A young orphan named Biwa is taken in by the powerful Taira Clan—also known as the Heike—after their
leader witnesses her extraordinary psychic abilities. Unfortunately, what she predicts is a future of
bloodshed, violence, and civil war. Inspired by the 12th-century epic tale Heike Monogatari.
(Source: Funimation)
While many people were kindly disheartened by Naoko Yamada’s departure from KyoAni, I see it as a logical step forward in her already auspicious career. Yes, KyoAni is unquestionably an industry leader, pushing the envelope on how visually marvelous anime can be, but at the end of the day, KyoAni still caters to a broad audience—they wouldn’t be as successful as they are if they didn’t. With her latest films being “A Silent Voice” and “Liz to Aoi Tori,” Yamada has been dipping her toes into more experimental media for some time now, and with that requires creative freedom not as easily available at that beloved studio. So her transition to Science SARU—one of the most experimental anime studio to come out in recent years—serves as an exciting foray into the world of arthouse; and adapting a poem as ancient and dense as “The Tale of the Heike” makes this project all the more ambitious. But alas, that ambition might’ve been too great. For those who don’t know, Heike Monogatari is basically the Japanese equivalent of the Iliad and Odyssey; it’s a tale as old as time passed down through many generations. To adapt such a story would be a task so gargantuan, even the most talented of screenwriters would cower at its premise. And yet, Reiko Yoshida—who’s pretty much written all of Yamada’s works—stepped up to the challenge. I respect it, but the narrative was...messy, to say the least. The show kind of expects you to fill in the gaps yourself, but as a Westerner who isn’t too familiar with Japanese literature, the plot lost me more often than I’d like to admit. But that isn’t my fault. The job of a show is to tell a story, not to tell a story I’m supposed to already know: it’s just poor adaptation. There are way too many characters sitting around and talking about the plot, things just happen and I have no idea why, and it has the same problem as The Godfather where there’s a bajillion characters I can’t keep track of (it doesn’t help when so many of their names end with “mori”. Yamada just wasn’t set up for success with such a convoluted script adding so much confusion to the whole experience. On top of that, it was bizarre to see a script play so far away from her strengths as a director. As evident from interviews in the past, Yamada describes herself as a “method” director, taking pride in her ability to get close to her characters’ thoughts and frame of mind. And looking at her filmography, this is her first time directing a story that isn’t set in modern-day Japan, and she seems out of her depth here. Biwa, as an observer-type main character, has next to no presence in the story for most of the runtime, and for a historical-political drama, none of the other characters were all that relatable either; it felt like she was grasping at straws when trying to portray them. Why? There’s too much dialogue. Her characters aren’t allowed enough space to express themselves. Yamada’s style focuses on empathy and all the little emotions we hide in our body language and facial expressions. A common theme among all of Yamada’s works is the deep anxieties the future can hold, and that fear has always been communicated through subtext. I don’t even want to call it subtext, because that implies there are lines of text to read in-between, and her best moments are when there IS no dialogue, conveying emotions purely through audiovisual mastery. Oftentimes, Yamada’s characters aren’t able to process the emotions they’re dealt with. The beauty of K-on is in the senior's naive ignorance of their transient lifestyle. Tamako Love Story captures the unease of facing others’ feelings, including your own. And if “A Silent Voice” didn’t make this clear, emotions are more than just words; it’s not something that can be described, only felt, and she’s consistently delivered on that delicate intimacy until now. Heike Monogatari falls into that anime trap where everything’s overexplained. Characters that somehow have the self-awareness to psychoanalyze everyone including themselves is a trope I despise in drama. So to have Biwa, a literal child, flat-out say that she’s “frightened of the future” in such a pronounced manner was jarring, to say the least. To make matters worse, the show feels tonally all over the place because Yamada was trying to get TOO artsy with it. I never thought Yamada would be one to use vapid metaphorical imagery, but alas, I was wrong. The most egregious example is in episode 6 where Kiyomori sees smoke in the shape of skulls to symbolize his guilt and fear of the recently deceased. Wow, how deep. I swear it looked like a parody scene straight out of Adventure Time; it was horrendous. If it was any other director, I would’ve burst out laughing. And the final nail in the coffin to this bizarre mess of a show is the music. Ushio Kensuke—a composer that previously worked with Yamada on “A Silent Voice” and “Liz to Aoi Tori”—has started to become monotonous. It feels like he’s recycling old ideas in an almost self-plagiarizing way. His music is wonderfully hypnotic and captivating, seducing his audience into a more contemplative headspace to explore the character’s emotions. It was gorgeous, really, but this time felt lackluster and out of place. There were moments with goofy percussion, then 2 seconds later comes the more metronomic pulse of a sentimental piano. Instead of easing the audience into a lull, he’s just telling us how we’re supposed to feel, and that’s annoying. Also, for a period piece, I’m not a fan of him using modern instruments in the soundtrack. Sure, he made sick music in “Devilman:Crybaby” and “Ping Pong the Animation,” but why the hell am I listening to a brisk techno beat in a show set in the Heian Era? And it’s not like it’s a fusion of culture like Samurai Champloo. I honestly think the biggest crime here is the rushed pre-production. I didn’t think Yamada would resort to the occasional still image. Naoko Yamada is a director that excels with time. Back in KyoAni, she had the liberty to completely redo K-on’s character design (a decision that paid off dearly) and she had the luxury to spend 2 trips to London in preparation for K-on the Movie. From what I can tell, Science SARU seems to be facing overproduction issues to the point that Masaaki Yuasa—a director synonymous with the studio—says he himself is burnt out and needs a break. That’s why Yamada’s here. They’re trying to look for freelance directors to diversify their catalog so Yuasa doesn’t have to do everything himself. A classic tale of too much anime, not enough workers. It’s depressing, really. I know I’ve been mostly negative on this review, but that’s only because of my exorbitant expectations for the show. I mean, it’s not all bad. I liked some of the flower imagery. Whenever older Biwa starts hacking away at the biwa (what a dumb idea for a character name) with an intense staccato, it gave me chills. I love the background and how it gives it off the feeling of an old scroll. And I especially love the shots where Biwa is framed with one eye and the other is hidden off-camera. Depending on what eye is shown, it conveys a lot of what she’s thinking. Everything that could’ve gone wrong went horribly wrong, but Yamada still managed to pull out a show that looks better than the vast majority of anime I’ve seen. It was too artsy, too ambitious, but I’d rather have it be too ambitious than not at all. This shows that Yamada is still a top-tier director, but also a painful reminder that no artist is infallible. Despite all of that, Yamada continues to be my most favorite director—not just in anime, but across all media. Having one disappointing project doesn’t change the fact that she created what I believe to be 4 consecutive masterpieces, nor does it diminish the deep catharsis they brought me at points in life I needed it the most. Sure, it could be that this new direction is actually pretty good and I’m too close-minded to see her vision, so I do look forward to revisiting Heike Monogatari after several months of reflection, but for now, I must give it an agonizing 5/10.
