Best Fantasy Anime of 1997

When a demon-possessed boar attacks his Emishi village, young prince Ashitaka risks his life to defend his people. As the beast dies, it places a curse upon his arm, granting him supernatural strength while slowly draining his life force. Following the advice of the village elders, he journeys westward in search of a cure and arrives at Tatara, the Iron Town. There, he becomes caught in a bitter struggle: Lady Eboshi of Tatara, who relentlessly clears the forests, stands opposed to Princess San and the sacred spirits of the woods, enraged by humanity's destruction. As the forces of nature and civilization clash in a desperate fight for survival, Ashitaka seeks a way to bring peace between them, all while wrestling with the growing demon inside himself. Princess Mononoke tells the story of the bond between technology and nature, revealing the harmony attainable through mutual understanding.

Guts, who will later be known as the Black Swordsman, is a young mercenary traveling from place to place, recognizable by the enormous greatsword he carries. He takes on jobs that pay the most, but never stays with any group for long—until he comes across the Band of the Falcon. After completing a job, Guts is ambushed and defeats many members of the band in combat. Griffith, the founder and leader of the Band of the Falcon, becomes interested in Guts and challenges him to a duel. Though the other members are no match for Guts, Griffith defeats him with a single blow. Incapacitated and brought to the Band of the Falcon's camp to recover, Guts awakens two days later. He confronts Griffith, and they duel again, this time under a condition: if Guts loses, he must join the Band of the Falcon. Because of his still-healing injuries, Guts loses the fight and is inducted by Griffith. Over the next three years, Guts rises to become one of the Band of the Falcon's commanders. On the battlefield, his combat skill is second only to Griffith's, as he takes on large groups of enemies by himself. With Guts' immense strength and Griffith's leadership, the Band of the Falcon dominate every battle they fight. But something sinister lurks in the shadows, threatening to change Guts' life forever.

Pokémon are peculiar creatures with a wide range of abilities and appearances; many people, known as Pokémon trainers, capture and train them, often for the purpose of battling others. Young Satoshi has not only dreamed of becoming a Pokémon trainer but also a "Pokémon Master," and on his 10th birthday, he finally gets a chance to make that dream come true. Unfortunately for him, all three Pokémon available for new trainers have already been taken, leaving only Pikachu, a rebellious Electric-type Pokémon. However, this chance meeting would mark the beginning of a lifelong friendship and an epic adventure! Setting off on a journey to become the very best, Satoshi and Pikachu travel across beautiful, expansive regions with their friends Kasumi, a Water-type trainer, and Takeshi, a Rock-type trainer. But danger lurks around every corner. The infamous Team Rocket is always nearby, trying to steal powerful Pokémon through devious schemes. It will be up to Satoshi and his friends to stop their efforts as he also strives to earn the eight Pokémon Gym Badges needed to challenge the Pokémon League and eventually claim the title of Pokémon Master.

For almost a thousand years, a magical barrier erected by demons has trapped its inhabitants from accessing the outside world. Now that the barrier has been shattered, various kingdoms are eager to explore the territories that were previously out of reach. To facilitate this, they form a peace delegation to establish contact with the people living in this newly accessible realm. In the meantime, the young sorceress Lina Inverse receives a communication from a mysterious figure named Filia ul Copt. Upon meeting, Filia reveals her intention to hire Lina and her companions for a mission leading to the outside world, citing their renowned past exploits. However, she first demands a demonstration of their power, forcing them to battle a dragon in the heart of the city. Once they have proven their worth, Lina and her fellow adventurers journey into the uncharted lands, where they encounter numerous adventures and face a troubling prophecy.

After Junpei's failed second attempt to transport everyone back to Japan, the four of them resume their quest to collect runes by stripping them from the skin of Elven females. Celsia is cursed into the form of another animal this time.

