In the future, Earth is destroyed by an incoming comet. A savior, Queen Fuse,
foretells the tragedy and allows humans to escape before the holocaust. They
are forced to wander the reaches of space for a million days and nights until
they reach a land called Heaven.
The 100th Queen Fuse declares the center of Heaven, God's Land, the new home
of humanity. Unfortunately this act ruins the balance of the universe.
Fuse is criticized harshly by others and her name is scorned, as some lose
their place and settle on the eight moons of Heaven. Meanwhile, 15-year old
Kou Yagami is given the Murasame, a sword forged by his father before his
death. This sword has a strange red jewel in the blade, and this jewel changes
the destiny of its possessor...
Shin Hakkenden Anime Review
For an anime supposedly done in 1999, Shin Hakkenden has below-par animation,
crude models and bland character designs. Many enthusiasts weaned on the slick
visuals of "Ghost in the Shell" and
"Neon Genesis Evangelion" will wonder if the Shin Hakkenden's animators
have seen any better. Shin Hakkenden looks like a 1980s anime, and it's hard
to believe that it's a relatively new production.
Anyhow, I continued to watch just to see how Shin Hakkenden pans out and I
found myself drawn to its good concepts and solid story. It's not the best
I've seen but it's put together very well.
By the time the twenty or so episodes pass, the loose ends are tied up nicely.
I especially liked the way Queen Fuse's true motives are revealed.
The key character here, story-wise, is actually Chuji -- the cyborg dog. He is
undoubtedly the deepest and most developed one of all. Sad to say though,
characterization is generally thin. Kou doesn't pique my interest much -- he's
too typical, and the others have the same problem.
Overall, Shin Hakkenden's potential is spoiled by the inferior animation and weak
character development. It's too bad because the story definitely showed a lot
of promise.
Miscellanies: Shin Hakkenden
You'll need patience with this title.
Shin Hakkenden | |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
|---|---|
| Episodes | 26 |
| Status | Finished Airing |
| Aired | Apr 3, 1999 to Sep 25, 1999 |
| Producers | TV Tokyo |
| Studio | Public & Basic |
| Rating | PG-13 - Teens 13 or older |
| Themes | Martial Arts |
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