Heike Monogatari ou A história dos Heikes, foi e ainda é o anime que eu mais aguardei e que criei mais esperanças nessa temporada, contando com uma soundtrack excelente, uma diretora renomada, uma animação incrível, mas também, uma ambição de ser mais do que realmente acabou sendo. Se passando na época do Japão feudal e mais especificamente no final do século XII, nós acompanhamos nossa protagonista Biwa, uma criança que toca um instrumento do mesmo nome e possuí a peculiaridade de dois olhos de cores diferentes, sendo um deles, capaz de assistir o futuro. Logo de cara achei extremamente interessante a ideia de uma criança poder prever todos os benefícios e malefícios que ocorreriam em sua vida e esperava que explorassem este tema, o que sim acontece, mas não do melhor jeito. No primeiro episódio, o pai de Biwa mesmo aparecendo, pode-se bem dizer que não pode marcar presença, sendo morto por guardas enquanto pai e filha estavam observando seu vilarejo, mas por que o mataram? Adivinha, não explicaram, e se explicaram sinto muito por não prestar nas diversas informações que são mal apresentadas para os viewers. Depois da morte de seu pai, a protagonista é acolhida por Shigemori, o líder do poderoso clã Taira, também conhecidos como os Heikes. Por coincidência, os dois possuem o poder de assistir o futuro, do mesmo jeito que ambos possuem a dor de saber o futuro desastroso que o clã aguardava, uma guerra pintada de vermelho. É aí que a história começa a tomar seu rumo turbulento cheio de inconsequências. São apresentados cada vez mais personagens, e cada um menos importante do que o outro, enchendo sua cabeça de informações que no futuro serão desnecessárias e cobrindo as que realmente irão importar. Isso se juntando com premissas que acabam sendo perdidas no meio da principal, como por exemplo, o encontro de Biwa com sua então não conhecida mãe, apresentado depois de vários episódios do anime e tendo zero de importância pro anime. O que me lembra de como insignificante a protagonista é para a história, tanto que existem episódios que ela é deixada fora de tela e não muda absolutamente tanto no andamento quanto no roteiro em si. Os momentos que eram para ser emotivos são diretamente abalados pela maneira que as informações são apresentadas e pelos personagens que parecem nascer e morrer em questão de segundos, só não chamo tais cenas de medíocres pela direção de arte e trilha sonora divina que salva o anime de ser algo completamente entediante mas que transformam-no em algo vazio e escasso. O que começou sendo o anime mais promissor da temporada, acabou se tornando no que para mim é a possível maior decepção do ano. img2200(https://i.imgur.com/xtGMSJU.jpg) se pelo menos tivesse mais episódios pra desenvolver a história com calma :( __Nota final: 5.5/10__
The original _Tale of the Heike_ (__平家物語, Heike Monogatari__) is a Japanese literary epic detailing the fall of the Taira clan (aka the "Heike" family) in the Genpei War. It's basically Japan's version of something not unlike the Iliad, Odyssey, or Epic of Gilgamesh. Different people throughout the story rise and fall through the last generation of the clan, and central characters in the story switch from one to another. The concept of this adaptation caught my interest, and I was more surprised to hear that it was being directed by Naoko Yamada, best known for directing KyoAni productions such as K-ON! or A Silent Voice. From the get-go, however, I noticed that something about this adaptation was off. Everything that is wrong about this adaptation is present from the very first episode, it doesn't really sink in until a couple episodes later, but eventually you start to realise the show kind of just __expects you to know the story already__. This is the show's biggest cardinal sin, and most of the show's problems derive from this: the pacing is completely rushed. Being an adaptation of a historical epic, character death surrounds Heike Monogatari, but because of the pacing, new characters are introduced quickly just fully expecting you to know them, before they are killed off an episode or two later. Political intrigue is quickly spat through before being dropped, random parts of the story are sped through while others are slowed down, etc. img(https://static0.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/heike-monogatari-header.jpg) To counter this, the show's sole addition of note, __Biwa__ (she is not in the original story), is meant as a permanent point-of-view character, one who remains throughout the entire narrative to make it different and stand out, but instead, really damages it. To add a twist on the story, Biwa can see the future, and pretty much everything that happens to every single character. From the get-go, because of this, we are shown __exactly who dies__, so there is next to no tension present at all. While this might have been an attempt at a reliable anchor throughout the story ~!(midway through, there are hardly any characters present at the beginning of the story who are still alive, or relevant anymore)!~ this approach basically just falls flat on its face. The thing is that while Biwa is introduced, they obviously can't change any of the story beats, so because of this Biwa calls out for every single character just as they are about to die, despite the fact she never warned them in the first place how and when they were going to die when she had perfect knowledge about each death. You could dispute this as a nitpick, except for the fact that in the final episode ~!she actually goes out of her way to save Taira no Tokuko from her fate. This still doesn't change the narrative as she lives in the original story as well, but it still makes you think "Why just her?"!~ Because of this, Biwa is not only a useless character but a despicable one, one who contributes absolutely nothing to the main story (also she kind of just forgets about the Heike killing her dad after the first episode). I was glad halfway through where Biwa was seemingly about to disappear from the story, but then they also decided to add a side plot concerning Biwa and the search for her mother, which really didn't add anything either and had next to zero payoff. She then rejoined the rest of the main cast anyway. And speaking of the cast, apart from maybe Taira no Tokuko and Shigemori every single character's qualities is just sort of glossed over. They feel like mannequins to keep the story moving instead of actual characters. The one thing I liked about Biwa were the scenes where she played the biwa and recited passages from the actual story. This makes sense - Biwa herself is based off biwa hōshi performers, who basically recited passages from the Heike Monogatari, and the art became popular for the next several hundred years, but did she really need to be central to the narrative? I would have rather just read the original. img(https://starcrossedanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heike-Monogatari-8.1.jpg) ~~~_who are these guys?_~~~ Because of Biwa being front and center, you can expect moe-like scenes with Biwa playing with a cat while the actual characters progress the story in the corner of the screen. It's like it's trying to be Yamada-moe, but it's completely out of place in an adaptation of a historical epic. A lot of Yamada-isms like that are in here, and they just don't fit at all. KyoAni's flashy lens flare and artsy background panning is still bizarrely here and it's extremely out of place, since Science SARU's animation is very, very minimal. It's not like their other shows at all, it feels almost low-budget. There's nothing really wrong with the animation when it's functioning, but there's nothing great - there are a lot of stills where there really shouldn't have been. A crucial fight scene in the latter half of the show is reduced to a slideshow. Another is the equivalent of a panning image. It's really strange. This type of show really isn't Yamada's. The music is also bizarre. The OP both visually and audibly makes you think you're watching a slice of life anime, with everyone laughing and being friends, with Biwa being all cutesy. The clash between the OP's style and the actual show feels almost funny in later episodes. The backing soundtrack also does not fit a show like this whatever, with some scenes having Ushio Kensuke's modern guitar or synthesizer present in the background delivering a harsh beat. It's offputting and out of place, and I guess it doesn't really make sense to have the composer of Devilman: Crybaby's soundtrack here as much as I loved how that OST sounded. It's like he was called to fulfill a contract. Mushishi was an example of an anime soundtrack that fully immerses you in the traditional Japanese setting, but here you get electro-industrial at points. Do admit I like the ED though. The show also __doesn't adapt the whole story__, which makes me wonder why there are so many scenes of Biwa pondering obvious things. Some important details of the main story that is adapted are completely skipped or dismissed off screen - some battles are missing, most of chapter 10 is completely missing, the story's climax, chapter 11, only goes as far as the end of the Battle of Dan-no-ura (loosely using content from _The Initiates' Book_ to end the show), and the story's real end, chapter 12, is completely missing too. This show is the kind of show that just exists. It's like a weird vacuum. I learned far more about the story from reading Wikipedia articles, and enjoyed reading passages of the actual story far more than actually watching this (because of the script and pacing). Heike Monogatari feels like I just inhaled 11 episodes of nothing.
~~~ #"Based on a true story." img100%(https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20211020/1634729555.23606.50043.jpg) ~~~ These 5 magic words instantly slap on a layer of authenticity to the story being told. And why wouldn't they? A series of events taking place in real life is a really interesting hook for stories, as the audience is allowed to peer into the lives and experiences of people who have walked on the same Earth. But be it a biopic or historical account, I'm willing to bet that at least some details were tweaked or removed in order for it to better gel with a traditional story structure. So what happens to the stories that get cut, and are they stories worth telling? This question comes to my mind when I take a look at *Heike Monogatari*, an adaptation of Japanese literature with a fresh coat of paint. In it, the show "makes up" new stories - journeys that wouldn't have been originally documented - to be told alongside the old, and the results make for a fascinating watch, albeit one with its fair share of hurdles. So, is this new story one worth telling? Let's find out in this **spoiler-free** review, **Tl;Dr** below. *** ~~~ #*Heike* adapts the classic Japanese collection of text known as *The Tale of the Heike*. img100%(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Heike-Monogatari-05-30.jpg) ~~~ With origins dating back to the 12th Century, the folk stories and subsequent anime adaptation center around the Heike Clan. This tribe can be defined by their skilled warriors of mettle in battle, and the ruthless figurehead who leads them. Kiyomori wants to leave behind an empire, and just might possess the military might needed to secure his lofty ambitions. The glory and fearsome reputation of Kiyomori's Heike is not to be messed with, no matter the cost. Between maintaining a shaky relationship with the Emperor and imposing the clan's power with reckless abandon, the nobility of the Heike hide barbaric means to prideful ends. Amidst the clan's plans for expansion, righteous honor gives way to an insatiable lust for power. But pride spells the tribe's downfall, as dormant foes of the Heike re-emerge to confront a clan in chaos. *Heike* is an