In a world where humans and monsters live side by side, Sasahara Natsuki is a bounty hunter struggling with poverty. Most of her jobs involve monsters infringing on the rights of humans, who are legally shielded from their generally stronger neighbors. As a half-human, half-cat-beast hybrid, Natsuki exists between both societies and works to understand and respect each while upholding the law. She is aided by a werewolf named Batanen, who is too afraid to confess his love for her; another werewolf, Tommy; and a Kyubi fox demon named Sakura, who harbors her own intentions—including eating Natsuki to finish her nine tails and thus unlock her full magical power.

Maze awakens in her home, which is completely destroyed, and she has no memory of what happened. Before she can figure things out, a girl named Mill bursts in, thanking Maze for saving her life. Mill explains that Maze's house suddenly fell from the sky, crushing the pursuers who had been chasing her. Soon after, the two are fleeing from more enemies who want to capture Princess Mill. They manage to escape only when Maze discovers she can use phantom light magic and summon Mill's family heirloom mecha. However, Maze's performance piloting the mecha is weak—until night falls and she transforms into a lecherous man. Other travelers eventually join them as Maze struggles to protect Mill and uncover her own purpose in this fantasy world.

The citizens of the Crayon Kingdom see Princess Silver as a sweet twelve-year-old with a lovely smile, unaware that she harbors twelve bad habits. This secret causes great anxiety for Chameleon Prime Minister and the other ministers, who fear the embarrassment if the truth were revealed. During a party celebrating Silver’s twelfth birthday, she becomes so focused on finding her Prince Charming that she neglects to monitor her own behavior. One of the male guests, enraged by the situation, turns the King and Queen into stone. To lift the curse and rescue her parents, Silver embarks on a quest to find the boy, starting her adventure alongside her new companions.

Hareluya Hibino's sole aim is to dominate the entire world. Even though he appears rough, he has a good heart, and when necessary, he goes out of his way to assist others. Alongside Kiyoshiro, a budding artist, Hareluya faces whatever challenges life presents.

Our story takes place in a world parallel to our own. We meet Pastel, an orphan girl of 18, who shares a small house with a band of adventurers. She works as a writer and also a "mapper," creating sketches and illustrations of towns, countryside, rivers, and mountains. Pastel is highly esteemed by her companions for her remarkable intelligence and honesty. Living with Pastel are Clay, a young swordsman; Trapp, the son of a bandit chieftain; Kitton, literally a walking dictionary and a descendant of the Kitton family; Knoll, a large man with a gentle heart; Whitey, a baby dragon; and Rumy, an infant sorcerer from the tribe of "Elf." Together, this eccentric group gets caught up in various mysterious adventures—from treasure hunting and searching for a missing person to solving a riddle and many more unexpected quests.

Aoi is an ordinary boy afflicted by a curse that transforms him into a frog whenever he becomes wet. He is transported to a different world that includes a frog kingdom, where he must locate the princess to break the spell. Upon discovering that the princess herself does not know how to remove the curse, the two of them embark on a journey to find the spell that can do so. During their travels, they encounter a variety of fascinating creatures, face numerous perils, and gain many new companions.

The story takes place in the underwater world of Mer. The army of the Bars kingdom, until recently peaceful, launches a terrible war against its neighbors: the Moslem principality and the ancient, glorious kingdom of Agadia. No one can explain how the small kingdom of Bars has obtained such power. In a short time, it manages to challenge much larger and more powerful realms. Meanwhile, two young spiritual knights named Jo and Oz make a living by killing marine monsters. However, the population is not very tolerant of the duo. People fear their powers, seeing them as a potential threat. The pair will unwillingly find themselves fighting the Bars army and the forces of darkness that have taken control of it.

Coji Coji's main focus is simply savoring life and the beauty of nature. In contrast, Coji Coji's companions consist of an eccentric assortment of personalities, each with quirks that often spark conflict among themselves. Coji Coji's laid-back attitude and habit of avoiding duties can occasionally annoy others, yet his innocent insight consistently manages to settle every dispute.