Dragon Knight: Wheel of Time

Growing up as the son of a legendary knight means living in the shadow of his father's reputation. That would be pressure enough on its own — but then a dark sorcerer named Lucifon starts marching his armies across the kingdom, and a creeping black mist turns everyone it touches into stone. Classic problem for a hero's kid to deal with. Kakeru gets pulled into the quest anyway, guided by a mysterious swordsman named Eto and joined by a crew of capable, mostly female warriors who each bring something different to the fight. This 4-episode OVA from 1998 is an adult fantasy adventure in the vein of La Blue Girl or Bible Black — meaning the fantasy quest framing is genuine, not just window dressing, but the hentai content is definitely there and very much the point. If you've watched Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend and wanted something with a lighter tone and a more traditional RPG party setup, Dragon Knight 4 lands closer to that territory. It's based on a visual novel, and that lineage shows — there's actual character variety and a sense of progression as the group pushes deeper into Lucifon's territory. The animation holds up reasonably well for its era, and the character designs are distinct enough that the cast feels like a real party rather than interchangeable faces. Go in knowing what it is and it delivers on its premise without pretending to be something else.