age-old testament to the hubris of man, and what happens when you fly too close to the sun. Inherent to the *Heike* experience is the Buddhist influence permeating the narrative. Life and death, growth and decay, rise and fall. Nothing stays forever, and the old must make way for the new. Even a sprawling historical epic is a mere blip in the grand scheme of things, and the Heike's trek towards its inevitable demise is presented as a tragic result of human nature and impermanence. Religion is featured frequently, both within the culture at the time and in occasional occult occurrences, the latter of which lending these folk stories a mythological quality. One such supernatural element gives us a clue of how this adaptation sets itself apart from its source. There is more to this tale than meets the eye(s). ~~~ #We see *Heike* through the heterochromatic lens of the orphan girl Biwa. img100%(https://c.tenor.com/0xalmmu2SagAAAAd/aurelius467385-heike-monogatari.gif) ~~~ Her father was killed in front of her by the hand of Kiyomori's cruel soldiers, her mother is nowhere to be found. A destitute girl named after the string instrument on her back, Biwa has her eyes set on a future beyond a present world that has no place for her. A spiritual ability in her right eye allows her to see how one dies, and she predicts the imminent downfall of the Heike clan. Biwa brings her foreboding prophecy to the Heike capital, where she meets a kindred spirit in Kiyomori's son, Shigemori. He too can observe death, this time in the spiritual realm, where the presence of the dead haunts his waking hours. Upon learning that the Heike were involved in the orphan father's death, Shigemori decides to raise Biwa alongside his children. Growing up with Shigemori's kids and members of high society, Biwa finds an unlikely family. But even these good things aren't built to last; Heike's demise is set in stone. Biwa joins the audience in witnessing the chain of events leading to the clan's undoing and poetic end. What I've just described may not seem all that out-of-place within a Japanese historical drama at first glance. With that said, here's a big twist: Biwa the Orphan is not mentioned once in the original text, and is unique to *Heike*. Her inclusion in this retelling of the story is anime-original. The character's name is a neat homage to the songlike structure of *Heike* 's source material. Before the folk stories of *The Tale of the Heike* were formally compiled in written form, real-life Buddhist monks known as [*biwa hōshi*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biwa_hōshi) verbally spread the Heike's story through song and biwa accompaniment. This reverence of the source material is found all throughout *Heike*, but seems confusingly at odds with Biwa's newfound place in the narrative. What's a fictional, orphan girl doing as the focal point of a decades-long epic of iconic battles and civil unrest? Also, what are the implications of Biwa's contrived powers? Could the new additions to this modern adaptation threaten to undermine the themes of the original tales? ~~~ #*Heike* 's fresh perspectives enhance the age-old themes of its source. img100%(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Heike-Monogatari-05-04.jpg) ~~~ The series uncovers new angles from which to tell its story by shining a light on womanhood in the 12th Century. With her shocking switch from Kyoto Animation to Science SARU, Director [Naoko Yamada](https://anilist.co/activity/210905962) seems to have broadened her focus from portraying femininity to depicting female gender roles. The results her and the production staff came up with are eye-opening and honest. Within this bygone setting, these are women in a man's world, and *Heike* doesn't shy away from how rigid social norms have affected their lives. A key example involves Biwa, who used to be raised as a boy for her safety. Yet her feminine side remains, and that innocent desire to attain inner beauty brings her closer to Shigemori's sister, Tokuko. Betrothed to the Emperor's son as a political tool in an arranged marriage, Tokuko is eventually forced to endure infidelity and motherhood. *Heike* 's somber exploration of womanhood only grows deeper as the series progresses. This is a world where a mother would leave her husband and child for a royal of the Heike, in the name of survival. This is a world where [*shirabyōshi*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirabyōshi) - female dancers who dress as men - are forced into a taxing profession, in constant fear of being discarded by their mighty clients. This is a world where a lucky few assist their ambitious husbands in their unhealthy search for power, because behind every great man is a great woman. This a world where reform for these difficult conditions isn't even considered for discussion, and where the only exit lies in a life of solitude in a monastery. No one has the power to radically fix the rigid systems around them and carve out the life they deserve. The most they can do is bear witness and let human nature run its course, as the Heike's hubris leads them to their grisly end. Biwa's powers don't exist to change destiny, but to confirm it; even the greatest of empires must fall eventually. *Heike* isn't a triumphant tale of seizing our own destinies, but rather a tragedy by the hand of nature. Our selfish flaws are errors that need to be corrected by nature, thereby leading to impermanence and change. And despite the sadness that pervades the story, there is a sense of comfort in knowing that change is possible, even if it's slow. After all, the injustices faced by Biwa, Tokuko and countless others throughout history are now in the process of being rectified within the present age. But how should one deal with that change as it happens? Well, we could take after the Buddhists and sever all our ties to the world. Alternatively, we could choose to live like Tokuko and live for the now - cherishing love and kindness, even though things aren't perfect. Because things won't ever be perfect, but we're working towards it. Best of all, maybe we could embrace the inevitability of change, and pass down the stories of our mistakes. History shouldn't repeat itself, we have to keep moving forward. ~~~ img100%(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/766670782494408744/912342158588133437/unknown.png) ~~~ *Heike* 's reverence to its source material is clear, and so is the passion put into bringing this adaptation to life. Naoko Yamada's long-awaited return to TV anime production sees her jumping into a foray radically different from anything else she's attempted before, and I'm glad to say that she's mostly stuck the landing. Gorgeous shot composition and a vibrant color palette culminate in some of the best visuals you'd find in anime this year. [Reiko Yoshida](https://anilist.co/staff/97076/Reiko-Yoshida)'s occasional liberties with the source material help mythologize the folk story, while straying away from turning into revisionist history. The sounds of *Heike* do leave plenty to be desired. [Kensuke Ushio](https://anilist.co/staff/119254/Kensuke-Ushio)'s score feels muted and out-of-place; his playbook of ambience tracks and wacky techno beats sound pulled straight from past projects, yet rarely impress in the way many of us are used to. Overall, Science SARU did a great job with this production, especially given [the tumultuous state the studio is in](https://blog.sakugabooru.com/2021/09/03/naoko-yamada-kyoani-science-saru/). However, there are a few prominent issues with *Heike* we've yet to discuss. ~~~ #Despite *Heike* 's strengths, it can be difficult to appreciate it as a standalone piece of art. img100%(https://lostinanime.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Heike-Monogatari-04-03.jpg) ~~~ Having done some light research for this review, I personally think that *Heike* is the sort of thing that works best for viewers who already enjoy the original *The Tale of the Heike*. But if the aim of *Heike* was to act as a gateway to appreciating the source material, I'm quite doubtful that Science SARU successfully leaves newcomers with a positive first impression. The most difficult part about adapting a story from 12th Century Japan, is that it has to adapt a story from 12th Century Japan. Because the source goes so far back in the past, it's hard to shake the feeling that *Heike* is… boring. Know that I mean this in the least disrespectful way; I've come away from *Heike* with a newfound admiration for the longevity of its original text. But the big question lies in whether or not *Heike* serves as a compelling piece of entertainment for your average weeb from the West, and the answer seems to lean towards "No." Up to this point in the review, the stuff I've mentioned marks my best efforts at painting the series in a charitable light. But I have a confession to make: the praise I've heaped on *Heike* only makes up roughly 40% of my viewing experience, and that's me being generous. A majority of what watching *Heike* feels like can be summarized by a threefold problem. Firstly, the show is convoluted as heck. From the get-go, *Heike* asks viewers to keep up with its sprawling cast of characters, their relationships, and their political affiliations with one another. The series has done viewers the courtesy of cutting down the number of important players needed to keep track of, but it's still immensely confusing to follow. Even approaching the final episodes, I regularly find myself looking up the names of characters in order to make sure I understand what the hell's going on. To top it all off, time jumps are pretty frequent, and new waves of exposition are quickly doled out to bring us up to a frenzied speed. If you do manage to overcome the often-overwhelming plot, you'd run into the second big issue: *Heike* 's dry storytelling is rarely all that deep. Whether it be due to the archaic nature of the original text or a lack of recorded context, *Heike* 's narrative is a lot more straightforward than viewers may be initially led to believe. The show's various power-hungry tribe leaders each share a simple-minded greed typical of their historical era. It's easy to get a gist of the boomer political tomfoolery that occurs, and the thematic takeaways from each episode remain the same each time: pride sucks. This simply isn't the kind of storytelling that suits a serialized 11-episode run. And with that, we can move on to the final issue holding *Heike* back. My biggest problem with *Heike* is that it feels too impersonal. The series feels like it's checking items off a list, as it details the various monotonous confrontations between the Heike and their adversaries. In striving for historical accuracy, *Heike* largely sacrifices the human element. There are attempts made at exploring the lives of Tokuko and Shigemori's sons, but the time afforded for these characters feels lacking. Biwa's arc in particular feels like it was written in as an afterthought. I reckon her paltry screentime doesn't exceed 5 minutes per episode, resulting in a half-baked side-plot that seems superfluous. Tonal whiplash is a mainstay within the world of *Heike*, since our characters are too often restrained from prolonged periods of emotional vulnerability, even when confronted with the death of loved ones. When watching *Heike* I feel pretty distant and indifferent, which is a shame given the talent on-deck. Yamada has explored the breadth of human emotion really well with [past projects](https://anilist.co/review/10909), and the few dramatic character moments that fully utilize her gifts are easily the standouts throughout the series. While I do respect what the show chooses to be with regards to its original text, I'm just not sure that it necessarily makes for a compelling viewing experience by modern standards. *Heike* set