The Deer King

Nahoko Uehashi's fantasy novel is brought to life in an anime adventure rather overcrowded with narrative.

Born in 1969, Masashi Ando has long been an established figure in the world of Japanese animation. He notably contributed to such films as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Your Name as animation director and character designer, but it is only now with The Deer King that he takes on a film as director, a credit that he shares with Masayuki Miyaji. For this venture he has turned to a screenplay by Taku Kishimoto based on novels by Nahoko Uehashi originally published in two volumes but then in four. Anyone already familiar with the originals will be at an advantage in that for newcomers the film of The Deer King offers a surfeit of material not always easy to absorb.

First, there's some background history to take in. We are in Fire Horse Territory, the home of the Aquafaese whose land is now under the control of the Zol empire. A pre-credit credit sequence introduces us to our hero, Van, who, captured in battle, has been forced by the occupiers to undergo slave labour in a salt mine. However, he manages to break free and to take with him an orphan girl named Yuna. Linked to this escape is the Black Wolf Fever thought to have died out but now recurring in wild dogs that bite men with fatal consequences. Others in the mine have perished in this way but it actually helps Van since he seems to be immune and indeed to gain extra power from being bitten. The authorities find a tracker, Sae, to pursue him since they want him dead, but she may prove to have ideas of her own. Meanwhile, Van is also being sought by Hohsalle, a doctor who wants to keep Van alive in order to study him and thus to establish whether or not there are antibodies in his blood which can overcome the deadly fever. In addition to all this – and even as a visit by the Emperor is anticipated – local lords are plotting, Lord Yotalu, a Zol supporter, being eager to succeed the dying Lord Utalu.

So much is going on here that The Deer King readily sustains a running length of close on two hours. Indeed, it also incorporates a separate plot-line regarding Van’s relationship with young Yuna who passes as his child when they are accepted into a rural community, a set-up which soon finds the girl actually regarding him as her father. As for the dogs, they appear to be controlled by evil forces. But meanwhile deer are also seen and they are figures representing something else entirely: the possible attainment for the Aquafaese of a peaceful realm but one in need of a leader to obtain it, that being the role for which Van is unknowingly destined. However complex the strands, most of the elements carry echoes of earlier anime works without matching their impact. That's so even though the story is not short of action and offers enough violence for the BBFC to have been ultra-cautious by giving the film a 15 certificate.

The fact that The Deer King is always watchable without being in the front rank is confirmed by the way in which the scenes featuring Hohsalle work best. The doctor is seen challenging old traditions and beliefs by adopting a scientific approach as he seeks a cure for the deadly fever and this material has a freshness and power lacking elsewhere. Interestingly, Hohsalle stands as a man in the middle not committed fully to either side of the conflict and consequently somebody who functions as an idealist hoping to aid humanity in general. When compared to Hohsalle, Van and the sometimes over-cutesy Yuna are but standard figures lacking in real individuality. Nevertheless, the British distributors are sufficiently hopeful of a good response to be releasing the film both subtitled (as I viewed it) and in an English language version. Indeed, The Deer King is good enough to please anime fans even if they are unlikely to list it among the best of them.

Original title: Shika no ou.

MANSEL STIMPSON

Voices of  Original version: Shinichi Tsutsumi, Hisui Kimura, Ryoma Takeuchi, Anne Watanabe, Atsushi Abe, Shinsu Fuji, Yutaka Aoyama.   English language version: Ray Chase, Luciana VanDette, Griffin Puatu, Erica Schroeder, Chris Hackney, Keith Silverstein, Doug Erholtz.

Dir Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, Pro tbc, Screenplay Taku Kishimoto from the novels by Nahoko Uehashi, Ed tbc, Music Harumi Fukui.

Production I.G-Anime Limited.

113 mins. Japan 2021. US Rel: 13 July 2022. UK Rel: 27 July 2022. Cert. 15.