Can’t shake the deep sense of sadness after watching LoTR Trilogy again

You’re talking about the best fantasy ever written and the best trilogies ever made. Nothing quite like it. I hope the Geeks help you out. I have no suggestions, but I did like The Forgotten Warrior Series by Larry Correia, staring with Son Of The Black Sword. Has familiar tropes, but it’s pretty good. Geeks might suggest One Piece?

Probably shouldn’t respond because the people on this site are FAR more well read than myself.

I feel your pain and share it. Someone posted a meme last week of Matt Murdock sitting with Stick in the park, so I went back and watched all 3 seasons of Netflix Daredevil. Felt nothing but pain and rage at how they destroyed that show and especially, the Kingpin character. That show was on Reacher level. It pissed me off even more. We can never let up on them. They did the same thing with Rings of Power, Willow, Wheel of Time, all ruined.

If you can do anime/animations, maybe try Studio Ghibli productions; “Spirited Away” in particular comes to mind.

One of the better fantasy anime I’ve seen is Yona of the Dawn. There is one problem with it; the story in the manga has gone well past where the anime has ended.

There’s an older series called Record of Lodoss Wars. It has a very D&D feel to it.

I’ll also recommend Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The setting is more modern, but it has great characters, and while there are some pretty dark moments it is overall hopeful.

Trigun is mostly a blend of western and sci-fi, though there is a small but important fantasy-like element, but I think it may be the kind of story you’re looking for–a good guy who’s beliefs and ideals are put to the test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OxFSy8G5wka

Haibane Renmei is a favorite of mine, but I’m recommending it with some hesitation, as it may not be the kind of story you’re looking for. It’s not a series with lots of action and fighting, nor is it really a normal fantasy type of story.

Appreciate the suggestions from the Geeks. Sharp people. Knew they’d come thru, somehow.

Unfamiliar with most, but must address Blue Eye Samurai for a brief moment. This show is woke, but it is excellent. Good characters and writing and lines and philosophy.

Below is one of the first duels. At about the :30 second mark, there is an amazing sequence where the Samurai sees the outcomes of various attacks based on footwork, so the viewer can see the timeline play out. This is exactly the kind of thing that DUNE should have done with Paul Muad’Dib or Miles Teg where they have some kind of pre-cog, clairvoyant, future-sight. I know they showed it in the first movie, but I think Blue Eye Samurai did it much better in showing how that kind of ability would be like a superpower in winning battles.

Here are a couple of final recommendations from me, for more recent series.

Frieren is actually still ongoing. It’s one I’ve like a lot. It’s a good twist on a common fantasy type of story.

A couple of years ago, 86 was a bit of a surprise, and by the time the series ended I was close to putting it among my top-ranked anime series. It’s well worth giving a shot. As an aside, I like the soundtrack, too.

Have not seen Season 1 of this, but it will take something extra to ever get to that LOTR level again. One key thing that was said was if there is anything beautiful in it. It’s one thing to make a recommendation of something good or something adequate, but to have that extra artistic type of soul or spark is something that may no longer exist in the modern era because the values and traditions have changed so much.

Premise
The series relates the adventures Igiby family, made up of grandfather Podo, mother Nia, and three children, Janner, Tink, and Leeli. They discover secrets of their family history, then run the evil Fangs of Dang who are occupying the country of Skree where the Igibys were raised. They combat Gnag the Nameless, the master of the Fangs. The story takes place in the fantasy world of Aerwiar, which has not developed electricity or firearms and which has a number of strange creatures.

The show went through another round of crowdfunding with investment platform Angel Studios in May 2021. The campaign was able to raise $5 million in total, with $1 million being raised in the first 48 hours. This campaign met its goal, raising enough money to fund the production of Season 1, which covered and adapted the events of the first book. The first episode, Leeli and the Dragon Song (later renamed Leeli and the Sea Dragon Song), released on December 2 free on the Angel Studios app, YouTube, and Facebook. The second and third rounds of crowdfunding for Season 2 began soon after with a goal of $6.5 million. Production began in 2023 on Season 2, which covers the first half of Book 2, with a planned release date of early 2024. The series is being distributed by Angel Studios.