itself up early-on as a fresh take on a classic tale, and proved that its unique story additions respectfully kept in-line with the narrative's key themes. Given how these modern aspects happen to be my favorite portions of the series, I would have loved to have seen a more bold balance struck between old and new. *** ~~~ #**Tl;Dr**: img100%(https://i.imgur.com/rg1lK2L.jpg) ~~~ *Heike Monogatari* is a time-tested tale primed for a modern generation. A tragic recounting of the titular clan's downfall, *Heike* revolves around the slow, yet inevitable, process of change. Untold fictional perspectives lend the series a new dimension, while staying true to the spirit of its source material. *Heike* 's successes are largely due to its unique contributions, such as Naoko Yamada's direction and the added layers of context. However, the uncompelling manner in which the text was adapted leaves much to be desired. *Heike* proves itself to be a new story worth telling. That being said, its alienating approach to storytelling holds it back from my glowing recommendation. **6/10**~ *** ~~~ webm(https://i.imgur.com/ueo0THp.mp4) ~~~ Thanks for stoppin' by! I had a great time following the series, and it's been exciting to give my thoughts on Yamada's comeback. Fun fact, I currently have an ongoing series of reviews dedicated to exploring the KyoAni era of her amazing career. If you're at all interested in my thoughts about her skill as a director, feel free to give [Understanding Yamada](https://anilist.co/activity/210905962) a read! (Fingers crossed, I'll try to get back into penning the series by early-Jan '22) As for my other verbose rants, feel free to check out my other [reviews](https://anilist.co/user/AnimeDweeb/reviews) for seasons past and present. I also frequently post writeups under my list updates, so definitely take a peek if you'd like to see me mald over anime as they hit the airwaves. Peace~
So...this anime literally came right out of nowhere. Announced in September 2021, premiering not even weeks afterward, it caught a lot of people by surprise, especially the staff behind it. Directed by Naoko Yamada, who left KyoAni to join Science SARU which did the animation, with a screenplay by Reiko Yoshida, adapting one of Japan's oldest pieces of literature. I was all in. I mean, one of anime's most beloved female directors working on a show that promised beautiful animation and gripping political intrigue, taking place in the Heian era and starring a female lead? How could I not want to watch it? In an endless sea of generic ecchi and bottom-of-the-barrel isekai that get churned out every year, I was damn ecstatic to watch Heike Monogatari. It's no secret that my favorite anime of all time is Shounen Onmyouji, which is also based on literature that takes place during the Heian era and has supernatural leanings (Though Shounen Onmyouji is based on light novels). I was sure I was going to absolutely adore Heike Monogatari. But in case the rating didn't clue you in, I might have set my expectations too high. Nobody knows who wrote the original Tale of the Heike, though this particular anime is based on the modern Japanese rendition by one Hideo Furukawa, and Heike Monogatari is the first animated adaptation of the epic novel. The anime's story goes as follows: Biwa is a young girl who has the gift of seeing into the future, but is told by her father to hide it. When her father is killed by the Taira clan's personal enforcers, Biwa is left an orphan until a member of the Taira (also known as the Heike), Shigemori, hears of her plight. Taking pity on her and because he himself can see spirits of the dead, therefore seeing in her a kindred spirit, he adopts her and makes her part of his family as a means of atoning for what his family did to her. But Biwa sees visions of the Taira clan meeting a bloody, violent end. Being a child and unable to do anything in her position, she can do naught but watch as the Heike's decisions and desire for power lead to their own downfall. As much as I want to praise this anime up the wazoo, and believe me, you have no idea how much I want to, I can no longer deny its two biggest flaws. One is that the story Heike Monogatari tells is way too big to fit into a piddly eleven episodes. It's a big, sprawling epic that spans years and years, from the perspectives of a ton of different characters and showing how their actions directly or indirectly lead up to the great Genpei War. A story like this would be better told in, at the very least, 26 episodes, or at most, probably 39 or 52. Remember when anime that had that many episodes were the norm? And not just shounen anime? Because of how compressed the adaptation is, the pacing is very fast, leaving you with very little time to process all the big events that happen back to back to back, like a bunch of entitled soldiers burning a temple because the monks refused to let them use their bath, or Kiso no Yoshinaka razing the capital with his army for all it's worth. That being said, Heike Monogatari hardly leaves a moment for the audience to get bored, so there's always something going on to catch the viewer's interest. But that can also come with its own set of issues. One of which is Heike Monogatari's second biggest flaw: This anime absolutely expects the viewer to be familiar with the original source material. It just throws a bunch of characters, names, and events at you in huge infodumps and exposition diatribes without much in the way of context, and doesn't even try to make an effort to allow the audience to get familiar with them, or show them in an organic manner. As someone who hasn't read the original novel, I was often very confused by the fact that Heike Monogatari seemed to randomly introduce new characters and situations in every episode at a breakneck pace, and even after several episodes, I could barely keep track of them. It doesn't help that many of the characters were hard to tell apart at times. Like, come on. I dare anyone to tell me they can tell Shigemori and Tokitada apart, especially since the former's left eye is such a subtle color difference from the other that it's still hard to tell who's who! And because of the anime's desire to just throw characters at you a mile a minute, any attempts to flesh them out come off as hollow because show's breakneck pacing doesn't allow itself to really delve into who they are as people, what makes them tick, why we should care about them, or even their states of mind as certain things happen. That being said, I don't want to be a Negative Nancy, and there are some characters who are very well fleshed out, like Biwa, Shigemori, Sukemori, and Tokuko. I found those four to be the most compelling, as we get to see them grow and change over the course of the series, even if I wish several scenes they starred in could have been presented with more focus and importance than they were. For example, Biwa's search for her mother and the end result of it is treated as mundane and an afterthought, and you'd think something like that would be hugely significant considering Biwa's, well, the main character. Koremori in particular was also a victim of this, as he could have been a more central character considering all the pressure he had on his shoulders, but the anime flip-flops between characters every other scene, making it hard to flesh them out in ways they deserve. This is a more minor flaw, but sometimes the show has cases of pretty severe mood whiplash. For example, in episode 1, when Shigemori first discovers Biwa, she tearfully begs him to kill her...and in the very next scene, his maidservants are cartoonishly gawking at how poorly dressed she is, complete with cutesy music and cartoony expressions. Granted, this only happens twice, but they did feel pretty jarring to me. Of course, that being said, Heike Monogatari does have a lot to offer even with its flaws holding it down. For one, the animation is definitely unlike most anime and it's really a visual marvel. Naoko Yamada has always had a liking for live-action camera techniques, digital tools, and visual symbolism, light leaks, and so on, and a lot of the techniques she uses here really work, like depth of field, bloom lighting, and chromatic aberration. Every shot is packed with detail and used with purpose, from the sleek movement of the characters in motion to the impeccably watercolor/ukiyo-e style backgrounds conveying an almost otherworldly wonder about it. Pack that with a stellar voice cast and an eclectic but still mostly fitting soundtrack and you've got a recipe for greatness in terms of both sight and sound. So yeah, please don't think I hate Heike Monogatari, because I don't. Even though it's plagued by a lot of problems that prevent it from being considered a true masterpiece in every sense of the word, it still does have a lot to offer, and it's clear Yamada-san and her team put a lot of love, care, and effort into it. It didn't quite succeed, as it's short episode length leaves Heike Monogatari unable to live up to the huge story it wanted to tell, but as far as Yamada-san's first foray at Science Saru goes, I still think she hit a home run, and we still have ourselves a relatively good series here. Hell, if I was made to choose between this and the 800 bottom-of-the-barrel isekai that Japan likes to churn out, I'd pick Heike, no contest. By the way, there is something else I'd like to mention as well: Just because an anime simply depicts problematic material, especially in the context of the setting and time period in which it takes place, that absolutely does not mean the show is promoting or encouraging it. Some dude on MAL gave Heike a low rating because they were under the impression that because it dared to show Tokuko's nine-year-old sister being married off to an adult man, a practice which, while definitely unacceptable in modern times, was considered commonplace back in the Heian era, that somehow the show was glamorizing or encouraging pedophilia. Uh...no. Heike Monogatari is absolutely NOT condoning pedophilia. If it was trying to do so, it would have made Moriko's marriage to an older man out to be a good thing, and there is nothing in the anime that does anything of the like. In fact, the anime subtly shows that Moriko's life turned out terrible when she was forced to marry. Seriously, people need to look more into the time period in which Heike Monogatari takes place. In the Heian era, women and children had absolutely no rights, agency, or autonomy. They had their lives dictated by others, whether it be family members or their husbands, and were forced to be submissive to those in power, even if women had positions of power, and any deviation from the norm would have either branded them as a pariah or gotten them killed, and even Heike Monogatari understands this. As someone who studied Japanese history in college, I can tell you for certain that Heike's depiction of both the time period and the questionable ethics behind marrying off underage girls for the sake of political alliances is fairly accurate. Besides, if that person thinks Heike is actively encouraging pedophilia or sexual assault, they ought to watch shows like Kodomo no Jikan, Daimidaler, every anime that sexualizes teenage girls (Which is about 80% of them, and Heike is not one of them), or pretty much every lolicon-centered hentai ever. Or that one movie called American Beauty, which is about a married, middle-aged man actively lusting over his teenaged daughter's best friend and has uncensored, underage nudity, and the movie outright encouraging his behavior. Make of that what you will. With that, I think Heike Monogatari can be considered a flawed masterpiece. It really tries to be something good, and it is good, but because of how dense it is, I don't recommend this as baby's first grown-up anime. Not by a long shot.
