Genmu Senki Leda

For a year and a half, Youko Asagiri has fostered an unrequited love for one of her classmates. To express her affection, she composes a piano solo that she plans to show him when she confesses. When the moment of truth comes, however, Youko is not brave enough to speak to her classmate, and the ground suddenly swallows her up!

In an instant, Youko finds herself in the mysterious realm of "Ashanti." She quickly makes friends with a talking dog named Lingam, who explains that Ashanti is a sister realm of "Noa," the realm that Youko came from. The two worlds were once connected, but they were separated long ago by the warrior Leda in order to protect the people of Noa. Now, Youko's arrival has temporarily opened a path between the realms, which the evil forces of Zell intend to make permanent.

The forces of Zell steal Youko's cassette player under the belief that it is the mythical "Heart of Leda," a necessary artifact for their nefarious plans. However, Youko manages to evade their capture by transforming into Leda's warrior. With these new powers, will she be able to protect the people of Noa and return to her own world?

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Asagiri, Youko Main

Tsuru, Hiromi Japanese

Yoni Main

Sakamoto, Chika Japanese

Lingam Main

Tomiyama, Kei Japanese

Zell Supporting

Ikeda, Shuuichi Japanese

Yuyama, Kunihiko Director, Script

Matsuura, Noriyoshi Sound Director

Takegami, Junki Script

Inomata, Mutsumi Storyboard, Character Design, Animation Director

Reviews

Jan 11, 2026

7gatsu

Recommended

Genmu Senki Leda is a 1985 OVA that perfectly captures the experimental spirit of Japanese animation from that era. While it is by no means the first isekai, it stands as one of the strongest examples of the genre of the decade, thanks to its striking aesthetics, solid fantasy foundations, and the presence of a beautifully designed warrior heroine.

Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama (whose notable works include episodes of Ginga Tetsudou 999 and Yattodetaman, as well as the 1986 film Windaria) the OVA places a strong emphasis on oneiric imagery and dreamlike transitions, which blend seamlessly with the narrative. For a production released in 1985, the ... animation is remarkably fluid and vibrant, with bold colors that bring its fantasy world to life, making it both visually credible and aesthetically captivating.

The soundtrack is arguably one of the OVA’s greatest strengths. Its pervasive 1980s-style synthesizer score amplifies the sense of wonder and melancholy that runs throughout the story. Overall, Genmu Senki Leda is a must-watch for animation enthusiasts: despite some pacing issues, it delivers a well-crafted and concise experience that knows when to end and never outstays its welcome.

Story: 1.5/2
Direction: 1.5/2
Animation: 1.5/2
Characters: 1/2
Music: 1.5/2
Bonus points: 1/2

Final score: 8/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Sep 25, 2025

Milakochan

Recommended

I thought this was going to be some cheap anime with a sultry maim character but it's actually quite good. The difference between this one and Windaria is that even though both have the topic of love underlying, Windaria makes it it's main subject with poor decision choices by the characters and overall message that didn't age well whereas this one uses love as the catalyst of the story.

Both animation are topnotch as far as vintage anime is concerned. The enjoyment for this one is 8/10 for me. If you're between both of then I'd choose this one to watch. Did I mention they are ... from the same animation group? They are. So there's that. The character designe is quite similar.

The story of this one might be a bit too linear without not many surprises underneath. The other one is just a mess of multiple characters. Maybe the main focus of this animation company was never the script to begin with haha.

My overall rating is 7.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 25, 2014

Fel_Temp

Mixed Feelings

I feel like I liked this more than I should. I mean the plot is pretty bare bones and kind of dumb, but there's something weirdly charming about the package as a whole. The world is distinctive and well designed, and after watching n a whole bunch of 80s OVAs lately, it's really nice to see mechs that aren't just designed to look like they came out of Gundam or Macross. That said, what really elevates this into something decent is the direction. Yuyama kept this whole thing surprisingly atmospheric, and he gave us some pretty good action setpieces. ... Seriously, these things were good enough to make me like an anime where a girl gets bikini armor and super powers after falling into a flower for no adequately explained reason.

I don't know if I'd quite call this a hidden gem or anything, but I had a good time.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Genmu Senki Leda Episode 1 Discussion Noodle070 - Mar 20, 2016	18 replies	by TheSelleri »» Aug 13, 2025 12:15 AM
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