner is born! This ep was the last push this title needed to win my award. With a brilliant display of action, art/animation, and overall story quality: the only thing left to do is bask in its glory. Once he regrouped with Ogam's men, Arthur is able to rally a force large enough to face the empire head on. The resulting battle is everything I could've hoped for with death, tears, and a certain character's revival! Seeing the two leaders of the Gael tribe again is enough to give the tribe such a moral boost, that Giaus' men were able to see what "stealing victory from the jaws of defeat" looked like. The final battle between Arthur and Giaus was epic and filled with massively destructive blows. I was mentally right behind Arthur and his excellent swordplay. Octavia and Morgan were great to watch too and they earned the title of "Ultimate Female Warriors" (UFW). Giaus makes a stunning realization and it threw me for a loop that we finally get to see Arawn's real plan. After all is said and done, a new enemy arises and looks 1000 times more of a threat than Giaus ever was. The battle continues and it will only get better from here on! Absolutely brilliant episode...

Ep 17: Arthur makes haste to see Taliesin of the Brigantes tribe. Taliesin stops Arthur again with the "you must defeat me first" crap again, but Arthur shares some of his recent discoveries and revelations about morals and pledges with Taliesin. The attack on Avalon castle is slowly turning in Gaius' favor as his reinforcements arrive along with a massive ram. Giving some credit to Gaius, he does notice that they are fighting for a corrupt empire and he even says that he will start a revolution as soon as he is done with the Gael tribe, but the real question is why does he continue fighting anyway? I think he really just want to fight Arawn and prove his strength to himself and his men (something along those lines). As the situation becomes dire for the Gael tribe, Arthur somehow persuades Taliesin to see the light (LOL - the scene had random sunlight shining on them for no real reason) and he commands the Brigantes tribe to obey Arthur (I love this type of stuff)! He rallies his new force (!) and makes way to save his friends. Things are beginning to come to a close as we enter the final string of episodes. Great ep...

Ep 16: Brilliant episode... Gaius and his men commence the attack on Avalon castle and things begin to look grim. Riannon assumes command and amazing enough, she is able to hold everyone's spirits high despite the ugly situation. Arthur continues to spiral out of control with confusion, doubt, and regret and is seen falling into mental despair! Separated from the Avalon: Ogam, Morgan, Octavia, and a group of Gaellians (probably out hunting) catch wind of the attack, but Ogam convinces them to conserve their strength. He suggests about 4 days as a time limit to wait it out, but Morgan and Octavia come up with a different plan. They break formation and charge the enemy in an attempt to force their way into the Avalon (those two make a superb team). With some help from Rathy (and a hilarious missile attack), they make fools of the invincible empire. Ogam runs into Arthur and their talk is enough to shine the light of hope on the darkness in Arthur's heart. A sudden band of monsters break it all up though and Arthur is able to find himself and his purpose in the midst of the blood bath (brutally violent killings)! Ogam wasn’t playing around with the legend of the dragons and his counter offensive was jaw-dropping (talk about playing it cool). As Riannon's hidden leadership skills continues to shine, more reinforcements advance to increase Gaius's forces! Once again, brilliant ep...

Ep 15: When a man goes against his one and only word, his life is no longer worth the ground he walks on. This saying describes Arthur's entire way of life in one sentence. He swore to avenge his father at any cost, and he is finally able to meet his father's killer in this episode! The person responsible isn't a favorable one for the group, but a promise is a promise and not even Riannon will get in Arthur's way of exacting his revenge. He becomes consumed by his inner demon (understandably so) and charges with every intention to KILL. The end result is tough to watch and the feelings of regret, confusion, and sorrow all combine into one emotion for every member of the Gael tribe (a very emotional scene with exceptional animation). With Arthur mentally f**ked, Riannon emotionally drained, and an incapacitated certain someone - Gaius makes his move and marches his men to attack Avalon! This ep is the turning point for the series and things are going to escalate exponentially from here on. If you were hesitant about this anime so far, or you decided not to watch it altogether; this is the point where I say, "I feel sorry for you..." Stunning ep...

