Rock 'n' Roll, the sound of sexual liberation, youthful revolt, and living in excess. Since its early induction in film and other media, this genre of music has become synonymous with the "live-fast-die-young" lifestyle, almost becoming a checklist shorthand in the process. Whether it be used mockingly (This Is Spinal Tap) or genuinely embraced (Nana), rock 'n' roll has become a cornerstone in establishing tone and character. A correlative feature eventually made it a faux-literary device whenever brought up in any media that denotes the lifestyle mentioned.
All of which brings us to the anime in question, Kachou Ouji (Black Heaven). A show about a
...
nine-to-five schmuck going through a midlife crisis, who, through a series of ridiculous events, is pleaded by a blonde bombshell from outer-space to save the world by picking back up his musical instrument. With his guitar playing skills becoming the only way to protect mankind from annihilation, a life defined by decades of tedium has finally been reinvigorated. This is the tale of a former rock star who ended up cutting his blossoming career prematurely to raise his family. A decision that led him into the cubicle-space hivemind, beating away at his keyboard day in and day out in order to bring bread to the table. With nothing to look forward to but heaps of paperwork and business seminars, this otherworldly woman offers him an escape from his vapid lifestyle; a man past his prime given a second chance at what he loves. And in the process of playing his music to save humanity, he also—you guessed it—rekindle the fleeting youth of his glory days.
If you haven't guessed by now, the story and premise of Black Heaven is not just literal, but also allegorical. It externalizes the inner turmoil that our protagonist is going through, creating a metaphysical environment that allows us as viewers the chance to examine him in the process. Its narrative structure and motifs are similar to that of other abstract works like FLCL (Fooly Cooly) and Abenobashi. While being nowhere as bombastic or eccentric as FLCL, it similarly handled the protagonist's midlife crisis to how FLCL handled its coming-of-age themes. With rock 'n' roll and the guitar being used as a motif to embody that youthful spirit and unkempt sexuality, what is seen on the surface is only as important as what they truly represent in our protagonist's life. This lends itself to several innuendos, some subtly surfacing to the foreground while others are shamelessly on-the-nose. Black Heaven is all about guided interpretation. Where some shows with this narrative structure may have some semblance of ambiguity as to what they're alluding to, Black Heaven is very upfront about what it represents, taking no detours to beat around the bush.
Black Heaven is far from your typical anime outing, and perhaps no defining feature best establishes that than its targeted demographic itself. It should come as no surprise that a majority of anime is aimed at teens to young adults. Black Heaven's sense of humor and situational awareness is, first and foremost, directed towards older adults (which should be a no-brainer given the subject matter). It's an anime that thematically has more in common with Oscar-winner Crazy Heart than it does anything found in the medium's usual canon.
It's not something that's trying to be gut-wrenchingly funny or instantaneously gratifying either, as it instead decides to draw humor and intrigue from relatable, commonplace issues that come with adulthood and all that it entails. It's a show that approaches the ordinary through a warped lens, never letting the growing pains of everyday life slip pass it. It's humorous because you "get it." You "get" the frustration that comes standard when dealing with an overbearing boss. You "get" how being caught up in the work environment could place distance in your social life, as well as your imitate relationships. You "get" how daily responsibilities can often strong-arm you into placing your hobbies on the back-burner. You "get" what our protagonist Oji Tanaka is going through, and in the process, chuckle at it, having experienced similar things yourself. And even if you haven't found yourself facing the same dilemmas firsthand, you've possibly seen this occur with your parent/guardian(s) in retrospect. If you're old enough to grasp these troubles, it's easy to appreciate the show's endearment and honesty in depicting the growing pains of being a worker-ant and family man.
While most of Oji's problems were played up for comedic effect, there's still a general sense of pity draped over his situation. Here's a man unsatisfied with the status quo of his home-life to such an extent that there's a rift forming between him and his loved ones. With a son whom he feels alienated from and a marriage just going through the motions, Oji is at the end of his proverbial rope, dangling with nothing left but memories of his youth. And as surreal as the concept may get at times, the humanistic endeavors remain down to earth.
