Search - Legend of the Dog Warriors - Hakkenden on DVD


Legend of the Dog Warriors - Hakkenden
Legend of the Dog Warriors - Hakkenden
Actors: Ken Kramer, Ward Perry, Paul Dobson, Matt Hill, Matthew Smith
Directors: Michael Dobson, Takashi Anno
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
UR     2001     7hr 0min

During the war-torn feudal wars of Japan, the Awa clan faced certain extinction from a rival clan backed by demonic forces. However, a careless promise by their lord leads to both salvation and disgrace when their family ...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actors: Ken Kramer, Ward Perry, Paul Dobson, Matt Hill, Matthew Smith
Directors: Michael Dobson, Takashi Anno
Creators: Kazuhiro Konishi, Naoju Nakamura, Toru Miura, Yasuo Hasegawa, Bakin Kyokutei, Shô Aikawa
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Sub-Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Drama, Animation, Television, Anime & Manga, Animation
Studio: GENEON [PIONEER]
Format: DVD - Color - Animated
DVD Release Date: 10/09/2001
Release Year: 2001
Run Time: 7hr 0min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaDVD Credits: 3
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 1
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English

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Movie Reviews

An authentic Feudal Japanese anime
08/25/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The first thing that hits you about this series is it's atmosphere. Based on a 200 year old novel, and set in the Feudal era of Japan, this series drips of the mysticism and and deadly grace of that era, with it's haunting background music, it's bloody sword battles and war scenes, and it's defined characters. The story is unusual; two clans are at war; the Satomi and Anza. The Satomi is at a brutal disadvantage, and in desperation and jest, the lord of the Satomi clan makes a pact with his dog. The result is amazing; among other things, it includes a curse, prayer-beads and eight warriors who we are yet to meet, and who are yet to meet each other. All this is made pretty clear in the first 1/2 hour episode of the series; what really keeps blowing me away is just how much of the plot is fitted in to each episode. Even after just episode one, the cares of the Satomi clan became my own. So, why didn't it get five stars then? Well, for all it's wonderful plot, the animation was a bit cruddy at places. I read somewhere that a lot of different creators took turns in producing each episode, and there are marked differences in the quality from episode to episode, even within an episode. When the quality is good, it really is something to behold, but when it's not....UGH!! -_-;; However, don't let that deter you, if you're into anime with a strong plot and diverse and equally strong characters. It's definitely a series to watch if you're an anime fan, or a fan of Samurai stories, or (like me) you're both!"
Very Dissapointing
ladykitsu | Richardson, TX USA | 12/05/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)

"I read the back cover and got ready for some real entertainment. While I like some of the mech warrior type anime, I really just love history/fantasy based, anime of ancient Japan.I thought the story was a little hard to follow at first because they kept throwing in new people in every episode. Then about the time when I could watch the movie without having to think who was who and how they realated to everyone else they went and messed with the animation. There was 2 or 3 episodes in the middle of the series where the animation was quite horrifying and someone nausiating to watch. Everyone had horses teeth and their faces looked like a wax doll stuck in the fire. At that point the series went back to confusing (since it was hard to tell the people apart since the animation style changed so drastically). All in all, if you are going mostly for story and don't care about animation style, then give this one a try....but my biggest suggestion on this one is rent it or borrow a copy before you decide to buy!!!"
Who says history can't kick butt?
02/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Hakkenden animated series is based on a very old Japanese novel (Nanso Satomi Hakkenden) that has a story that is anything but out-dated. It has historical dates and figures in it but has a fair dossage of supernatural bad guys and great action sequences. The simplified plot is that a Japanese Lord's daughter is forced to marry her pet dog that saved her province from an overly-oppressive Shogun. This was because the Lord jokingly said to the dog that if he killed the Shogun, he could have his daughter's hand in marriage. After living with the dog for many years, she released eight spirits from a beaded necklace when she died. These spirits would later become known as the Eight Dog Warriors. I really liked the first video in this series. The story can be mighty hard to follow at times but it's obvious there is a very good plot in the works early on. The animation is good and not so good depending on the part of the show. Talking scenes and more idle moments in the show tend to have animation of a questionable quality. Once the fight scenes kick in however, it is top notch!So if you are already a fan of anime and are looking for something with more of a historical slant to it and a very complex story, then the Hakkenden is just what you're looking for."
For the most part, pretty good
Jeremy Moses | Williamsport, PA | 04/08/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Hakkenden is the story of eight warriors reincarnated from the bizaare union of a woman and a dog. Sounds weird but it's presented in a mature (not explicit) manner. This is complicated by the fact that they don't know each other, so the story is basically their meeting and what transpires.
From other reviews, it seems that changing animation styles within the series is the biggest complaint, so let me address that. The first three episodes have consistent animation which is quite good. Episode four is a different style, but it's not too offensive. By the end of the episode, I liked it. Episodes 4-8 and 11-13 all have the same style, which is similar to the first one. Episode 9 is very basic, but you probably won't wince too much. Episode 10 is a joke. It contains the worst, most comically bad animation I've ever seen. At times the characters' faces are little more than blobs. I spent most of the episode laughing at the animation, so all in all I probably got my money's worth. Bottom line on the animation: it's not as big a deal as lots of people make it out to be. Read on.
The story is pretty intriguing in many places. It seems confusing at first because they dump a hundred different names on you at once, but you really only need to know a small fraction of those names for it to make sense. The characters are not brilliantly developed, but most of them are still interesting. The villain is well done and creepy, although he gets no closure at all. Having a few more episodes to flesh out the eight warriors wouldn't have hurt.
One thing I liked was the atmosphere. Especially in the last three episodes, the feudal Japanese style is really well done, aided by some very good combat animation. When characters fight they do so with grace and fluidity and best of all, most fights are brief and decisive.
So all in all the Hakkenden is an enjoyable, pretty well done anime. It has its flaws, but so does everything. (plus, it's affordable. doesn't that [upset you]when a series has thirteen episodes and they want over a hundred dollars for it? what's the deal?) Anyway, that's the story on The Hakkenden."