MÄR

Ginta Toramizu, an otaku-ish high school student, has had his 102nd dream of a fantasy world that goes by the name of MÄR-Heaven, and is subsequently subjected to many jeers from his classmates because of that, save for his childhood friend Koyuki. One day when he is briefing her on his newest dream, a phantom clown appears and claims him as the chosen Earth dweller to be permitted entrance into that very same wonderland. His embarkment into MÄR-Heaven is greeted by the meeting with a mysterious, beautiful witch named Dorothy and primary knowledge of the powerful magical artifacts existing worldwide – the ÄRMs.

After aiding Dorothy on her ÄRM hunt, Ginta's forfeited the ownership of the dormant legendary ÄRM Babbo, a sentient weapon that is just as vexing as it is fabled. Ginta's and Babbo's bickering eventually leads to their newly founded company crumbling, landing Babbo in the hands of two ÄRM thief con men, Moku and Chapu. However their identity is quickly exposed, and after Ginta forcibly reclaims Babbo, the two reconcile.

Ginta's traveling leads him to the house of Jack, a father-orphaned farmer of Ginta's age living with his hospitable mom. They befriend each other after the two vagrants help him outfight the Rogelu brothers, two werewolves terrorising Jack's farming, and Jack decides to accompany Ginta on his way to find a way back to Earth.

The trio arrives at Pezu, a small town where Jack does his trading. As their efforts to search out the occult clown Dimension ÄRM turn fruitless, more trouble's to come: Ginta's again robbed of Babbo by the Stanley bandit. When the boy fights to recover his ÄRM, one unlikely hand of help extends from Alviss, a mysterious yet hostile boy introducing himself as the one who summoned Ginta to MÄR-Heaven using the "Monban Piero" clown ÄRM.

Alviss’ arrival brings a dark secret to light: the existence of a rebellious military faction known as the Chess Pieces army, which 6 years ago came within an ace of conquering MÄR-Heaven before it was quelled by the world's guardians, the Cross Guard soldiers; and the need to dispose of Babbo due to its gory history of massacring people alongside the Chess un-dead commander, Phantom. Much persuasion, and even retaliation (though vain) is needed from Ginta to change Alviss’ mind, including a promise to get stronger. Meanwhile, in a lightning-zapped graveyard, one bevy of masked warriors salutes a man, seemingly resurrected from inside his tomb, whom they addresses as "No.1 Knight Phantom".

Soon after the confrontation with Alviss, Ginta & co. encounter Edward, a small dog-man introducing himself as the custodian of Snow, a princess currently fleeing from her stepmother queen, an insatiable woman who, out of desire for the world's throne, makes attempts on her stepdaughter's life to reign over the entire kingdom. On Edward's request to rescue the princess, who at the moment is dying inside a frosted palace, Ginta discovers that 1) the girl bears an exact resemblance to his Earth friend Koyuki and 2) the minions (Ian and Loco) that the queen sends after the princess turn out to be none others than Chess Pieces.

Ginta's clash with one of the two Chess Pieces, Ian, tends to favour the latter as Ginta's far too inexperienced and unequipped for the use of Babbo. As the situation necessitates it, Edward reverts to his second form, Alan, a man with yet to be revealed identity but much dreaded by the Chess members, buying Ginta enough time to unfreezes Snow and (accidentally) exchanges a kiss with her. In the middle of the confusion, Halloween, a Knight of the Chess Pieces – an acquaintance with whom Alan stays in discordance – arrives to summon his subordinates back for the Chess Pieces' official issuing of war declaration against MÄR-Heaven.

Phantom, the "No.1 Knight" zombie from the resurrection assembles all Chess Pieces warriors in the hall of a levitating castle and loses no time raising his men's esprit de corps with the long-awaited declaration of the 2nd Marchen war. At the same time, Ginta's gang meets with Dorothy; and Alan sends all four of them into the training dimension of "Training Gate" (Shuuren no mon) for a quick fighting coaching, knowing time's running out.

Inside the Gates, Ginta and Snow, Dorothy and Jack, each group greets their respective training navigator Meriro (a soft-spoken, cute nekomimi) and Bumolu (a dumpy and foul-mouthed catwoman) and enters their training session: Ginta learns of the truth behind Babbo's fame as a legendary ÄRM – the ability to metamorphose into 8 powerful versions, and Jack gets his incapable scoop ÄRM upgraded with Dorothy's magic stones. Outside, Alan accosts the aforementioned Alviss, whom he recognizes as a fellow Cross Guard member 6 years ago, though was a child at that time.