img520(https://goombastomp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/The-Heike-Story-featured.jpg) In the Japanese History course I took during university, my professor decided to focus on the lives of commoners — the farmers, the merchants, the soldiers. She explained that when learning about history, people tend to only pay attention to the movers-and-shakers. I understood where she was coming from — history aficionados tend to gravitate toward larger-than-life figures. If not those, then they'll key in on big events like wars. I know why they do this: with an ocean as massive as human history, it's often necessary to use a central figure to moor yourself. Beyond that, there's the obvious: these people are cool. Yet, you lose something in focusing on them. You might not get a sense of what life was like for the average person — in 100 years, someone learning about the 2020s might not know how you or I lived. On focusing on battles and their commanders, you tend to see everything on a macro level and you lose that human element. One of the most striking things about *Heike Monogatari* is how personal it is despite focusing on powerful figures. The Taira clan ("Heike" translating to "House of Taira") were about as powerful as they came in Heian Japan.They were the type of guys to wage wars over slights (that's "fuck you money" if I've ever seen it), sent their children to marry other nobles to secure ~~alliances~~ capital, and rubbed elbows with the emperor (until they disastrously didn't). *Heike Monogatari* has all the makings of a war epic, but that ultimately isn't where Naoko Yamada places her efforts. Yes, there's certainly political intrigue, there're certainly battles to be had, but this isn't the show's focus, and indeed, as I'll get into, it's not its strength. Instead, we key in on how these events affect the members of the Taira clan swept up by their leaders' greed. When watching *Heike Monogatari*, we see the Taira not as unapproachable leaders, but as real, suffering people. In class, my professor joked once that the nobility would spend their days in court writing poems about the beauty and impermanence of life. *Heike Monogatari* achieves this beautifully, showing that Yamada didn't aim to put a textbook to screen, but a poem, a tale. It's important to not just critique in terms of *your* goals for a work, but also in terms of the creator's goals. It's annoying to see reviews of this show criticize the show for not putting more emphasis on the historical battles when that was never its intention. In terms of being a poem, I think *Heike Monogatari* succeeds wonderfully. It’s the most beautiful anime I only kind of understood and it deserves more eyes on it. img520(https://i.imgur.com/5EmiiAy.jpg) *Heike Monogatari* is beautiful in many ways, the most basic being that it's absolutely gorgeous to look at. The easiest way to make me like an anime is by giving it [unique](https://anilist.co/review/6983) [visuals](https://anilist.co/review/6224) and *Heike Monogatari* delivers. Some have said that every frame of *Heike Monogatari* is like a painting and I have to agree. The characters are "softer" looking than what you typically see. They strike a balance between "realistic" and "stylization" that most anime seem to forego in favor of one extreme or the other. It's a bit hard to explain; it's the type of thing that you can understand by just looking at screenshots. You just *know* it’s different from the standard fare. *Heike* shines with its character design but it *blinds* with its backgrounds. Whether our characters find themselves in a lush bamboo forest, a snowy garden, a sandy beach, or in front of a blossomed sakura tree, it's an absolute visual treat. *This* is what really makes this show look like a painting and I appreciate the care that Naoko Yamada put into making every frame pop. When watching, my eyes were constantly glued to the screen. For once, I'm going to be an elitist and demand you watch this on a TV or a computer instead of a phone. img520(https://i.imgur.com/XVxZlh3.png) The soundtrack is no slouch, either. While *Heike Monogatari* is a period piece, its music isn't constrained by its time period, heightening the uniqueness of the viewing experience. The OST features classically-minded music that fits the time period, including Biwa singing and playing the instrument she's named after. It's always a powerful moment when we see Biwa rendered with snow-white hair against a black background as her voice becomes much stronger. The OST also features [EBM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_body_music) and rock music from Agraph. Perhaps the best examples of the eclectic OST are the OP and ED — the [OP](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EobZT17Rf38) being a soothing alternative rock song, while the [ED](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIV4xfxnsXg), my favorite song of the OST, is a brooding song featuring rap, cold horns, and electronic sounds that emulate breathing/wind. *Heike Monogatari's* weakest link is its plot. Fortunately, this isn’t particularly damning. I'm not being *completely* glib when I say that this is the most beautiful anime I only kind of understood. The list is bigger than you think — anime, hell, art in general, can be downright esoteric at times. *[Evangelion](https://anilist.co/review/13151)*, *[Kaiba](https://anilist.co/review/6224)*, *[Steins;Gate 0](https://anilist.co/review/3555)*, *Serial Experiments Lain*, *Tales from Earthsea*, and [every](https://anilist.co/review/3970) [damn](https://anilist.co/review/3981) season of *[FLCL](https://anilist.co/review/4178)* are anime I enjoy but found hard to parse for one reason or another. *Heike Monogatari* is one of those anime. img520(https://i.imgur.com/kcl5Yrg.jpg) Giving credit where credit's due, *Heike Monogatari* is easier to understand than any other anime on that list. Unlike, say, *Evangelion*, you don't *need* to comb an encyclopedia to get what characters are saying — the tools to understand *Heike Monogatari* are in the anime itself. You just need to be very attentive when you watch. It's not a bad idea to rewind some scenes when watching this. Hell, you might want to bring a notepad. It might feel like a chore, but it *is* doable — in the watch threads I followed, a viewer was able to make an accurate relationship chart just by viewing (that increasingly looked like a kudzu vine after each episode). Discussion threads in general were a godsend for me. *Heike Monogatari* doesn't really *do* exposition. Sure, characters will discuss and explain things to one another, but it never feels like it's for the viewers' benefit. This is because the *Heike Monogatari* doesn't aim to be a textbook, and there's a reason for this — it doesn't need to. If you recall *Heike Monogatari* is an adaption — an adaption of a very well-known tale, at that. From what I hear, Japanese viewers would be very familiar with the events of *Heike Monogatari*. Japanese viewers would most likely find the story very accessible and they could fill in any gaps the anime left. Because of this, Yamada could give more focus to the characters. Problem: I'm not a Japanese viewer. img520(https://i.imgur.com/msgtJ1c.jpg) I had a hard time deciding whether or not I wanted to continue watching blind or if I wanted to spend a few hours on Wikipedia reading about the Genpei War. The argument for the latter is that you'd be watching it how the director intended for it to be watched. After all, the native viewers would have known the story. My counterargument for that is that, paradoxically, *because* she knew viewers were familiar with the story beats, she didn't intend for viewers to pour over a textbook while watching it. If I *did* decide to immerse myself in the war, the show would ultimately stop being about the characters. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching the show half-cocked. It's a tough decision to make and it comes down to what you want from the show. I'd say it's best for a viewer to watch an episode or three before deciding how they want to press forward. While I decided to watch it blind, *Heike Monogatari* is an anime that really benefits from a rewatch and I might give it another go after reading up on the Genpei War. While watching the anime blind is doable, that doesn't stop it from being kind of annoying. I stand by the idea that shows shouldn't need supplementary material to be understood. *Heike's* need for it is more forgivable than, say, *Evangelion’s*, but it still impeded my enjoyment of the show. At 11 episodes, *Heike* is on the shorter end a single cour and I can't help but think that it would have benefited from two more episodes giving its plot a bit of breathing room. img520(https://i.imgur.com/Q9gaOZU.jpg) That said, I *did* decide to finish it blind and there are two reasons for this. For one, while the plot can be complex the outcome, the thing we're supposed to walk away with, is decidedly not. The Taira clan was on top of the world before crashing to Earth — it's a ["Viva la Vida"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE) story. You might not know the exact "how" of how they fell, you don't really need to. Because two, once again, the plot, the events leading to the *Heike's* downfall isn't the anime's focus, its the characters. Their heartwrenching battles with duty, love, innocence, and guilt are much more poignant than any battle waged with swords could ever be. img520(https://i.imgur.com/XVxZlh3.png) There's no better example of *Heike Monogatari*'s focus, its preoccupations with feelings instead of events, than its main character, Biwa. Biwa isn't a noblewoman nor a warrior. She's a musician, a storyteller. Her role generally isn't to play a part in the events surrounding her, but to feel them and to impart her feelings in her songs. She doesn't even seem to age — she doesn't change with the world, she's simply observing it. She's an audience surrogate for those who don't know the Tale of the Heike. She's swept up into their troubles without greater context. Thus, she doesn't latch on the battles nor the political wheeling and dealings, instead caring about the people she meets. She becomes increasingly frustrated by her inability to help those she cares about, which isn’t helped by her abilities. She can see the future, yet cannot act on it. She then finds herself haunted by the souls of the dead. By the show's end, she decides that her purpose is to tell the story of the Heike for future generations. Biwa is an interesting personification of history, telling us it's not just important to remember events, but to remember the names and the people *behind* those names. She tells us to remember how people lived and in a way, she reminds me of the philosophy my professor had. And by God, the people behind the names are compelling. I know it can be hard to shed a tear for the elite, but even if you're an "eat the rich" type, you'll be hardpressed to not find the members of the Heike sympathetic. Many of them are controlled by the whims of their leader, wrapped up in duty and loyalty. Whether it's a mother having their child become a political token, a poet being forced to become a warrior, or a commander wracked with guilt after their soldiers burn a temple, viewers are drawn into the people that comprise the Heike and not the larger-than-life figures. img520(https://i.imgur.com/YK7RqJe.jpg) The final episode is really affecting. Biwa trills her instrument one final time and talks about the ephemeral beauty of life and the great equalizer that is death. The message rings powerful and I imagine it will stick with me for quite some time. All in all, this should be a 10/10 anime, or at least pretty close to one. So why isn't it? Well, because, as small as this niche is, I can't help but feel that there's another anime that does it better. I couldn't help but compare this to *The Tale of Princess Kaguya*. As *Kaguya* is the top recommendation for *Heike*, it's clear I'm not alone. Their biggest similarity is perhaps their visual sensibilities, both aiming to emulate classic Japanese paintings. The main difference is that *Heike* invokes these paintings while *Kaguya* might as well *be* an [link-wash painting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_wash_painting). Heike's backgrounds are phenomenal and while the character designs are unique, they're still not mind-blowing, while *Kaguya*'s art is most likely something you haven't seen in animation before. If you're looking for amazing, one-of-a-kind visuals, then *Kaguya* has *Heike* beat. Meanwhile, their biggest *difference* is how they tell their stories. *Heike Monogatari*, as much as it focuses on its characters, is still a historical story while *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* is a fairy tale. *Heike* is bogged down by needing prior historical knowledge while *Kaguya* doesn't have this problem. Everything you need to know is in the movie itself, which makes for an easier watch. Both are stories about ancient Japan, but *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* can feel timeless and placeless in a way that *Heike* doesn't (even though the OST certainly helps). It's a lot more approachable than *Heike*. img520(https://i.imgur.com/Jap0DDM.png) As a movie (one that took many years to make, at that). *Kaguya* is a tighter story than *Heike* without much opportunity to get swept away. While *Heike* is only one-cour, it still can feel a bit sprawling. Finally, while both have similarly dour endings, I can't help but find Kaguya a more tragic figure. Bear in mind that none of this is to say that *Heike Monogatari* is bad, it's just that for all it does right, there's something *Kaguya* does better while inhabiting the same space as it. *Heike* scratched a *Kaguya* itch I didn't know I had, but it still isn't the best at what it does. Still, it's very, very good, and it's become one of my favorite anime. It's a beautifully poignant take on history that I'm sure will stick with me. Yes, the plot is a bit unwieldy and could have been handled better, but that's ultimately not the point of *Heike*. Its actual focus, the characters and the themes they impart is where *Heike* shines bright, brighter than many anime out there. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/zPKVlty.png)~~~ img520(https://i.imgur.com/Z2gsDsM.jpg)