Ep 14: Another solid episode. The funds are starting to dwindle and the Gaellians decide to visit Arawn's grave to "liberate" the remaining treasures that still reside there ripe for the taking. We get some solid action with Thalnos robots and a giant ogre as the last line of defense against grave robbers. After taking care of that bloody mess, we get some elusive back story to the real origins of the tomb and why it was the place of choice for Arawn to be put to rest. A mural depicts an image of the 13 spirits, but there is only 12 in the legend as Arawn explains that one of them was "flawed". Arthur recalls the people in the picture to resemble Arawn (?) and that they look like the people that killed his father! These words weigh heavily on Arawn as there is a secret about the siblings' father's death that he isn't telling them (trouble in the club). On the other side of things, we have Gaius taking some heat for his recent activities as well as the council discovering that the invincible Demon King Arawn is just some drunk whose lazy and does nothing all day long. Gaius is dismissed from the council after being threatened with death and he decides to take the fight directly to his enemies now that his time has finally run out. Great ep...

Ep 13: In order to match Gaius's massive army that is preparing to attack, the Gael tribe decides to call on other tribes in the area that share a similar discontent for the Empire. The Brigantes tribe is the predecessor of the Gael tribe and Taliesin (the music guy) is one of them! In spite of everyone's noble intentions, the tribes cannot come to a decision and decide to fight it out to see how to resolve this issue. Arthur and Taliesin (Tal for short from now on) go at it and Arthur proves once again that conviction and moral values are his greatest weapons. The end result is a reasonable tie and the tribes leave each other with a higher level of respect for one another. I love this show...

Ep 12: Riannon is a "G" for life. In spite of her situation, she is able to walk freely around the place and cook for the soldiers! She sits down with Gaius and they talk about the future of their respective interests. Arawn still has a link with her from when she unconsciously summoned him, so he is able to talk to her heart from a reasonable distance and guide her back home. A very simple yet enlightening episode...

Ep 11: Octavia does it again! The seeds of discontent are planted and the Gael tribe begins to doubt her in light of recent activities. Morgan in particular has an extremely difficult time trying to face Octavia and is torn between confrontational and trusting emotions. On the other side of things, Octavia was trying to protect the tribe and sever her remaining ties to the empire. Lidia forces everyone's hand and causes a small battle to erupt in the forest that night. The duel between Lidia and Octavia is fierce. With the pride and anger of their time together in the past (exceptional back story), they tear into each other. The end result was bitter-sweet and only made me believe in this title's story telling prowess even more. Fantastic ep...

Ep 10: I'm in big trouble with this title it seems. In such a short span of time, I've become so attached to the characters and their personalities that I can't even explain how I feel properly. Maybe it's my "bleeding heart", but I enjoyed this ep with a passion and was all teary-eyed by the end. Watching Octavia slowly convert her feelings and explaining her reasons for joining the empire hit me very hard. Normally, I would be fine, but something about Octavia struck a chord for me and I needed a tissue for reasons that still elude me. This was a very special ep for the series as well as myself. Octavia grows accustomed to the Gaellian way of life and their "family first" way of doing things. She was able to close a painful chapter in Morgan's past and was able to show Arthur a thing or two about combat. I had to watch this ep twice in order to realize the impact Octavia had on me and I was proud that this story took this route. I really loved the epic dual at dawn between her and Arthur while being bathed in the fresh morning mist surrounded by the entire tribe. It just proves this title has immense quality elements that will flourish beautifully down the road. This title is phenomenal...

Ep 9: This title has officially evolved into something that is of a completely different caliber than that of how it began: action, the characters' resolve, the characters themselves and their personalities, the honor amongst warriors, storyline, visuals, episode planning, and how it all fits in general. Arawn is such a "G" with how he handled the Octavia situation! I have fallen in love with this title and will give it the "must see" Buy rating!!! 9/26 eps is all it took to win me over. What will I do when I consider the rest of the series!?

I wonder if it's my imagination, or is it that I can see an award-winner beginning to mature in the form of "best video-game adaptation". The standards have been raised yet again and the test for supremacy has begun for this title.

