Shin Hakkenden

Based on the long cherished, classic Japanese novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden by Bakin Kyokutei Takizawa (1767), a modified version of it was made into animation.

Taking place in the future, during this time wars were occuring in heaven, mostly for possession between the eight moons created by the savior Fuse that surrounded God's land. When the war ended, there was only one ruling family - that of the Oowaris, and the remaining son gained control of all the moons of heaven, except for one. Meiten, the moon of the pope, where people refrained from war and were therefore out of it's terms.

Eight people. Each from one of the eight moons. Each possessing one of the jewels - the elements that compose Earth. They are those who are destined to become saviors of humanity. All of them have sacrificed for these jewels, and are determined to complete their duty to Queen Fuse who entrusted these to them. When the mad emperor Kai threatens to revive a ghost who wants to prevent the restoration of Earth, these eight must battle using the powers given by their jewels in order to create Earth and defeat those who want to prevent it.

So they all go to Kusanagi, the ship in the center of God's land. They must gather the jewels in the key called Yatsufusa at Kusanagi's center, in order to create Earth.

(Source: AniDB)

Yagami, Kou Main

Suzuki, Masami Japanese

Rei Main

Asakawa, Yuu Japanese

Jinrai Main

Morikawa, Toshiyuki Japanese

Chuji Main

Tatsuta, Naoki Japanese

Gyo Main

Nishimura, Tomohiro Japanese

Noburu Main

Komatsu, Rika Japanese

Ruty Main

Kikuchi, Shiho Japanese

Tomoka Main

Okiayu, Ryoutarou Japanese

Maro Supporting

Nakai, Kazuya Japanese

Kai Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Yatabe, Katsuyoshi Director, Storyboard

Takahashi, Hideo Sound Director

Inokawa, Shintarou Episode Director

Iijima, Masakatsu Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Dec 29, 2020

StaTiC_X

Recommended

I don't know from where should I start but just split it out.

So first I'll talk about the story
The story is more than excellent. There are great moments and some of them are just normal
I liked the dark side of the story and how all the characters suffered for a sublime goal. I did not like the cause of the sparks in order for them to become villains. Ridiculous and possibly very trivial reason.

Secondly the graphics
Very good for those who move the characters badly improve in some shots, but mostly bad. I understand that it is an old anime, but there are anime with the ... same foot, but the graphics are better than it.

Third, the sound
The song "Beginning and Ending" is good but I hated that in every episode they remind us of the main story after the introduction
As for the voices in the episodes (OST), they are excellent and bring back to me the memories of this anime that I watched before on TV but in a different language.

Fourth, I want to integrate the extent of the fun with the anime and its characters

The main characters are all bad except for (the dog) in short, there are some support characters who excel at the main ones in many respects, and they are the ones who helped the anime in the fun part, how the changes in them change the course of the story radically.

Overall
The anime is deserved to watch, and I gave it 8/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Sep 23, 2014

ZeraX

Recommended

Overview:
Shin Hakkenden is based on a very old Japanese novel that took around 4 decades to complete, but Shin Hakkenden sets in the future, and has some changes.

Story:
The Story of Shin Hakenden start hundreds of year after the Planet Earth got destroyed by a large comet, dividing it into 8 planets. At that time the Leader of Earth (called Fuse) rescued some people from the impact via space ships and wondered the space for a new home. Fuse tried to create a new Earth, in doing so she break the balance of the galaxy and people hated her for that.

Years and Years after, 8 persons, ... with 8 different jewels with 8 different background and tragic stories. re-unite to fight injustice and return Earth, which revealed to be a tough task for many obstacles, super power factions and a psychopath villain.

Art:
Shin Hakkenden aired in 1999, for an anime produced in that period and comparing to other anime in the same time. Animation and Art are outdated, bland and sometimes silly. maybe the series was produced on a low-budget, but fortunately for those who don't concern much about animation, it won't hurt the experience of watching this anime and its great story.

Sound:
Here's the awful part, the music! as a point to strengthen the assumption of this produced under low-budget, the entire series run with limited music pieces, maybe even few. every episode has the same music playing again and again. the fight scenes could be more intense with better music.

Character:
What made this series interesting and worth the watch is its characters.
the characters are well-developed. each one had its own sub-story running in the series. each had their moments and tragic events.
The way The 8 jewels fighters fight their way, met each other, helped each other, traveled, struggled, sacrificed , with many supporting characters helping them in the bloody journey was well-done.
the characters are realistic too. they are not the common-type of protagonists. each act on their normal behavior. they argue, fight and leave each other sometimes. over the 26 episodes, i can say characters got pretty deep development which really interesting and great.

Enjoyment:
I can't say it will be enjoyable for any individual. As long you put in mind you are watching an old anime. And forgive its animations and sound/music.
I bet you'll enjoy the story and the characters.



Thank You for reading my review. and sorry for the crappy English :)

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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May 20, 2023

Deago

Mixed Feelings

Shin Hakkenden is a story set in the future where technology has advanced so much that it has become indistinguishable from magic. The plot revolves around Kou, a boy with a powerful jewel implanted in his chest, who embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about his past and the connection between the jewel and the infamous Queen Fuse. Along the way, Kou meets other jewel holders, each with their own unique background, who help him on his journey.

The anime has a good pacing, with short fight scenes that don't take away from the story. Instead, they are used to convey important information about ... the characters and their abilities. The story is dialogue-heavy, which might not appeal to everyone, but it allows for more character development and exploration.

While the Sci-Fi elements of the anime are well done, on rare occasions, the fantasy elements interfere with the story, taking away from the overall Sci-Fi vibe of the anime. The fantasy elements are not introduced until later in the anime and feel forced, leading to an unbalanced story.

One of the highlights of Shin Hakkenden is its characters. The main characters are likeable, with each having their own unique personality and motivations. The focus and screentime given to the characters are random, providing unpredictability, but it can lead to an imbalance in the story. The villains, unfortunately, lack depth, with most being subordinates of the greater evil, and the 'big bad' is merely a boring megalomaniac, leading to a lack of tension and suspense.

The anime's art and animation are done on a shoestring budget. The action scenes are not the focus of the anime, so don't expect beautifully drawn action scenes. Instead, the anime focuses on character development and dialogue. The character design is good, with each main character having their own unique design and clothing. However, the inconsistency between the main characters and the background characters is noticeable. The main characters look like aliens or customised video game characters, while the background characters have a more 'realistic' appearance.

The opening and first ending songs are memorable, with the op song called MEMORY. The OSTs played during the episodes are limited, which can become repetitive, but some of them are decent.

Shin Hakkenden is a good old classic anime that has its pros and cons. The story is well-paced and dialogue-heavy, allowing for more character development and exploration. The characters are likeable, with each having their own unique personality and motivations. However, the lack of depth in the villains and the unbalanced fantasy elements take away from the overall Sci-Fi vibe of the anime. The art and animation are done on a shoestring budget, but the character design is good. The opening and first ending songs are memorable, but the limited number of OSTs can become repetitive. Overall, Shin Hakkenden is not mediocre, but it has many flaws that detract from its fineness.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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