~~~img550(https://i.imgur.com/rN3Msgu.jpg)~~~ Depictions of the Heian period are inherently interesting; a time when Buddhism and the arts blossomed within the handful of nobility in Kyoto, forming the bedrock of Japanese culture. __*Heike Monogatari*__ is a legend of the downfall of the ruling Taira clan (Heike) in 1185, and a Buddhist parable as each figure faces the horror of war and meets their sad fate. Replace them with robots facing the apocalypse and call it *[Casshern Sins](https://anilist.co/anime/4981/Casshern-Sins/reviews)*; some of its Buddhist sensibilities may appear familiar, but there's japanophile value in seeing their purer form. I may not be the most qualified person to write a review of an anime adaptation of Heian-era literature, having very few reference points and expectations for one. The only Heian anime to stick with me is Gisaburou Sugii's 1987 __*Genji Monogatari*__ film. Years before its Blu Ray release, I tracked down a Japanese LaserDisc and LD player just to see the then-best possible version. The way its characters speak in constant poetry, the goosebumps-inducing Haruomi Hosono (of [YMO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Magic_Orchestra) fame) soundtrack, and the gobs of pathos and sensual, dreamlike imagery weave a magic spell, transporting the viewer to an otherworldly life as a Heian palace noble. It's the epitome of a foreign, esoteric, aesthetic object in anime form. https://anilist.co/anime/3488/Genji-Monogatari/ Naoko Yamada's *Heike Monogatari* aims to be the opposite of esoteric — an accessible, digestible TV show. Portraying the bloody end of the Heian period, it chases too many rabbits to cast any spell. Perhaps it's too reverent of its source material; its depictions of Heian life and culture fight for screen time with a Gundam-sized stack of political machinations. One brisk, minute-long scene after the next betrays its hurry to get to the next thing; the whiplash inhibits a sense of place and pathos. It's not incomprehensible by any means, but when any character meets their destiny, the cold logic is apparent while the catharsis feels unearned; each robbed of an episode dedicated to them. Likewise the show constantly switches modes — from mundane life to comedy to performing arts to dreamlike premonitions and then swashbluckling battles — too rapidly for any to set in. The music is also a jarring genre flux of period-appropriate traditional into techno into jungle breakbeats with rock power chords. ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/sJnUBTc.jpg)~~~ It ultimately comes off as a basket of aesthetic ideas in haphazard service to a plot-point checklist. It checks the boxes but lacks an angle to give it a particular focus and identity, much less articulate the case for its ideas, despite the addition of an original character meant to serve as an audience surrogate. Biwa, as charismatic as she is, is both too powerless and too absent from swathes of the story to function as the series’ focusing device. Director Naoko Yamada and writer Reiko Yoshida impressed in 2016's *Koe no Katachi* (A Silent Voice), compacting a lengthy story into a feature film that packs an emotional punch, but with all the balls they're juggling in *Heike Monogatari*, they've reached their limit. Short on episode count, the hard choices of what to cut and what to focus on in this sprawling epic tale were not made sternly enough.
It’s possible that Naoko Yamada is the greatest anime director of all time. To some, that statement might seem like blasphemy. What about Miyazaki, and Hosoda, and Kon, and all those other acclaimed directors with long and storied careers? Yet the more I think about it, the more I realize just how singularly _untouchable_ Yamada’s career has been. Her first role as director was with K-On, a show that single-handedly revolutionized the slice-of-life genre and still remains its best entry to this day. Then, with the first season of Hibike Euphonium, she helped spearhead Kyoto Animation’s greatest work of art ever. A Silent Voice broke down international barriers and achieved mainstream Western acclaim in a way only Ghibli films used to be able to do. Liz and the Blue Bird is the single most beautiful expression of intimacy ever put to film. And while I haven’t yet seen Tamako Market or Tamako Love Story, most of their fans seem to hold them in equally high regard as any of those shows and movies I just talked about. Yamada hasn’t just been cranking out masterpieces since before she was thirty; _every single project she’s directed has been a masterpiece._ Her track record is unimpeachable on a level that no other anime director can really match. Not even Miyazaki hits it out of the park every single time, but Yamada makes it look easy. In that sense, it’s no surprise that The Heike Story is as good as it is. Why wouldn’t it be, coming from a director who’s never once fallen short of mastery? Not to mention this is yet another Yamada collaboration with Reiko Yoshida and Kensuke Ushio, the writer and composer who helped bring Silent Voice and Liz to life. You’d have to be crazy to fail with a team that talented. And yet, even by Yamada’s standards, The Heike Story is a mind-boggling feat. It’s an adaptation of a work of classic Japanese literature on par with the Iliad and Odyssey, a tale of the Heike clan’s rise to power and fall from grace. The original story is a sprawling epic full of massive battles and complex political machinations, with countless characters and moving parts to keep track of. At least that’s what I’ve heard; I haven’t read the original story myself, so I have no immediate context for what was changed, added or removed. All I can do is listen to people who have read it and trust their word on the subject. But what I can tell you for sure is this: This adaptation seeks to tell that story in _eleven episodes._ No, you didn’t misread that. The Heike Story condenses the entirety of its source material into a scant eleven episodes. It flows through huge stretches of time with the transience of a leaf on the wind, foregoing the original tale’s epic scope in favor of intimate character drama, rich thematic imagery, and searing portraits of the humanity behind the larger-than-life characters. It focuses not on the sprawling battles and the political scheming (though both are present here, just in smaller doses than you’d expect), but on the turmoil and tragedy of those caught up in the sweep of history, borne inexorably toward their fates. The Heike’s leaders and the ambition that leads them to folly. The Heike’s sons who inherit their fathers’ messes, alternately repeating their mistakes or desperately struggling to escape them. The Heike’s daughters who suffer at home under their society’s sexist expectations while the “great men” who set those expectations lead themselves to ruin. And at the center of it all is a new character written for this adaptation: Biwa, a girl with a cursed eye that can see everyone’s tragic futures bearing down on them, unable to do anything but bear witness as they march ever closer to their inescapable doom. It’s a work of such staggering ambition that you can’t help but wonder if it’s even possible. Such a titanic story, such a lofty pedigree, trimmed down to just about five hours of atmospheric, deliberate storytelling? Surely not even the greatest artistic minds alive today would be able to pull that off. And to be fair, you can feel the show’s midsection bulging from the stress of everything it has to fit in. There are so many characters, so many locations, so many moving pieces to keep track of, and it can be very easy to lose sight of who’s doing what and why they’re doing it if you’re not playing close attention. Even now that I’ve finished it, I’m nowhere close to remembering every character’s name and place in the narrative. It reminds me a lot of A Silent Voice, which similarly truncated its source material by stuffing 64 manga chapters into just two hours of film. That movie, too, had a bloated midsection as a result of needing to fit so much content into a much smaller package. Perhaps this particular team of creators just likes trying to retell long stories in shorter forms than they’re really designed for. What can I say, every artist has their quirks. But that’s the thing, folks: this isn’t just any old director we’re talking about here. This is _Naoko Fucking Yamada._ This is the woman who turned a mediocre 4-koma gag manga about four girls sitting around and sipping tea into a soaring treatise on the magic of friendships forged in youth. This is the woman who took a minor subplot out of its original context and turned into a stand-alone movie that’s one of the best parts of its franchise. Yamada has built her career on spinning gold out of seemingly impossible circumstances. And make no mistake: this anime is as unmistakably a Naoko Yamada anime as Devilman Crybaby was a Masaaki Yuasa anime. It’s so thoroughly filtered through its creator’s sensibilities, fascinations, and perspective that it might as well be a completely original story, an old tale made new by a fresh pair of eyes. It takes a literary work as archetypical as Homer and distills it into something far too specific, far too personal, and far too emotional to get hung up on the occasional awkward spots. A more straightforward, more complete adaptation might have been interesting in its own right, but something tells me it wouldn’t feel nearly as special. Because just as Yamada and her team accomplished with A Silent Voice, The Heike Story’s truncated narrative is only a minor distraction from an otherwise jaw-dropping triumph. What it lacks in the original’s epic scope, it more than makes up for with the breathtaking intimacy of its animation and direction. Where it stumbles in the finer details of its plot, it covers for with the aching humanity of all its characters and the complex, broken paths they walk. It’s a searing portrait of human weakness and vulnerability, a haunting exploration of the transience of life and the fear of death. But it’s also a celebration of life, and its ability to persevere through grief and loss. It’s a story of love tested in despair thick enough to choke the air from your lungs. It’s a story of finding hope and forgiveness even when the world is being swallowed by cruelty. It’s a story of men who fall short and drive themselves into ruin, but also of those who carry on through blood and tears to seek a better tomorrow. You may not remember every character’s name, but the story makes you care so fucking much that it barely even registers. And because this is Yamada we’re talking about, that beautiful story is brought to life with some of the best presentation and production this medium has to offer. The show’s cinematography is _brilliant,_ its editing is _stunning,_ its imagery and symbolism bury into your soul and refuse to leave. The watercolor-brush aesthetics, courtesy of Science Saru, drape the proceedings in a potent sense of temporal beauty. The soundtrack is yet another unbearably serene accomplishment from Ushio, with instrumentals that seem to resonate from within your very ribcage. The cast is a murderer’s row of fantastic seiyuus delivering some of the best performances you’re likely to hear in anime all year (Aoi Yuki’s portrayal of Biwa might be one of her best roles ever, and that’s saying a _lot)_. It’s the kind of show where something as simple as a character’s body language, or the placement of a single shot, is enough to make emotions well up within you, just from how beautifully they convey meaning. And the way all these different aspects play off each other culminates in a final act that turned me into a sobbing wreck. God, I’m _still_ not over those last few minutes. I don’t know if I ever will be. 2021 has been a truly remarkable year for anime. We’ve been blessed with some of the most imaginative, impactful, and boundary-pushing works of art this medium’s had in a while. But even among the likes of Sonny Boy, Sk8 the Infinity, Wonder Egg Priority, 86 Eighty-Six, Oddtaxi, and the final Evangelion Rebuild, The Heike Story is a truly singular achievement. It’s my favorite non-sequel anime of 2021, losing out only to Re:Zero and Gintama the Final as my favorite overall of 2021. And if you know how fucking much I love those shows, you know I don’t make that comparison lightly. But really, who else but Naoko Yamada could challenge two of my favorite franchises for the top spot with a massively paired down literary passion project? That, folks, is why she may well be the greatest anime director of all time. And if you’ve let this show slip under your radar, I can only urge you to fix that oversight now. The Heike Story deserves to be seen and celebrated by as many people as possible. It’s a retelling of an old story that will linger for many years to come, passed down through generations like the songs plucked from the strings of a traveling musician. Life is fleeting and all things will one day fall to ruin, but stories this beautiful will remain alive forever, just as enrapturing centuries from now as they were on the day they were first spun.
