I was looking for a new series to review this week and was having a hard time finding a series that met all my requirements. Generally, I wanted something that had just come out or was still airing, that wasn’t too far along in the show, and that had 5 episodes available, as, like I have previously stated, I like to give shows a little time to find their footing before review. I just couldn’t find something that hit three of my requirements, but in the process something did catch my eye.
The Heike Story, available for streaming now on Funimation, is brand new and only has one episode so far but the description of the series caught my eye and I decided to check it out. The show retells the story of the Japanese historical epic The Tale of the Heike that details the downfall of the Taira clan (also known as the Heike) in the Genpei War.
The show follows a young girl named Biwa who has the gift of seeing the future. Her father is killed by what are essentially the secret police of the Taira clan. Biwa ends up becoming welcomed into the Taira household by the Shigemori Taira, the kinder and more noble son of the cruel and ruthless Kiyomori Taira. Shigemori also has a gift of vision, but he sees the ghosts of those who have died.
The series has just started, so it is hard to summarize here as I am not sure what is significant or not and what elements shown may be important for the rest of the series. There is a lot of interesting set up that may or may not be followed up on in future episodes. The relationship between Shigemori and Kiyomori is interesting, as well as the relationship between Shigemori and Biwa, and both relationships are sure to be key to the show. There is also an interesting element that Biwa in many ways is presented as non-binary or transgender in the first episode, calling herself a boy, dressing in male clothes, and even having chosen a new name for herself. It is explained that this is due to her father, a traveling musician, dressing Biwa as a boy to protect her, so I will be interested to see if this is continued or if it will be dropped as Biwa conforms more to a female identity in future episodes.
The series also has some interesting visual representations and symbolism used in the show. Butterflies and sala tree flowers are used, likely to represent impermanence and the shortness of life, and both Biwa and Shigemori are shown to have heterochromia of the eye as a visual representation of their gifts. It is still early to see how this symbolism is carried through the rest of the series.
The art style for the show is also interesting. It is not the typical anime style you may expect. I don’t really know how to describe it, but it seems a lot softer and rounder than many other shows. There are also some sections where the style changes completely, which creates a noticeable contrast and can be somewhat shocking visually. I generally liked the art choices, but they may not be for everyone.
I thought the voice acting was good. As of right now there is only a subtitled version and no English dub. If that is an issue for you, you may want to hold off on the series until a dub is available.
I am not sure I fully understand the show. It is both early in the run and there is a lot of cultural and historical background to The Heike Story. I still like it, though, and as of right now, I am planning on continuing to watch the show. I may even do a follow up 5 episode and whole season review further down the line. I would recommend you check out The Heike Story if you are looking for something new, but just know it may not be for everyone.
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