The mundane meet surrealism, comedy meet sobering reality—Black Heaven juggles them simultaneously, resulting in Oji's journey being a roller coaster ride of failure and triumph. At one minute you're snickering at his misfortune, and by the next, you're rooting for his success. And while other named characters occasionally get screen-time, the story remains Oji's, and Oji's alone. It's his woes; everyone else is just along for the ride.
And really, at the end of the day, that's all the show needed to do. There's just something inherently intriguing about viewing someone else's plight. We never want to be at the receiving end of these troubles, but seeing others work through theirs always manages to command viewer attention.
And to keep that attention, the show straddles our lead with a few companion characters. One of which is the extraterrestrial-bombshell mentioned earlier, Layla Yuki. Apart from our protagonist, Layla receives the most screen presence throughout the show. With a compelling mystique and sultry demeanor, it doesn't take much for her to honey-trap Oji into submitting to her whims. She encompasses an innate desire, a type of sensuality that could only be birthed from unbound sexual freedom; which makes her not only a pivotal character but a symbolic presence as well. She's the embodiment of Oji's bachelor days, free of marriage, of parental duties, of responsibility. His desire for her is a desire for his former self, which ties into an unspoken real-life truth for a reason men of his age often cheat with women still at the prime of their youth. Yes, there's a sexual urge present, but the motivating agent on a subconscious level is often just wanting to feel "young" again.
Aside from her, we're also introduced to a ditzy comedic trio (names irrelevant) who operate similarly to that of The Three Stooges. They often lend their assistance, whether it was requested of them or not, and usually end up being more trouble than they're worth. Despite serving no further purpose beyond their hijinks as comedic reliefs, they were a welcome addition to the show. This also extends to the other side characters as well. They don't demand your attention, but their inclusion was still well-received. They breathed life into the situations that they were a part of and contributed in their own little way to making Oji's expedition one that was far more wholesome than had it been a one-man show.
Another aspect that adds to this journey is without question the music selection. Given that the show chronicles the life of a former rock star, a proper opening theme was in order. And what better way to get each episode kickstarted than by having the intro song be performed by John Sykes, a writer for the rock band Whitesnake and former guitarist for Thin Lizzy. The song "Cautionary Warning" from Sykes's 1997 album, 20th Century, served just the right amount of spunk and bravado needed to get you pumped up for each new episode. With a snarling cadence that could only be delivered by a veteran with experience in his craft and a guitar riff that's toe-tappingly infectious, the opening song is a love-letter provided by Sykes, boasting all the tricks he's acquired over his luxurious 30+ years performing in the music industry.
Almost serving as a counterbalance to the electrifying opening, the closing track is a bubblegum pop number with hints of jazz and funk undertones. It's cute in a way that befits Black Heaven's warped sense of style and humor.
But even after factoring in everything going for it, there are still many issues that plagued this anime. For one, despite the strength of the standout musical tracks, the actual musical selection was insufficient; often reincorporating an instrumental version of the opening theme for whenever the protagonist picks up his guitar. While the gradual progression of the song along with Oji's own progress in the show was a nice touch, the sheer amount of times the song was used did nothing but lessen its "pizzazz" as it continued onward. There are a few other accompanying tracks sparsely scattered throughout the show's run-time, but they were mostly drowned out by the Cautionary Warning tune's repetition.
Unfortunately, this cut-rate mentality didn't stop there, as it also affected the visual presentation for Black Heaven. It's below average, even by the standards of late 90s animation. Reused sequences were often implemented whenever it was possible, and outside of a few keyframes demonstrating some semblance of quality, still-frames were often used to cut corners. On top of that, the character designs are widely inconsistent or reduced to misshapen blobs if they're in the mid-ground or further away. "Shoestring budget" is what immediately comes to mind when discussing Black Heaven's production value. This isn't one of those cases where you could make the counterargument of "it's supposed to look cheap." It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see Black Heaven wasn't high on the Studio heads' priority list.
Outside of presentation issues, the show lacked screenplay polish that could have been tightened up with a script revision. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, given the chaotic state of the presentation at times. Where it's forgiven is the fact that the premise doesn't go to waste despite the blemishes spotted upon initial viewing. Some things just needed to be trimmed down a little more to allow for a better flow in the narrative.