I am a big history buff, but I have never read the original Heike Monogatari. Thus, unlike some other reviewers, I cannot comment on the differences between the original work and the anime. I can only comment on the anime. I will also try to keep spoilers light. Overall, the anime is pretty good. The best part about it is how it depicts the impact of the events that unfold on the lives of different characters. The battles were also interesting, especially the final Battle of Dan-no-Ura. Some characters were portrayed as more interesting than others, with Shigemori being a standout. The pathos of the story was pretty good. Also, I applaud the anime's makers for covering historical subjects, which are seldom portrayed in anime. Thus, despite all its flaws, I am get to at least have some show for Heike Monogatari for exposure of that historical saga. Just hopefully, people would look further into the characters and events portrayed in the show. However, the technical aspects of the show were rather lousy: * The artwork was very simplistic, borderline poor in some scenes. * Many of the characters look alike. For example, Shigemori looked just like his brother Shigehira. Taira No Kiyomori looked a lot like Emperor Go-Shirakawa (both characters were depicted as somewhat obese bald men, the key difference being that Kiyomori liked to wear red while the Emperor tended to wear white). * The opening music was good. The ending music was interesting, but being a more modern and edgy piece, seemed out of place. * I agree with people who say the story was too rushed. Some scenes were barely touched upon and the events of several years could happen in the span of half an episode. Also, people who are not well-versed with Japanese history would likely get lost. I had to look up characters and events on Wikipedia myself numerous times. * Perhaps the issue is also present in the original work, I don't know, but it was not entirely clear why people hated the Taira. Kiyomori was ambitious, sure, but I would imagine many leaders back then to be. He was also vengeful, but again, so were many leaders. Historically, the real issues arose from bad blood as a result of the Hogen and Heiji Rebellions (which the Taira crushed), but those events were hardly covered at all. So you come across a character like Minamoto No Yoshinaka and be like, "Why does he hate the Taira again?" Also, I question some of the characterizations in the show. For example, Minamoto No Yoritomo was depicted as a wimpy and indecisive man, but history depicts him more as a conniving strategist. Minamoto No Yoshinaka was presented as a Tarzan-like character, which while somewhat amusing, seemed rather out of place in a more serious show like this one. I highly doubt the historical Yoshinaka swung across trees to fight enemies (and if he did, he must be the most badass warlord in history /s). The show's epilogue was also weak/non-existent. The show seemed more interested in lamenting or commemorating the lost (which holds consistent with its general strength of pathos), but it did not clearly show what happened with the victors. Were they benevolent and wise rulers? Did they usher in a golden age for Japan or did they become embroiled in further conflicts? Did the defeated factions have any remnants who rebelled or eventually integrated back into the society and politics? Those types of topics would be interesting to cover as an epilogue, but they were not covered.
___Português_:__ Como em __Koe no Katashi__, o trabalho da diretora _Naoko Yamada_ parte de ir desenvolvendo os seus personagens e conciliando seus problemas com o andar dos acontecimentos na história. Eu não gosto do filme já mencionado, pois me parece apenas se aproveitar desses temas e problemas para estabelecer uma aproximação dramática e forçada sobre os personagens, o que eu acho que acontece de forma mais eficiente em __Heike Monogatari__, já que esses problemas, além de mais contidos, se desenvolvem e crescem junto com o decorrer da trama de modo mais sutil. Mas que fique claro, ainda que eu ache melhor, continua não sendo grande coisa. Toda a relação do anime com a vida, o passar dos anos e a morte desses personagens tem um significado poético que se concretiza no episódio final. O tempo que a __Biwa__ passa com cada um dos personagens que ela vai convivendo a sua volta - esse lado humano que ela vai compreendendo - vai criando um tipo de laço sentimental. Apesar da __Biwa__ também ter nos primeiros minutos do anime um acontecimento dramático, ela me parece servir mais como um tipo de "espectador" dos eventos e dramas vividos pelo restante dos personagens. Ela pode fazer parte da vida dos personagens, mas a presença dela ali não mudaria o rumo e o destino de ninguém. Ela acompanha (e como a própria deixa claro), mas não pode mudar o futuro deles. Aqueles episódios em que a personagem da __Biwa__ viaja para ir de encontro com a sua mãe (mesmo agregando e tendo um sentido final para a mensagem do anime) me parecem só encheção de linguiça. Talvez, à jornada dela fora do ciclo familiar e do clã Heike, mesmo que possa fazer parte do conto original, me soa meio desnecessário. Eu gostei de algumas escolhas mais sutis, principalmente em momentos aparentemente simples: na parte gestual dos personagens, no olhar ou na contemplação de algumas paisagens (os cenários não parecem ser apenas um exibicionismo puro), e também na construção fantasiosa dentro da história. Os momentos mais imagéticos do anime tem um fator sensorial que encanta gradativamente. Essa relação mais contida, no final das contas impacta mais no episódio final do que o modo como é usada a parte musical. Isso infelizmente volta a me lembrar __Koe no Katashi__, com esse tentativa meio genérica de usar a música em momentos calculados (como artificio dramático barato) para mais tarde usar de novo e tentar comover o espectador. ___English___: As in __Koe no Katashi__, the work of director _Naoko Yamada_ starts from developing her characters and reconciling her problems with the course of events in the story. I don't like the movie already mentioned, because it seems to me that it just takes advantage of these themes and problems to establish a dramatic and forced approach to the characters, which I think happens more efficiently in __Heike Monogatari__, since these problems, in addition to more contained, they develop and grow along with the course of the plot in a more subtle way. But let's be clear, even though I think it's better, it's still not a big deal. The anime's entire relationship with the life, the passing of the years and the death of these characters has a poetic meaning that is materialized in the final episode. The time __Biwa__ spends with each of the characters that she lives with around her-this human side that she starts to understand-creates a kind of sentimental bond. Although __Biwa__ also has a dramatic event in the first few minutes of the anime, she seems to me to serve more as a kind of "spectator" of the events and dramas experienced by the rest of the characters. She may be part of the characters' lives, but her presence there wouldn't change anyone's course and destiny. She accompanies (and as she makes clear) but cannot change their future. Those episodes in which __Biwa__'s character travels to meet her mother (even adding and having a final meaning to the anime's message) seem to me just sausage stuffing. Perhaps, her journey outside the family cycle and the Heike clan, even though it may be part of the original tale, seems a little unnecessary to me. I liked some more subtle choices, especially in seemingly simple moments: in the gestural part of the characters, in the look or contemplation of some landscapes (the scenarios don't seem to be just a pure exhibitionism), and also in the fanciful construction within the story. The most imagistic moments of the anime have a sensorial factor that gradually enchants. This more contained relationship, in the end, impacts more on the final episode than the way the musical part is used. This unfortunately reminds me of __Koe no Katashi__ again, with this rather generic attempt to use the music at calculated moments (as cheap dramatic artifice) to later use it again and try to move the viewer.
