Record of Lodoss War is, actually, the subject of several essays about American cultural hegemony. Some arguing that it demonstrates it, some that it subverts it, most that it’s a complicated story of how cultures intertwine.

Of course, the reaction among American fans to Lodoss is also interesting — considering how early it got picked up and what a wide fan base it got here, as opposed to other fantasy Anime back in the day.

So whatever it was to the Japanese audience (complicated, I’m sure), the fact that it came from Japanese/American exchanges and then came back to America to be used over and over again as proof of the universality of American tropes is… well. Kinda hegemonic.