‘The Heike Story’, An Animated Medieval Epic

Wrapped up in the Genpei War, an immense conflict of the Heian Era which divided feudal Japan, a young girl Biwa with all-seeing powers previsions the tragic fate of her clan. Science SARU’s animation Heike Monogatari, or The Heike Story, is based on a widely studied, real medieval text—The Tale of Heike—whose ambiguous authorship stems from the scattered tales and oral histories into which it later developed.

The creative direction of Naoko Yamada stays true to its classical importance, breathing in a naturalism into her animations and hinting a traditional aesthetics significantly stemming from that epoch. Meanwhile, by placing Biwa at the centre, the theme of storytelling is explored with her as the figure who comes to chronicles its events.

An Illustrated Iliad

The Tokyo-based animation studio headquarters Science SARU, co-founded by producer Eunyoung Choi and the acclaimed animator Masaaki Yuasa, receives praise for their works which combine hand-drawn illustration, digital animation techniques and unique art styles. Directed by Naoko Yamada, previously from Kyoto Animation, The Heike Story depicts the devastations of a 12 century war, the fall of the Taira clan in the face of the Genji, and is based on author Hideo Furukawa’s translations of its epic historical narrative. Its premier on international streaming services—alongside the promotion of Masaaki Yuasa’s Inu-Oh, a feature film set in the aftermath of its wars—lead to its praise by several media outlets as one of 2021’s best series, as well as its nomination in 3 categories for the 2022 Anime Trending Awards.

As arguably one of the greatest classics of Japanese literature, in Science SARU’s way of bringing to life its extraordinary histories, the original text’s thematic —of duty, cruelty, glory and sacrifice—are maintained throughout an affective, episodic drama. Naoko Yamada’s adaptation breathes a slice-of-life familiarity into fabled figures, but the attention to nature surrounding them evocatively frames their struggles within aesthetics of impermanence central to their narrative of decline. Meanwhile, inside the mysterious historicity of The Tale of Heike—one in fact composed by the dispersed chants of travelling monks who carried an instrument called a biwa (like a European lute)—extra dimensions of magic are imbued through its main character, a psychic observer also called Biwa. The living image of history provided by The Heike Story is raised through its wandering figures, who come to terms with events with the act of storytelling itself.

The Heike Story (2021), an anime directed by Naoko Yamada and Science SARU is available for streaming on Funimation.