Suikoden

Skipping over the myth of souls reborn, this was a fantastic series of good vs evil, many battles won by evil, but never the war. It raises the question of whether, seeing that illusion exists, life itself is a mere illusion - evil seems to prefer the idea of moral unaccountability, whereas good is prepared to face reality & unselfishly die for what is right. The main protagonist is Lin Chung, sword master. He forms the hub of a resistance movement. The agent of darkness is Kao Chui, risen from insignificant society to prime minister, looking to undermine his sovereign & rule China. Real heroes & villains. It should not be forgot. Downsides exist, such as some buffoonery where there should be seriousness, and the backdrops (eg landscape & moonscape).