> _"I learned through those experiences about all the suffering of the people in this world. There is not one form of suffering that I do not understand."_ > _"How is it that one overcomes such suffering?" "Prayer. There are still many things that I shall never forget. That is why all I can do is think of everyone, all those who I have loved, and pray for all the souls that have left this world. That is all I can do now."_ > _"The buddha's temple bells toll the message That all existence is impermanent. The sal tree's blossoms turn white to grieve him: A reminder that all who flourish must fall. Indulgence does not last. It shall but be like a spring nights dream. The dauntless shall meet their end. They shall be as mere dust before the wind."_ First of all, I must apologize for how voyeuristic this review is. I can't help it. Blame my fingers. Naoko Yamada is back, but now with the unusual crews: Science Saru, the studio that has backed up Masaaki Yuasa's ideas ever since Ping Pong the Animation. But she still has Reiko Yoshida and kensuke ushio with her, carrying around the very loose adaptation of a story about a fallen clan 800 years ago, a reminder that all who flourish must fall. The fall of Heike is a story with a lot of blood spilling, greed, malicious human nature, that are to be expected. A lot of unnecessary war, claiming hundreds and thousands of lives for the sake of the heads of Taira clan's ambitions. Yet Yamada doesn't want to focus that much on the ugly side of the story. Being a method director she is, most of the times she presented the beauty that surrounds the Heike instead: the flowers, the changing seasons, the sun, the nature, the playful manner of the Heike brothers, the clasp of hands praying, the feet that hids emotion, and a lot more, even when the situation is sad, happy, tense, or meditative. Big events are heavily implied because they're nothing more than plot points to drive the narrative forward. Big names are skimmed without further, in depth development because they aren't necessary for Yamada's main reason of why the anime existed: to tell the story about how people deal with life and death itself. Heike rise by hurting people, and it bits back at them. Common knowledge. Political conflicts, war, assassination, burning of a temple, they have weights even if they're just presented as a text in Wikipedia. But what about the people who are involved in it? How would they react and feel when all the tragedies happened back then? Yamada's questions were about the same as Tarkovsky when he was making Andrei Rublev and Parajanov when he was researching about Sayat Nova. How cold it was when the rain falls on the Heike at the time they were evacuating? How gloom the atmosphere was when Kiyomori's ash were spread, leaving his children without knowledge on what to do next? Even with the story about big things happening, Yamada still cares more about the small. She probably knew that when she began to draw the first storyboard, she was just as small as Biwa: not being able to alter the story, however sad it may be. So with Biwa finally accepting her powerlessness, she's telling the audience to forgive, pray, and move forward instead. There are many things that we're also unable to do, unable to prevent from happening, and soon would put a burden to us in the future. So she's telling us to pray, like Tokuko after Heike falls, and keep on living. Welcome back, Naoko Yamada. Thank you for leading the production of this masterpiece
~!>How can one overcome suffering?!~ ~!>Pray. I too have feelings I still cannot forget. And so I simply, I simply press my hands together and pray. I think of the ones I love and I pray for their happiness in the next world. That small act is what I can do. Those final few minutes are perhaps some of the most powerful moments in media I have ever seen. I was sobbing. Praying for life and the loss of it. A powerful mediation on grief and suffering. Strings coming together to allow passage into heaven. A unified perspective. Despite everything, we are all heading to the same place, and life is fleeting. The chills I got when Aoi Yuuki spoke the line was like nothing else. Tragedy happens. People die. Life is impermanent. All we can do is know that good things do still happen, and pray for those who are gone and suffering.!~ The Buddha's temple bells toll the message, that all existence is impermanent. webm(https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/ed905567db7dc2d054f73a4009b6fe6d.mp4) Heike Story is definitely a bit of a mess of a show, a show that adapts too much in too short of a runtime. A flawed masterpiece. However, somehow it still felt cohesive and the general points are easy to follow even if the finer historical details are lost, and fleetingness is a key theme after all. However, Heike Story has its priorities completely right in my eyes. A focus on smaller slice of life moments, the life and people between the historical moments. Despite the scope of such a work, Yamada, Yoshida and team care about the individuals. This won't work for a lot of people, even some Yamada fans, the middle section didn't even work for me some of the time, but it is incredible and unique. Yamada said that she wanted this historical epic to be lyrical and poetic as opposed to epic, and I think she achieved that brilliantly. This is NOT a historical epic. It is a story of the people in the history. A story of empathy and living. Battles are not long and painful, but instead they become horrifying short and dreamlike nightmares of raw pain, imagery and sound. Like flashes of suffering and tragedy that remain in the minds of the characters. Moreover, historical dates and moments occur and are shown, but they are just fast paced and engaging strings that connect to the real people who inhabited them and their careful portrayal as the focus. You feel the impact and effects of events on the characters, rather than experiencing them yourself. It's unconventional but beautiful. Yamada is a method director after all, the show is interested in the headspace of the characters. The pacing is still not ideal, some of the emotional moments could have done with more time. But when the show hits it does not hold back in the slightest. I also have a feeling binging it will mitigate a lot of the issues with pacing compared to a weekly watch, even if the history will still feel abridged. A rewatch is needed on my part. As with Yamada's previous work this is a visual and auditory masterclass in every sense with many great artists working on it, from Tomotaka Kubo on Art Direction, to Ushio on music, Satoshi Hashimoto on Colour Design and great storyboard artists such as China. Small moments and motions are frequently highlighted, sensory, delicate yet raw, with powerful uses of colour and light, and extraordinary framing. Ushio's manipulative yet honest and beautiful scoring, while controversial, works (mostly) wonders for me. Metaphorical and abstract imagery work their magic as well. Also, the art design overall is gorgeous and unique here and fits the historical setting perfectly. So how about the comedy and tonal shifts? They are not tonal shifts, they are life carrying on, the fleetingness of everything, an attempt to cope. Lingering tragedy. ~!An anime original observer who cannot change what is already set in stone. A character retelling the stories of those lost. A character told to live for those that can't.!~ Intentional or not, it feels like a work that took huge amounts of strength to make. ~!So. I join in the prayer, for all those gone, for all those suffering, for all those living. A small act, but a meaningful one.!~
Since I am copying this review from the one I wrote and posted on MAL and a Facebook group known as __"Pakistan Anime Community"__, I also saw that AniList requires you to write a review with at least 2200 characters so I've made little bit changes from what I wrote initially. __Naoko Yamada__ teaming up with __Science Saru__ is something I'd have never expected but as soon as I got to learn about this certain anime coming to Fall of 2021, I got pretty hyped. Because __Naoko Yamada__ never fails to surprise me with delivering projects better than her last ones, it's like everytime she works on something, she levels up, she's previously directed K-on, K-on Movie, Tamako Market and it's sequel movie: Tamako Love Story, Koe no Katachi and Liz to Aoi Tori, and literally each of these titles are solid in direction and storytelling, I was looking forward to this show with high expectations and I believe I was not disappointed by it, instead I actually enjoyed this short story and adored it, for me it was one of the best anime to air in 2021. This time, rather making something of similar genre _(Slice of Life)_ as her works from past, she took on historical genre and gave it a refreshing narrative through a short girl with weird eyes named "__Biwa__", who apparently plays a Japanese instrument also known as "Biwa" (The biwa is a Japanese short-necked wooden lute traditionally used in narrative storytelling).__ Heikei Monogatari__ is a popular story in Japan (which tells the story of the rise and fall of the Taira clan during the __Genpei War__) due to that the series had very fast pacing like it was intended to skip stuff which would turn out to be unimportant to the whole narrative, which makes me sad that even Yoshitsune _(I just find him cool thanks to Atlus' games)_ didn't get much screentime as the story ended. And I loved the visuals... as always... took 650+ screencaps. The colors were vivid, vibrant, vivacious, the style was consistent and the details were highlighted. As you can see in one of the collabs I made, this one is from Ep 4: img220(https://scontent.fkhi3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/244970097_6814625791911554_2176491450865444618_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_eui2=AeHs52RNhkFMmZG7Zg_qQwgDLn1BEsubHbUufUESy5sdtZfgdig1WeLkUtA6TI7Lez0OwK-JT3SjmRW5SWXWyavF&_nc_ohc=Rdpi2M4xfFUAX-dFXp2&_nc_oc=AQnmz82jMJqV9oxhKVzlghbtikGaOxWMqH5ciopniok6ZsGTRiX0UDX839Pl6P_yxhI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fkhi3-1.fna&oh=00_AT8Ym9t29t4MHALWy26JmwnSNGWaWT8XuO9EuApaJrBh6w&oe=63306639) Overall, __Heike Monogatari __is a worthy watch, it can easily get you invested in the story and maybe motivate you enough to study more about the actual events of the history. Tho I can't say it's for everyone due to being historical/war/drama, but if you like this genre then there are some great live action movies directed by __Akira Kurusawa__ and __Masaka Kobayashi__ which shouldn't be slept on. Naoko's team up with Science SARU worked quite well and it only hypes me for the future projects they are to come up with.