Arslan assembles a found family to save a kingdom by understanding enemies instead of just killing them, which stands out immediately in a genre that usually treats conquest as a math problem. The OVA refuses to waste time on filler, spending its six episodes building characters you'd follow into a real war. Daryun's loyalty, Narsus's strategy, Gieve's recklessness, Farangies's strength, and Arslan's refusal to become the cynical prince he's supposed to become. It ends before it resolves everything, which is frustrating, but what it actually completes, the bonds between these five, hits harder than a full series that forgets why you started watching.

Prince Arslan sees his kingdom overrun when the armies of Pars, undone by betrayal from within and dark sorcery, fall to the zealous warriors of Rucitania. Fleeing the ruin of his homeland, he gathers five remarkable allies: a priestess, an exiled warrior, a playful minstrel, a perceptive artist and the artist's attendant. These five become the foundation of something larger. What begins as an escape turns into the start of a rebellion, as the young prince and his companions set out to raise an army against 300,000 trained soldiers. The mysterious Lord Silver Mask, who claims the throne of Pars for himself, stands among their enemies. Action and intrigue collide in this six-episode fantasy OVA as a small band becomes the hope of a conquered nation.