Ep 8: Rublum, the crimson army, is a public security force of the Imperial Senate under direct control of the surveillance bureau and their commander is a fierce, battle-tested woman named Lidia. Their main job is to destroy unfavorable elements tied to the empire. Lidia exchanges some tough words with Gaius about the rising Gael situation and his failure to stop them. She is tasked with quelling the Gaellians and sets out with only one ship of soldiers to face them! They make landfall in the brilliantly blazing red sunset (beautiful animation paired with stunning art work) and marches to battle. Arthur makes a rash decision to attack the enemy head-on, thinking they were as weak as the last group. The battle is fierce as the Gaellians have never encountered an enemy of this skill level before. A quick spell buys them time to retreat and Rublum does the same for now. Arthur curses himself for meaninglessly giving the order to charge. Looking at his wounded tribe and taking full responsibility for their utter defeat, Arthur begins to spiral into depression and regret. Arawn snaps him out of it and gives him a stern talking to about how to pick yourself up when you are knocked down. There next bout with the enemy will have to be just as fierce an attack in order to purify there sullied honor in battle. Back in the empire, Octavia stumbles onto something and is...

Come on Arthur, it's easy to win against them. All you have to do is "whack whack" and you'll defeat them. LOL

Ep 7: Coliseum battles galore! The fierceness of battle is always a great refresher for any series. The gang, by the request of Morgan as she is in search of a valuable item, goes to a coliseum tournament hosted by the Imperial army to check out the enemies' skills. After a rough intro with a small mining elf, Octavia enters the arena and her opponent is her commander. With little effort, she is able to defeat him but he had a trap planned for the match. Several archers on horseback enter the fray and Octavia is dangerously outnumbered. Morgan, inspired by Octavia's performance and sheer dominance over a man, rushes to her aid and together they thin the enemy ranks. Octavia exacts her revenge on the commander with a swift slash to his sword arm. Later, the little mining elf introduces himself as Rathty (after the whole, "Is that Arawn-sama"? and "Please forgive my insolence" routine). With that, the Gaellians gain a new and powerful ally, both in making arms and in battle. A certain commander of a powerful army prepares to move out...

Ep 6: All right! Things are getting really good now. We meet Llyr (pronounced "sweeeere" - explain that one to me) and she becomes Arawn's third wife by a random and honest mistake. She is a welcome addition to the team with her powerful spear thrusts, though she is practically useless everywhere else. The enemy is on the move and the superior officer orders his second in command, Octavia, to prepare the troops for a surprise attack. She knows better and is against it, but is quickly reminded of her place. With a stunning display of crisp/clean animation, the battle in the forest was gorgeous to watch and was high in the visuals department. With an equal display of cowardice on the enemy superior's part, Octavia has to order a full retreat on his behalf. The jerk is seen cutting the bridge and leaving several of his men to fall to their deaths (Octavia was able to hold on for dear life). Arthur sees this cowardly act and vows never to sacrifice his men like that. I can feel Octavia is going to be a huge success in this title. Her reasons for fighting are solid (though she is on the wrong side) and she will follow her heart no matter what. Now things are getting really good...

Ep 5: The enemy commander shows his tactical prowess in this ep. Eager for food and supplies, the Gaellians take a bold step into enemy territory (incognito) to get some insight into how things are run in those parts. Seeing an opportunity, the Gaellians seize the enemy in route with some supplies in tow. Only thing is that Gaius was one step ahead of them and filled the crates with sand! Word of this attack will reach Gaius soon and they need to prepare for an attack. While hunting that night, the tribe accidentally summons a woman (?) who comes walking out of the sea.

Ep 4: Arawn's old castle is HUGE! Talk about upgrade. The tribe goes from huts and living in the wilderness, to a giant castle town fit for the Gods! We get some back story into Arthur's reasons for hating angels. Several new followers of Arawn's previous life make an appearance: a pair of house elves and one elf that has been protecting the castle all this time. The search for food was cool and was attributed to its RPG roots. Also, the talk between Riannon and Arawn was very informative and was interesting how he was actually able to tell her that the God in question isn't in pain anymore. Meanwhile, the enemy is on the move...

