Over the years, foreign films have become gradually more accessible to audiences all over the world. In the modern era, most fans can find whatever they want to see, regardless of where it came out, but the regional differences can still negatively impact otherwise solid and interesting pieces of art.
The Legend of Heiwas released to Chinese and Japanese theaters in 2019, but audiences outside those nations would have trouble seeing it legally for some time. The film’s North American release, featuring an English language voice cast andavailability on Amazon Prime Video, came last April, and now that worldwide audiences can see it, they absolutely should.
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The Legend of Heiis a film adaptation of a 40-episode Flash-animated series calledThe Legend of Luo Xiaohei, but the latter is not required viewing for the former. Both the series and the film were created by Chinese artist MTJJ, who brings abeautiful and unique visual flairto both. MTJJ also wrote the script for the film, which received some localization from Kris Knigge ofThus Spoke Kishibe Rohan. The film’s distribution was handled by the well-known anime production company Aniplex. When adapted to English, the studio also brought in some strong voice talent, including Kaiji Tang (Satoru Gojo inJujutsu Kaisen) and Aleks Le (Zenitsu inDemon Slayer). Fans of subs will feel right at home with the original Chinese version, and fans of dubs will find the English version perfectly serviceable.
The Legend of Heiisabout a young spiritwhose beautiful forest home is destroyed by human deforestation. Hei takes the form of a kitten and hides in plain sight for years until he is discovered by a fellow spirit named Stormend. After years of solitude, Hei immediately falls in love with his new home and his new friends, but it doesn’t last long. A string of unexplained attacks has left other spirits in a state of terror. Hei is among his new friends for only a day before a mysterious human with incredible power appears and battles the spirits to a standstill single-handedly. This stranger, the taciturn warrior Infinity, takes Hei with him as he leaves on a long and winding journey across idyllic islands and metropolitan cities to get Hei somewhere safe. Along the way, Hei is forced to questionwho is right and who is wrong, and decide the fate of mankind and his fellow spirits alike.
The film has drawn a ton of comparisons to thework of Studio Ghibli, and it’s a fair one to make. While the environmental messaging isn’t nearly as complex as something likePrincess Mononoke, it feels aimed at a younger audience. The plot is a little all over the place, regularly drawing in characters the audience hasn’t met yet and introducing them with an expedient flourish. The direct storyline, however, is very simple and easy to follow, despite its twists and shifting motives. The characters are all immediately identifiable, even those who don’t get more than a couple of minutes on-screen, and the main cast are immensely likable. There’s a ton of well-executed character comedy between Infinity and Hei. Their long journey makes up the bulk of the film’s runtime, but it’s a beautifully executed travel comedy with a few thrilling asides into the supernatural.
Despite its excellent presentation, the charming journey of a child and his enigmatic caretaker isn’t the biggest draw of this film. The real draw is the myriad of unique and brilliant fight scenes. There are a ton of animated action films and fight-centric anime series out there crafting excellent 2-D combat, but it is no overstatement to declareThe Legend of Heione of thebest in the genre. Every attack, counter, exchange, and conflict flows with a level of artistry that is beyond belief. Most of the exposure that the film has gotten in North America comes from a handful of gifs that have emerged on social media, but they barely scratch the surface. Almost every major character wields a simple superpower, and the creativity on display, especially from gifts that everyone has seen elsewhere, is staggering.
It’s compelling, unpredictable, flowing, and dynamic, but it also conveys an incredible amount of character in brief fight scenes. Fans of shonen anime or superhero movies owe it to themselves to see what MTJJ does with a handful of characters and a few simple powers.
The Legend of Heiprobably won’t redefine modern animation, though there are plenty of works that could learn from it. What it will do, however, is combine an adorable fantasy journey with some of the bestanimated action of a generation. The film is underrated, not because people don’t love it, but because people haven’t seen it. Now thatThe Legend of Heiis available to purchase from YouTube, Amazon, and Vudu, consider seeing this lesser-known modern animated journey.
