Movies / Animé and Toons

Hero Tales: Part One

By Chris Zimmerman
April 4, 2011 - 14:36

Hiromu Arakawa seems to be on a tear at the moment. Her recently completed Fullmetal Alchemist has received acclaim from fans and critics alike, has been adapted into an anime no less than twice, and looks to be heading back to the big screen for an encore. So when I had heard she had yet another series in the works, I was instantly curious.

Being a collaborative effort with Huang Jin Zhou, Hero Tales adapts the ancient Chinese myth of a hero destined to unite the country. After reading the manga, I was satisfied but concerned. The story was slow to develop and the characters were not as rich as Arakawa’s original creations. None-the-less, Funimation bought up the rights for all 26 episodes and has decided to release them in two sets.

The series takes viewers back in time to a fractured China. The world is at war and those prophesized to save the country are seemingly behind its ruin. It is said that these “stars of destiny” will decide the fate of man, with the two most powerful fated to clash for that right.

From there we are introduced to a young man named Taito. He’s a country boy of sorts who is not only a star of destiny, but one of the two that are meant to decide the future of the empire. Opposite him is Keiro, a blood thirsty warlord and fellow star that wants to unite the world, albeit under his rule.

Still relatively inexperienced in the whole destiny venture, Taito sets out to train and gather the other stars together. As one would expect, not all the stars are entirely willing to join him in his quest, with some having their own agendas to fulfill. We’re introduced to some colorful characters during this period, though many lack the motivation to develop a proper connection with the audience.

Joined by his buddy Ryuko and sister Laila, Taito journey s around the county side helping those in need and discovering vital knowledge about himself. Its during this time that the pacing problems plaguing the manga transition over to the anime. The series becomes episodic early, with the threesome encountering some new challenge and Taito walking away having learned something useful. Had I not known the direction in which the series was heading I might have tuned out entirely.

Funimation takes the unusual route of giving us a bonus disc of extras including discussions with the Japanese cast that come in at around 45 minutes. Following that, we get the usual assortment of trailers and textless music. Fans of the series will want to check out the round table at least once to see the crew discuss the series.

Hero Tales wasn’t bad in any sense of the word, but it did lack the appeal of Arakawa’s other work. Despite not being entirely her own, we as fans put her on a certain pedestal of which we want her to live up to. Is that harsh? Perhaps, but that stems from the genius exhibited in Fullmetal Alchemist and its that genius we yearn for again.

C+

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12