Ep 3: Arawn scores his second wife (!), Morgan, by sparing her life instead of taking her head which is dictated in the covenant as the price for failure. The Gael tribe undergoes a mission to recapture their ships in order to traverse the sea to reach the land of the Holy Empire, Albion, to wage war. The Gaellians were able to easily take back the ships with a great deal of violent swordplay, but Arawn ran into Gaius, the commander of the Albion expeditionary force, and they have a little chat about Arawn's intentions. After leaving with a mere cut on his right hand, Arawn lets Riannon and Morgan attempt to treat his wound and they were fighting over who gets to lick it (it was kind of pathetic). Ogam, tribe advisor I believe, comes in and heals it with magic while they both discuss how things have been in the world while Arawn was away. Later, Arthur challenges Arawn again and this time, it's a test to see if Arawn really is fit to make his sister happy. After admitting defeat, Arthur pleads Arawn to make Riannon happy and Arawn agrees. The next morning, land is spotted on the horizon.

Ep 2: Apparently, "Demon King" is a title given to Arawn by the humans. He is tough, but has a gentleness to him that has instantly won Riannon's heart. As cliché as the "fall in love at first sight" theme is, Riannon abandons all reason and dubs Arawn the next tribe chief!!! The sudden comedy was a sign of relief that this title isn't as strict in its story-telling as it seemed to be in episode one. The Empire is clearly at fault in this matter, but their going to fight the Gael tribe anyway! This upcoming battle is a big misunderstanding and the Empire isn't going to prove their innocence to a bunch of rebellious punks it seems. Arthur's war speech was a brilliant display of flame and valor, though lacking some crucial words. This war is serious flaw in foundation quality if you ask me. The next ep promises some new and interesting characters, so there is even more reason to look forward to this title. I like it so far and I'm going to keep watching.

First Impression: I can't shake the feeling of seriousness I get from this title. It didn't even try to put up an attempt to win the viewer over. The first ep was just very serious with some action and killing. I appreciate the seriousness, but a little comedy or something fun to start us off would have been (always is) a better approach in my opinion. Riannon, our female lead who isn't just a normal girl, is coerced into becoming a sacrifice for Arawn's resurrection (the evil Demon King from the days of old). As the Age of Iron (humans) comes to an end, there are those who still wish to rule the world through chaos and destruction. Riannon's brother, Arthur, is the leader of a small fighting force (The Warriors of Gael) and they stand as the sword and shield of the village. As Arthur makes a valiant push to save his sister (while losing his men along the way), he appears to be too late. Riannon is already staring face to face with the Demon King (his summoning sequence was impressive). All I can say is that there is a strong back story saving this title from the "instant hate". It's still early so let's have faith...

For those with the same musical inclinations as myself.

"Free and Dream"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo2_d2hLy4U

For those with the same musical inclinations as myself.

"Blue Sky True Sky" (HD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB3mjnIudvg&feature=related

For those with the same musical inclinations as myself.

"Weeping Alone" (HD)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VMVbDf8pvE

Check out my award list to see some of the best anime titles in the world!

Never forget Xenosaga.

Last updated Monday, September 20 2010. Created Friday, May 08 2009.
Unevaluated Stretch [series:2086#628]
(One episode watched):

Nowadays any show which begins with a preamble about an age of gods and heroes automatically has one strike against it before even stepping up to the plate, IMO. I am really tired of being patronized by crappy shows which somebody presumptuously thought I would actually enjoy. I mean, if they are not even going to try to inject a little originality into this offering, what right does it have to even occupy valuable airtime? The only good thing I can say about Tears to Tiara is that the spirited OP sequence raised my hopes briefly, but they were swiftly dashed. This seemed a two-dimensional tale of the 100% good versus the 100% evil, i.e, boring. 'Hurry up and be over with' was the thought running through my mind as I watched. If it hadn't been fairly violent, I'd have thought this was a children's show. I've decided not to watch this one, instead I'll go with The Guin Saga as my fantasy series of the season. To use some more baseball terminology, Tears to Tiara unceremoniously struck out--except it called so many time-outs that it took 23 minutes to do so!

Last updated Monday, May 11 2009. Created Tuesday, April 14 2009.

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