Hakkenden, The
 Christian Nutt  rates it:    

The Hakkenden, or The Legend of the Dog Warriors as Pioneer's calling it these days, is a 13-episode OVA series from 1990-1991 which is rather unlike the other shows that Pioneer was putting out in the early part of the last decade. Even though it was also produced by AIC, the studio that made Pioneer's most famous shows, The Hakkenden is based not on the idea of putting a milquetoast hero in contact with as many buxom ladies as possible (see Tenchi Muyo and El Hazard) but instead on a serial novel series from the 1800s. It's sort of like Disney doing Dickens except Japanese and not lame. Hakkenden literally translates to "eight dog legend," and that's what you get, more or less. The series follows the travails of a group of warriors who are the reincarnated, cursed offspring of a princess and a dog. Yeah, I know. Old stuff is weird.

Before you hit the "back" button (or whip it out, depending on your proclivity) I'm here to tell you that there is neither nasty bestiality nor hot furry action. This is serious samurai stuff with plenty of melodrama and way more than its share of noble suicides and tragic deaths. There's action and gore, sure, but The Hakkenden is an incredibly complex tale of feudal warlords, ill-fated romances, malevolent spirits and political machinations. It's heady stuff, and so convoluted that one has to wonder just how off the hook the 106-volume original series must've been. There's no way they got all of that stuff in 13 half-hour episodes.

Sometimes the intrigue is spot-on; with such a rich tableaux of characters and situations to draw from, it can't help but be largely fascinating. Sometimes, regrettably, it degrades into a morass of confusing names and situations, half-baked subplots, all awash in a miasma of melodramatic spraying blood. The lead character is Shino Inuzuka. (Note: All of the Haks have 'Inu' in their name-- it means dog. At this point I'd normally sarcastically say "clever," except I feel weird picking on dead guys.) Anyway, Shino is an incredibly capable, somewhat effeminate young swordsman under the tutelage of his father. He's in love with the young, beautiful Hamaji and is, in fact, engaged to be married to her. Unfortunately, her scheming parents plan to marry her off to a petty lord instead. Meanwhile Shino has to deliver the Murasame, a legendary katana to another petty lord. Shino's simple task is fraught with tragedy and adventure as the despicable Aboshi connives to grab the Murasame so Shino will either be killed by the lord who's expecting it, or forced to kill himself in shame. Hell, I'm trying to explain it and I've lost track of what's going on. Like I said, convoluted-- this isn't even the half of it. There are seven more dog warriors, and a whole hell of a lot of debauched and traitorous nobles to contend with. Possessions, arranged marriages, mistaken identities, betrayals and battles pack the three discs of this box set to the gills.

While the series is from time to time startling in its melodramatic portrayals of violence and its frank depiction of the dark side of humanity, its visual impact is lessened by a general lack of detail. I would go so far as to say that some of the episodes are downright crude and amateurish, but right in the midst of artwork that makes 60s Hanna-Barbera shows look detailed are some captivating and beautifully-animated fight scenes that are way ahead of their time-- remember, 1991-- and real pathos that presages the sort of stuff you'll see in the Rurouni Kenshin (or, ugh, Samurai X) OAVs much later. Its technical problems cannot help but occasionally obscure the narrative, though.

The way the production was originally handled is surely partially to blame. The series did six episodes in Japan and then (presumably on the strength of those) came back for seven more, and the arc simply wasn't planned as it should've been across its thirteen episodes. The Hakkenden is simply not well paced. The series completely switched staff in the middle, leading to a fractured feel. Some of the warriors-- Shino, Sosuke, Kobungo and Genpachi-- get a lot of screen time. We barely see Keno or Daikaku, whose stories are both nearly as fascinating, while Dosetsu merely dances around the edges. And Shinbei is almost a deus ex machina, showing up far too close to the saga's end. Adding to the confusion is a proliferation of subplots, flashbacks, and convoluted back-story crammed into every episode willy-nilly, as well as significant visual style shifts. For one episode I thought Shino was Sosuke until someone said his name. In fact, the tenth episode is possibly the single ugliest, cheapest-looking episode of any anime series I've ever seen. But the fights are breathtaking, and the story is harrowing and tragic, leading to it being one of the best in the series.

If you like samurai drama and action, there's a lot to like about The Hakkenden. There are definitely hiccups in terms of execution, but the saga is something special that anyone who enjoys the genre will find satisfying. Moments of true beauty and terror do reside here, and a complex story weaves through the episodes, stopping every so often to allow us to perceive the overall intricacy and grandeur of the whole thing. Still, its technical downfalls simply keep it from achieving the greatness it could. If Pioneer and AIC can revisit Tenchi until we're almost literally swimming through DVDs it seems to me that they should spare some time for a revival of The Hakkenden and do the story justice with a well-planned and competently executed 26 episode TV series. Of course, it's not 1991 anymore, and if it ain't got a maid robot in it, its chances are slim. It's a pity-- but if you love the blood-soaked intrigue of the Kenshin OVAs, then this will be right up your alley. Just don't expect a visual tour-de-force.

Added:  Thursday, October 16, 2003

Related Link:  Pioneer Animation
hits: 2002