Heike Monogatari

As Anime watchers, we all have some degree of love and appreciation for Japan and its unique culture. But the thing is, there is so much more to Japan than we can ever experience via their Anime, Manga, Light novels, games, etc.

Their culture and traditions are incredibly complex and definitely not easy to understand. If you are a fan looking to learn about the renowned country’s complex ways, only a few titles are out there that can give you a good enough boost.

The following is a series that will provide you with a golden opportunity to learn about Japan but to comprehend it thoroughly, you need to be willing to expend some effort.

Heike Monogatari | The Heike Story | Pinnedupink.com

Heike Monogatari, also known as The Heike Story, is an 11-episode TV Anime series that aired from the 16th of September until the 25th of November in Fall 2021. It was produced by Dentsu, Pony Canyon, Fuji TV, Asmik Ace, BS Fuji, and Bilibili, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Science SARU.

The central staff behind its creation includes Yamada Naoko as Director, Yoshida Reiko on Script, Kimura Eriko as Sound Director, and Ushio Kensuke on Theme Song Performance, Theme Song Arrangement, Theme Song Composition, and Music.

It features the Drama genre alongside Historical and Samurai themes and received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older. The series is based on the source Book “The Tale of the Heike,” as seen in Japanese History books.

The Story revolves around the Taira clan, also known as the Heike, that holds onto immense authority over the country of Japan. Yet the primary focus shifts to a gifted young girl with an odd yet miraculous eye that allows her to see into the future.

After she foolishly disrespects the powerful clan, her father pays the ultimate price for her crime with his very life. After this terrible event, fate is sprung to motion as Taira no Shigemori, the eldest son of the Clan leader, stumbles upon the same unfortunate girl, who was now calling herself "Biwa."

All things aside, she chooses to inform him that the very downfall of the Heike is imminent. After learning about the great injustice that she had suffered at the hands of the Heike, Shigemori makes a vow to take her in under his care rather than letting her die an unfair death.

At the same time, an era of rising military tension is upon them, and the Heike are caught amid a cunning struggle for power while a bloodstained war looms relentlessly over the horizon. Shigemori is no ordinary person either, as his eyes allow him to see the spirits of the dead, and he remains both anxious and hopeful about preventing his clan's demise.

Biwa, however, is quite reluctant to reveal the gloomy future ahead to him and must now adapt to her all-new life filled with happiness and sorrow alike, set in motion within this pivotal chapter of Japanese history.

The Heike Story will let viewers learn a lot about historical Japan and take them through the hard road. The Story is difficult to understand because it focuses on the power struggle between the Heike and Genji houses in the late twelfth century.

As such, viewers who are not knowledgeable in Japanese history would definitely feel lost here. Buddhism also has a significant influence here. Two main Buddhist themes take center stage here: Karma, meaning that present deeds (good or bad) will affect one’s future, and Impermanence, meaning that everything changes and nothing lasts forever.

The story has not been renewed, and this is a good thing. Biwa and her father were happy traveling together, albeit being poor. But after young Biwa’s ill-timed remark causes her father’s death, she comes under Shigemori’s care. This tale cannot be described with simple words; it is full of despair, helplessness, and brief moments of happiness.

The execution and portrayal are superb; viewers will not feel indifferent towards its unique beauty and heartache. The series explores many different clans and people, as seen from Biwa’s perspective. She is not the main focus and often tries her best not to interfere with historical events.

Heike Monogatari | The Heike Story | Pinnedupink.com

The leader of the Heike clan is a ‘blind’ old man drunk with power and has everyone bowing down to him, with no qualities of a leader. His son, however, is a true leader, one who cares for the people above his own life.

Amid a storm of various clans, emperors, constant mind games, minor clashes, and massive wars, the tale leaves no room for viewers to feel bored or uninterested.

The Heike Story features a myriad of interesting characters, each of them absolutely different from the others. There are the fools, the thinkers, the doers, the believers, the murderers, the righteous, and many more types of people seen in the real world.

While some characters will immediately capture viewers' hearts, others will win their hatred for the entirety of the series. What makes the cast so engaging is that they are fascinating to analyze, and all point towards understanding one simple fact: the drive for power will come at a great price.

While on the journey to becoming a leader, by the time one reaches their goal, they would find that the cost they paid was too much, and the true terror lies in how they are now alone. Messages like this are what the characters strive to deliver to their audience, and they do so in the most beautiful and realistic ways.

The Heike Story is essential for Japanese people. Staff members gave their all to make the Art and Animation worthy of this title. The Artwork is realistic, vibrant, colorful, reminiscent of watercolors, and has so many tiny details; viewers can; viewers its sea of colors. Quality, effort and professionalism in this department are evident.

The Music and Sounds do not fall behind either. The OSTs are just so expertly handled, fitting and beautiful. They invoke feelings of tension, worry, and comfort at the perfect moments, helping viewers gain a new perspective of what they are seeing. Biwa's song, in particular, invokes what countless other OSTs across many other Anime fail to.

The Opening theme is "Hikaru Toki" by Hitsuji Bungaku, a perfect song that doesn’t warrant even one skip. The ending theme is "unified perspective" by agraph feat. ANI (++SCHADARAPARR++) has a sense of duality, which is incredible. It expertly manipulates monochrome colors to portray Biwa's state of mind.

This two-toned, primarily instrumental song provides a context of perspectives that work so well together to give off a vile vibe. The Voice Actors deliver a fantastic performance by pouring their souls into their characters, bringing them alive in a way nobody else could.

The Heike Story is a must-watch series! It is highly recommended because, in addition to delivering an extraordinarily entertaining and meaningful experience, it will give you a tiny understanding of what Japan was like in the 12th century.

It is so unique that you will not feel indifferent after watching it. If you don’t like historical series with dark and realistic themes, this may not be your cup of tea. But even so, this show is still worth a shot due to its complex and gorgeous aspects.