Despite these shortcomings, Black Heaven never felt bogged down by any of it; in fact, it could be argued (by some) that a few of these imperfections added to the show's charm. But that's more a matter of subjective preference than impartial assessment. It could have been assembled better but isn't handicapped by these drawbacks. What it lacked in pristine visuals, diverse sound selection, and a tighter script, it more than made up for with a sense of integrity and commitment to its tale.
Black Heaven was born out of the need to tell one story, Tanaka Oji's story, and by extension, teach us to live life to the best of our capabilities; finding happiness regardless of the hand we're dealt.
If you take the general storyboarding of American Beauty, add a dash of absurd allegorical visuals of Fooly Cooly, and filter it through a similar comedic lens of that of Welcome to the NHK, what you'd get is this humorous Japanese-salaryman monstrosity. Black Heaven was quite the surprise for me. Despite its humble offerings, Oji and company always manage to find a way to keep me entertained. And even when it played things out comically, the adult subject matter was always handled with a sense of responsibility.
Cheeky, charming, funny, and oddly enough, sobering, Black Heaven is a title that teaches us to find the silver lining, even during times when we find ourselves in a depressing slump.
It's not something that's going to blow your mind with groundbreaking revelations, nor is it a grandiose tale to defend earth (despite what the immediate premise alludes to). Where Black Heaven shines is in its commitment to telling a man's intimate struggle with no need for party tricks to keep the attentiveness of the viewer. It remains a small-scale identity crisis only inflated in relevance by the protagonist that's going through it. Where other titles would topple over with such self-imposed constraints, Black Heaven uses this very limited range as the driving force behind its narrative. It treats its audience with respect, trusting that they're mature enough to understand the intentions. There are not that many shows out there that could dare to do the same, and while a bit rough around the edges, its heart was in the right place. And for if only for that reason alone, Black Heaven has effectively become a mainstay among my cherished favorites.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Kachou Ouji: Hard Rock Save the Space
Japanese: 課長王子
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
13
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jul 8, 1999 to Oct 7, 1999
Premiered:
Summer 1999
Broadcast:
Thursdays at 19:00 (JST)
Producers:
Pioneer LDC
Source:
Original
Duration:
25 min. per ep.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#43372
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#3965
Members:
31,721
Favorites:
120
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 21 / 21
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Your Feelings Categories May 24, 2016
Rock 'n' Roll, the sound of sexual liberation, youthful revolt, and living in excess. Since its early induction in film and other media, this genre of music has become synonymous with the "live-fast-die-young" lifestyle, almost becoming a checklist shorthand in the process. Whether it be used mockingly (This Is Spinal Tap) or genuinely embraced (Nana), rock 'n' roll has become a cornerstone in establishing tone and character. A correlative feature eventually made it a faux-literary device whenever brought up in any media that denotes the lifestyle mentioned.
All of which brings us to the anime in question, Kachou Ouji (Black Heaven). A show about a ... Jun 30, 2008
This is one of those Animes that will really throw you for a loop. It starts out pretty plain but by the end you are at the edge of your seat. The setting goes from a hapless salary man's every day life, to a battle that the fate of the universe rests on. The Legend of Black Heaven is a wild ride with some of, if not the best, music that you have ever heard in a Anime.
Story: I can honestly say that while the story is beyond a doubt a very original creation, it does lack some polish. Some events in the story take ... Jan 19, 2011
Legend of Black Heaven was made in 1999 and made by AIC back when they didn’t rely on shitty fanservice harems and could pump out stuff like Black Heaven and Now and Then, Here and There. It tells the story of Oji, a generic Tokyo salaryman going through a midlife crisis. After despairing when his wife throws out his favourite electric guitar, a sexy alien co-worker tells him that he is the one man with the ability to power an intergalactic super weapon using his guitar playing.
Not that the space opera plot really matters that much. The super weapon runs on roughly the same energy ... Dec 23, 2009
For me this story has nothing to do with music, that's just accessory. The true jem about this anime is the story. With more money to avoid some scene repetition, this could have been one of the greatest anime i ever saw. This is definitly not for young people who are usually longing for strong,in rough emotions. When I saw this anime i took pleasure in seeing that the main character is an adult,simple, regular person. No fancy things just plain normal. He could have chosen a life to follow his dreams, but instead like a man, he took up his responsibilities, dedicated himself
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Jun 9, 2017
Kachou Ouji or Legend of Black Heaven does stand out quite a bit. It's a slice of life that features a middle aged salary man with a mid life crisis as a protagonist (not very common in anime) who also happens to be a former rock star and misses his glory days. He has a wife and kid who don't understand his obsession with the past and the show itself plays out like a black comedy filled with sexual innuendos and features themes such as the difficulty of aging, nostalgia and the hope for a happy life despite losing your youth and glory.
Sounds like a ... Jun 13, 2009
I guess with more money, expertise and time this anime would have been brilliant. The main reason to watch this anime is the sound.
The story is really build up around the head character who is the mayor band leader. But in the whole story there are only like three different songs, of which one is played constantly. That's sad because the guitar player really is gifted, the music is great so it would drive everyone mad if there were more different songs!!!!!! Jul 1, 2012
I started watching it and in first impressions, I did wonder what the hell I was watching. It’s heard to rate something that does not have a definite feel to it and this one seemed almost all over. It’s a slice of life with a lot of other things mixed into it and it just feels… off a bit. It’s not bad, but its not good ether leaving it in what I call no mans land along with a couple others that I have watched. The characters are rather likeable, Oji not really being my all time favorite but I think it really wasn’t created
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Aug 7, 2014
*CLIFF-NOTES*
final rating: Two thumbs up mode watched: official DUBS age restrictions: They say "damn." 18+ (The kids wouldn't enjoy it anyways) recommended viewing experience: Dub, alone, the fanciest headphones you have, sober/a little buzzed. *FULL-SPIEL AHEAD* Aight dawg, listen up. Black Heaven is not a one-time anime. You will watch it more than once. It's not deep. You dont have to rewatch to understand whats going on. You will remember this anime randomly sometime later in life and feel the need to watch it again. It's freaking great. It's about passion, and sticking to it. its about friends, family, love and depression. But there is no story-book lesson to learn here. ... Oct 31, 2019
Hey folks bullitbaby here again with another hopefully down to earth review.
This anime is quite simply NOT worth watching but definitely worth LISTENING to MOST of the soundtrack if you like rock and roll guitar. WARNING: If you play guitar definitely do NOT watch this anime. The absolutely MENTALLY DISTURBING animation of him playing these power jam KILLER riffs is not bad, it's INSULTING, BEWILDERINGLY AWFUL, LAZY, UNCREATIVE, UNINFORMED and HAUNTINGLY BAD. But how about the animation in general? Sure it's 1999 animation so we'll be fair and compare it to ... Oct 7, 2010
Guitars, babes, saving the universe, hairmetal, and comedy--The Legend of Black Heaven is where it's at. Sure, it's an unrefined production effort that could be better, but it certainly stands out as a show that's worth watching at least once. After all, the series is only thirteen episodes and the pacing is fair enough that it could be finished in one or two sittings.
The bare plot of Black Heaven does leave something to be desired, though. Don't expect any great twists, deep characterization, or huge revelations. However, I feel, that's one of the coolest things working for the series. As a portrayal of the routine, ... Apr 7, 2010
black heaven is one of those rare anime's that focus on music.
the story is threw you for a loop on a couple of points. 1:the main character is married. I felt that it hurt the over all because it ruins the whole rock and roll image. it's like watching a badass good guy for a while and latter you find out he is whiped by his wife. that is just lame. 2: the whole band quit and have lives of the own. not a bad thing , but it kind of hard for them to "sneak" out to play music. 3: the whole affair image was just ... Aug 11, 2008
The Legend of Black Heaven…well it is a slice of life/comedy about Rock and Roll and Space…the two are not in fact mutually exclusive you see. The series is pretty good for the year it was made in, which really doesn’t affect anything unless you are some sort of visual-anime-snob. The series is fun to watch and listen too, the music in my opinion is pretty good. You’ll enjoy this series if you like less slapstick styles of comedy (although there is some of that in there). I finished the series in a single night, which says something for it, but
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May 11, 2013
I originally ran into _Black Heaven_ due to its inclusion in an _AMV Hell_, and then finished _Black Heaven_ while scanning an old anime encyclopedia (so all quite nostalgic). I wanted to like it because it seemed like a funny take on _Macross_, but the constantly repeated music, the slow and repetitive plot/pacing (in 13 episodes?!), and the occasionally very ugly animation all doomed it to pure mediocrity.
Jan 23, 2012
This was a fun title while it lasted. Black Heaven features office grunt and middle-aged man Oji reliving his days as a rock guitarist when he unknowingly becomes the major tool an alien race needs to combat an enemy threat that could wipe out the Earth if not stopped. The fun from the series comes from the show's mix of sci-fi/adventure and slice-of-life comedy as Oji's life turns topsy-turvy from interacting with Layla and the aliens. Oji gets his head too into the clouds over reliving his younger days with Black Heaven where it effects his work and home life, the aliens need his help
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Aug 11, 2019
This was a series that seemed to have so much going for it, and most of that potential ends up squandered. The plot sounded like something out of Heavy Metal, crossed with Interstella 5555, it featured some promo art gorgeous enough to hang on my wall (see the DVD cover if it's not on this site) and the opening theme was stunning in both audio and video. But as for the show itself... Well...
What I thought I'd be getting was a schlocky, pulpy, devil-may-care sci-fi story that lives up to the heavy metal lifestyle it seems to profess so much love for. Maybe my disappointment ... Feb 20, 2016
It's slow and annoying, until about halfway where it gains some momentum, and the ending was a blast. That being said if you get too bored with episode 1, jump to episode 7 and watch to the ending then go back if you want to pick up the loose ends.
The music is IMO really good; shedding guitars, thumping bass, grooving drums, and keys straight from the 80's. The art style especially on the sci-fi scenes really fits, but the best visual on the show is the psychedelic moments hands down. The everyday scenes I find less noteworthy. Some of the characters really annoy me with just plain ... Feb 10, 2018
Kachou Ouji (Legend of Black Heaven) is a 13 episode TV anime original produced by studio AIC and A.P.P.P. It was directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi (Macross Frontier) and aired from Jul 8 1999 to Oct 7 1999.
The story goes something like this. Ouji Tanaka is a middle-aged sallery worker, working a dead end job, and living in a tiny apartment together with his wife Yoshiko and their son Gen. Ouji is living his mundane everyday life with nothing exiting happening. The only thing to remind him of the exiting times of the past is his flying V electric guitar that he used to play when ... Aug 19, 2017
Warning possible Spoilers
Black Heaven is definitely one of those anime's where you can put two things that don't look like they would work, but somehow do well mostly. The story is about Oji Tanaka who is a former lead guitarist of a band and now lives a normal boring life with his wife and son until one day a mysterious woman named Layla asks him to use his guitar to fight an intergalactic battle. Now from seeing a story like that you know you're in for a wacky ride, but this was actually pretty serious as we see a former band leader who seems to look like ... Jan 15, 2024
Definitely not worth watching this one. Animation is not good. It's choppy and lacking details. Backgrounds are one gradient away from non-existent. It's as if someone realized they can't use black so they made some silly spotlight looking gradient. To make matters worse it's static and repeated about 55 times each episode. Impossibly lazy. Same goes for character animation, still bodies with only lips moving and reused shots.
Characters themselves are annoying and not believable one bit. Wife which throws away everything husband likes, then goes on to worry if he's not liking her anymore while not missing a single opportunity to criticize him for everything, ... Jun 9, 2021
Kachou Oji is a pretty old anime, but its story is original. You may think rock music and a space battle have nothing in common. Well, you are quite right, but it somehow works in this anime. A middle-aged ex-musician never lost his passion for rock music even though he has wife and a kid now. He decide to save an entire universe with his song. He is a very likeable character even though he is an average joe. I like how his relationship with his wife was presented. Music is nice, but there is just one or two songs which is devastating. Art isn't
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