Along with Peter Pan and the Pirates, Pirates of Dark Water and Fish Police, The Legend of Prince Valiant gets my vote as one of the most overlooked animated series ever. Why so? Being a 17 year old girl, I thought this wouldn't be my style, but how wrong I was. This series is a gem, and is a animated series that is seriously needed to get animation back on track. There is something for everyone, boys will love the action, girls will love Rowanne and adults will be able to guess who voices which character, admire the detailed artwork, the beautiful theme tune and the messages it tries to convey.
The animation is simply wonderful, as well as colourful and vibrant it is also very detailed, especially the crisp backgrounds. The title song is stunning, not only does it have a gorgeous melody, but also I think a powerful message in a spiritual sense. And the incidental music is truly beautiful. I loved the characters, Prince Valiant and Arn aren't portrayed as selfish but instead courageous, and Rowanne is a beautiful engaging character. And who better to voice these characters other than Robby Benson, Michael Horton and Noelle North. All three of these talented actors brought appeal and earnestness into characters that could easily have been nothing special.
The other members of the voice cast also do brilliantly, particularly Efrem Zimbalist Jnr, Alan Oppenheimer, Jeff Bennett, Samantha Eggar and Tim Curry. And their characters were just as fully fleshed as the three title characters. I especially liked the fact that Merlin is very wise here, and often seen as the voice of reason. When I think of King Arthur, I have always thought Merlin as wise, clever, well looked up to and well-meaning, and that was exactly how he was portrayed here. The story lines are also outstanding, bringing sophistication, humour, depth and even poignancy to the series, and the writing is first-rate. This is definitely one of the in-depth animated series I have had the privilege of watching. The amount of depth involved was one of the main reasons why I love Peter Pan and the Pirates so much.
All in all, a very deep, in-depth and detailed animated television series. This is an amazing series, that deserves to be watched again, even if it's just on YouTube. Not only does it entertain, but it also teaches without preaching. My younger brother, who's 14 absolutely loves this, and so do I. I thought it wouldn't be my thing, and you know what I am so glad I gave it a chance, because it is really as amazing as people say it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox
