Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
LinoTheOne
Second or third time watching Heike Monogatari. Always a delightful, insightful, refreshing anime telling a tragically beautiful story through astonishing animation.
Through Heike Monogatari, we are brought to the last years of the Heian Period. And we, as spectators, are actually put into the story through its pseudo-protagonist, Biwa. Let me explain: the Tale of the Heike as we know it today is a compilation of an oral story sung by biwa players, poets, and singers. In that sense, we are Biwa as she's a narrator and spectator with zero influence on the course of history. With Biwa, we know each Taira, their feelings, their ambitions, their beliefs. Like Biwa, we suffer and rejoice by their side, we cry when they cry and sing when they sing - but we have nothing to do with their happines…
Read at the sourceLajto-kun
Is this anime wortht watching? I'll let you know in just a few sentences:
1) MC girl's story doesn't matter here at all - she's you, a passive observer of historical events. She can foresee a future but can't change it - her inclusion as a narrative device in this story deepens the tragedy of everything you see and is, as such, a very bold choice by the production team.
2) Think of this anime as a political and historical drama. But it manages to strike you on a personal level because it questions basic humans's needs and behaviors: power, social inequality, values, love, lust, loss. It has only 11 episodes and a very fast narrative pacing, almost too fast. It feels rushed, but it becomes more and more tragic and emotional as episodes go by. You'll feel the emotional heaviness of the st…
Read at the sourceStridertheRanger
Set during the Genpei War (1180–1185), a devastating civil conflict that divided Japan, the story is told from the perspective of Biwa, a young girl and traveling biwa minstrel. Following the death of her blind father, Biwa meets Taira no Shigemori, heir to the powerful Taira clan that is fighting for supremacy in the war. Shigemori also has the power of supernatural sight; with one of his eyes, he sees ghosts of those killed in the war. Through his ability, he understands his clan's part in the killing of Biwa's father, and when Biwa relates a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Taira clan, he believes that she has the same ability. The kind, level-headed, and responsible Shigemori invites Biwa to come live with him and his family under the auspices of being a playmate and companion f…
Read at the sourceKikukahiko
Personal Opinion
This was definitely Yamada-sensei stepping out of her comfort zone by taking on a new kind of genre and honestly, she pulled it off pretty well.
The core of the story is centered around a real historical event, focusing on the dynamic between the winners and the losers. What I found unique is that Yamada chose to tell the story from the perspective of the losers, which you rarely see in media like this.
Another thing I really liked was the passage-style storytelling. It felt straightforward, but at the same time… not really?
Like, (it’s direct if you want it to be, but you could read into it in other ways too.)
The storyboarding really backed this up very deliberate, very effective.
The downside for me was that the pacing and storytelling felt a bit too fast, and some…
Read at the sourceDaiichiDaiman
A historical anime without date cards and nameplates for new characters was definitely an interesting choice, but after a difficult start, Heike Monogatari becomes one of the most mature and engaging shows I've watched. The music is incredible and the imagery, which has a wavy, dreamy feeling that suits the subject so well, is both provocative and subtle.
Without making this review about comparing the show to other anime, I can't help but recommend it for anyone who wants to branch out from the usual Bakufu and Sengoku Jidai period pieces and enjoy something that's off the beaten track, more consistent in its tone and doesn't handhold the viewer through history.
Read at the sourcejoemaamah
If you are into stuff like Greek or Roman tragedy, or Shakespeare, then have we got the anime for you!
The art work is simplistic, but there is a certain elegance to it. The background work starts out lush. It had a pastel, water-colory quality to it that is impressive. But the quality starts to degrade as the series progresses. It never gets bad, but it was noticeable. Animation started out slightly above average, but slipped toward the end, too. Again, it never got bad, but it was noticeable. Still, much better quality than your typical trash isekai.
The character art designs were also simple, to the point of being spartan. The characters are saved by being extremely well rounded. Might not like them all, but you know where they are all coming from.
I found the narrative a tad odd.…
Read at the sourceSgtSalamander
Heike Monogatari is a poignant tale that relates the tragedy of the Heike clan, and does so with lavish, effulgent beauty, wreathed in symbolism and saturated in a sense of humanity not usually granted to the Heike in the retelling of their story, that family that flew too close to the sun. This is a magnificent retelling of a classic story rooted in history, resulting in a profoundly moving work of art. The story is the strongest part of this anime, as it is a masterful example of tragic beauty- through the addition of a clairvoyant young girl, you learn the fates of the Heike, and even so, the story endears them to you. Even through all their pride and their sin, you are treated to these characters as people, and the Heike as a family. It is flawlessly constructed, and manages to imbue i…
Read at the sourceKiyoharu820
A SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF HEIKE MONOGATARI BY A JAPANESE STUDIES ACADEMIC
As someone who has studied and read much of the Heike Monogatari, and has a very deep interest in Japanese art, history and culture, I can confidently say that this anime is a celebration of the past thousand years of Japanese art. It is artistically very unique, preferring to be faithfal to traditional arts rather than modern styles of anime that the director, Naoko Yamada, normally does.
Unlike the hard defined outlines of most anime, the character outlines are thin, imitating the styles present in Japaneses crolls. Instead of unique hair, facial, and body design present in most anime, the distinguishing trait between characters is their kimono or armor, as was typical in Japanese traditional art. The series continu…
Read at the sourcekerr_caprices
LIFE IS INDEED LIKE A FALLING AUTUMN LEAF. BEFORE IT CAN TOUCH THE GROUND, IT IS BLOWN AWAY BY THE WIND -Heike Monogatari
(MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS)
A man's glory may last for a lifetime, but it is the deeds of his descendants that truly determine his legacy.
'The Heike Story' or locally known as 'Heike Monogatari' is the studio Science SARU's adaptation of the timeless classic of Japanese literature of the same name.
The story is set is feudal Japan during the late 12th century which is a period known for its cultural transformation, military conflicts and the ever changing political strife. It's set towards the end of Gempei War of 12th century in Heian period when 'Taira Clan' and 'Minamoto Clan' were struggling for dominance over Japan which lead to eventual downfall of 'Taira cla…
Read at the sourcevello_23
Comentários desorganizados pra fromar uma review apropriada posteriormente já que vou precisar reassistir com muito mais calma pra finalmente poder botar tds meus pensamentos em ordem e formular algo que seja digno de todas as ideias apresentadas aqui
The art is impressive in all its aspects
General songs are wonderful, especially the Ending, but the Opening isn't far behind (even if the styles are quite different)
I can't enjoy Biwa's traditional songs, but the artistry is appreciated
You might get a little lost
Very good character work and the portrayal of the supernatural powers some have
VISUAL: 7,85
º animation 8
º character design 8 º world+obj 8
º effects 7
º OP 8
º ED 8
SOUND: 8
º SoundTrack 7
º OP 8
º ED 9
WRITING: 8,8
º plot 9
º characters 9
º worldbuilding 8
º themes 9
º emoti…
Read at the sourceHydre_Ito
This is an adaption of an ancient Japanese tale about a war between two great clans that ruled the country during the 12th century. The plot mainly entails the different battles that took place and the gradual downfall of one of the clans, with an anime original protagonist and supernatural aspects that didn’t add much to the story; her and another character inherit abilities to see into the future and see souls of the dead respectively.
After tragically parting with her biological father, Biwa, our protagonist (apparently) meets the compassionate leader of the Hieke (Taira) clan, Shigemori. He decides to take her in as he feels responsible over what she had to endure. In the first few episodes, we witness a wholesome relationship between him and Biwa where they both relate to eachother…
Read at the sourceMury0kush0
This anime made me question whether I have prosopagnosia (face blindness) Lol. As someone with no background knowledge whatsoever this anime was very very very confusing….11 eps also took me more than an year to finish mainly because I didn’t catch up after a few eps while it was airing and then I forgot the storyline and my second rewatch took me couple of months and now I’m just confusion. I love historical genre hence I didn’t drop it but if you aren’t into the genre then just skip it. If I speak about the art, then some characters look really alike and there are these two baldies whom I couldn’t differentiate when either of them appeared. The characters name are your typical historical names like taira-no-shigemori, Fujiwara-no-narichika etc…and it was so difficult to follow who was wh…
Read at the sourcegabu_rieru
I could rate my recommendation of this anime as a 7 and a "Mixed Feelings" but I will give this anime the benefit of the doubt.
Heike Monogatari is another beautiful gem from Science Saru but I feel that I could have gotten better out of the story. I can't blame her for the fact that at times I found myself totally lost in the story, but it's also a fact that this one isn't such an easy anime to watch. Any lapse of attention and you are at the mercy of the story.
Its first 3 minutes are fantastic, it presents an anime splendidly and raises its hype to the heights, but I feel that these 3 minutes sell an anime different from the one we will watch over time. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I, in fact, would like the anime to be the same as its presentation, which was impactfu…
Read at the sourcedograzor
There are some powerful visuals and moments throughout, but there is a noticeable dropoff after the first few episodes, and it quickly becomes a narrative and tonal mess in the middle section in particular before recovering somewhat in the last couple of episodes.
This is only partially explained by the show's assumed knowledge of the events depicted, which in any case could be covered by an hour or two of familiarization, as the narrative becomes bogged down by repeated exposition that goes nowhere and seemingly irrelevant side plots along with poor characterization work with little in the way of nuance or narrative tension developed.
What is great is the Biwa playing, this is the absolute highlight of the show, as is the visual presentation, although some of the montage sequences were…
Read at the sourceSh0t0p
In my life of myanimelist there has been very few times where I gave my energy to write a review, but after finishing Heike Monogatari, I cannot feel but empty if I don't pour my heart into a simple review. This anime has broke me and made me cry a couple of times during the ending of the series. The story, the hardships, everything that the characters felt made me feel also. Biwa, who watches the enviroment and the people change in her eyes, doesn't change herself in the anime, that's what really touches my heart the most. Her personality, even her body doesn't change, but she sees changes around her. She is not like any other protagonist ever, she didn't do anything even though she could see the future, she let things go how they went, even though she struggled to accept that, she eventu…
Read at the sourceThe_Namer
Anyone who has been watching anime for a while probably has a rough idea of Japan's Edo period. So many shows have been based around its beginning circa 1600, when the Tokugawa Shogunate was established, and its end in the 1860s when the Meiji Restoration reinstated the imperial line. The Heike Story takes place long before this, however, during the last years of the Heian period in the late 12th Century when two powerful clans vied for control of Japan. Far fewer anime tackle this era, making this a difficult show for a gaijin like me to assess. My only prior knowledge of the Heike clan comes from the film Kwaidan, which features a monk who recounts the end of The Tale of Heike. So I knew where this story was going, but not how it gets there.
I expect any Japanese middle-schooler would h…
Read at the sourceccalyyuu
An underrated gem. An instant classic. Masterful visual storytelling. Sublime music. Gorgeous animation.
The way this Japanese classic medieval epic has been adapted makes sense. Rather than the episodic nature of the Heike Monogatari, an original character (blind girl Biwa, who can see the future and the dead) was used to frame the story. I frankly don't mind it. It's so ridiculous to me that people rated this low because an underaged girl was married to an older man. Like, did you forget this was set in the 12th century? You balk at "eye superpowers" that was used to form a narrative thread, but you want this to take a firm political stance against child brides? Make it make sense.
Read at the sourceWritaHolic
I recommend everyone to watch the OP for this anime blind, without context. If the OP's music and visuals inexplicably move you, give the whole anime a shot. If they don’t, your efforts are better spent elsewhere.
That's not to say that Heike Monogatari is bad: quite the opposite. Although the art style is not typical to modern anime, both it and the animation are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Director Naoko Yamada knows exactly how to frame shots, as well as how to cut to and away from drama to leave the maximum emotional impact. What’s more, the story’s themes are universal—inevitability, suffering, and loss—and it explores these themes in an incredibly beautiful, reserved yet poignant way.
But Heike Monogatari is not for the faint of heart, for several reasons. The inevitable tragedy woven…
Read at the sourceSomonHaider
▪️Heike Monogatari;The Heike story: A Story about Love, War and Unsung welcome to end of a dynasty.
"All things that flourish must perish one way or another"
It was an word told in Buddhism & 92:7-9; of the verse in Bible, as though it cements that ideal into the teachings of those for centuries, to come and go into the hearts of the followers and believers as well as giving the central idea, to show how the rise and the fall of a clan may or may not effect an entire nation and all the subjects living along in those lands. Both economically and catastrophically in living amongst the many during war & peace side by side.
//Genre:Historical,Drama
Status:Completed;//
**Naoko Yamada's Direction at Studio Science Saru has been a new start of a journey for her after being in works with Kyoto…
Read at the sourceBaleygr086
The Heike Story
A sprawling epic relayed from ages past, in nothing but musings from biwa players of distant memory and up to the current now, this take of the downfall of a once revered but eventual ruined family tugs at your heartstrings and never stops churning along.
Excellent voice acting, overall atmosphere and tone does wonders to immerse you into this fictional recollection into a period in time that might've been forgotten in the annals of history.
Based on the literary work, the original "Tale of the Heike" spans untold generations.
Similar in vein to other epics of the same ilk, this foretells of the prosperous family, the Heike, or the Taira clan, as they eventually disappear with no remorse during the Genpei War. Viewpoints of different characters invariably shift as they rea…
Read at the source
