Hakujaden

STORY 8/10:
The story is a classic one, I believe it is based on a folk tale. Love between a human boy and a spirit girl, sadly to be disrupted from mankind's general intolerance of spirits. But ultimately, one where love triumphs supreme.

One can also interpret the story as a criticism of institutions (such as religion and society) and the sweeping, preconceived judgments they pronounce without any actual knowledge of the situation; but ultimately again, while a powerful and often disruptive force, one that is overcome by true love.

The subplot with the animals searching for Hsu Hsien is very funny and cute too! Especially when Panda ... challenges all the bandit animals.

ART 8/10:
For a 1958 show, the art was beautiful. Many of the backgrounds especially looked like paintings...thoroughly enjoyable! The festival scene was beautiful as well.

My only complaint would be that some of the animations for the fighting and spells were crudely done.

SOUND 8/10:
Sometimes the Japanese was hard to understand (maybe it's a dialect of some kind in places?). My subbed version also had poor subs, so regretfully I missed out in places.

But overall, the narrative voice was well done, especially in the parts where its half-sung, which was flowing and sonorous. Some of the voices quavered a lot, and generally the voice acting style is not my favorite; but it was suited for a children's folk tale I think. The music was generally high quality with traditional instruments.

OVERALL:
A gem from the 50s. Classic folk tale story. Beautiful art and music. Nothing that makes the adrenaline rush, but peaceful and enjoyable. Highly recommended.

白蛇伝 - Hakujaden is based on a great Chinese folk tale called "白蛇傳- Bái Shé Zhuàn". The "Legend of the White Snake" is quite old, but also very popular, with countless versions in folklore, literature and drama. The version chosen for the anime adaptation is beautifully romanticised, with some additional characters. A fairy tale about a snake spirit who falls in love with a human.

Story: Legendary, beautifully romanticised, but deviating from the original (6/10)
The original version of the legend is of literary significance, is considered to be one of the four great Chinese folk tales, and is much older than the existing written texts from ... the Ming Dynasty. It was first performed as an opera by oral tradition. It tells the story of a man-eating demon who was fought by Buddhist and Taoist priests. However, the legend has undergone a dramatic change since its earliest days. Over time, the demon has become more representative and sympathetic. She has been transformed into a serpent goddess, and her quest for love is in keeping with the times. Political interpretations are also common. But that is another story. In addition, the legend is a historical treasure for the Chinese. It contains wonderful references to the idyllic West Lake (西湖) and the beautiful and famous Léifēng Pagoda (雷峰塔) near Hángzhōu (杭州). Despite its considerable age, it is a beautiful fairy tale (in this version) about a monk Fǎ Hǎi (法海) in ancient China who tries to prevent the love between the man Xǔ Xiān (许仙) and the beautiful immortal snake goddess. The story's superficial moral can be interpreted as everything can grow, change and love conquers all. This may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the narrative style and content is very reminiscent of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and this is not as far-fetched as it seems at first glance. Xǔ Xiān and the Snake Spirit Princess fall in love like Romeo and Juliet and must find the courage to face the incompatibility of their different worlds. It is up to them to overcome the greatest challenge and prove that their love is true and lasting. A closer look at the fairy tale reveals that, with its Taoist theme of immortality on the one hand, and its Confucian and Buddhist influences on the other, the story reflects the major philosophical influences rooted in many different aspects of Chinese culture.

Characters: Simple MCs, animals stand out (5/10)
The main characters are kept rather simple, and although they're very likeable, they're not allowed to develop beyond a basic feeling of loving each other. However, it is quite possible that Uehara, Shin and Yabushita, Taiji were trying to prevent any further changes to the main characters of the original legend in this way. Unfortunately, this makes them seem a little too abstract. The added secondary characters, especially the cute animals, literally steal the show from the protagonists. But let's take a closer look at the characters.
Lady White
The White Serpent (goddess) transformed into a very beautiful young woman called Bái Shé Zhuàn to visit the West Lake of Hángzhōu and was attracted by the beauty of the scenery. Lady White immediately fell in love with a human being (brief story). Her character is very interesting because she is portrayed as emotionally strong, with a deep willingness to fight for her love. It would have been nice to show the development of her character on this basis, even if it meant a variation of the original legend. And more than that, it would have been a minor sensation because it would have been the depiction of a very emancipated young woman (remember, this was 1958).
Xǔ Xiān
His character is also interesting, but not because he is very strong. On the contrary, his character reflects several facets of human nature. On the one hand he is good-natured, but on the other hand easily persuaded, especially by those in authority. Thus, it is possible for the monk to influence Xǔ Xiān and put his ulterior motives into action.
Xiǎo Qīng (小青)
She made it possible for Xǔ Xiān and Bái Shé Zhuàn to meet and fall in love. Her character can best be described as beautiful, smart and loyal. Furthermore, her character is historically based and existed before the anime version. She was added to the original legend a long time ago and is therefore already an integral part of it. According to one version, Lady White bought a captured snake and thus saved it from being eaten. The rescued snake was also transformed into a woman, named Xiǎo Qīng. Grateful for her rescue, she decided to serve Lady White in the future. Their relationship is aptly described in the anime as very trusting, like sisters.
Monk
The role of the Buddhist monk has changed as fundamentally as the demon of the original legend. He used to play the good guy in the original, now he's supposed to play the evil guy. But he plays his role quite well, I think. What motivates him varies depending on the version. In the rarer version, he wants to protect Xǔ Xiān. In the more common one, he is just jealous of Lady White's abilities, and he wants to do her harm.
The animals
The most challenging plot points are highlighted by the animal characters in a positive and understandable way. The little panda (Ailurus fulgens) and the big panda are very cute. Of course, their cuteness is due to the fact that their characters were given more screen time and adventure to develop. Especially the aspect that they care about the relationship between their owners. Conversely, the protagonists lack this potential, which is a bit sad.

Visuals: Well done for the first Japanese full colour film (7/10)
The animation is well done, although at first (for about four minutes) it looks like silhouette animation. Later on, you'll notice that a lot of effort has been put into creating lively characters that move smoothly. Toei's animation looks really good for its age and the colours are nice and saturated. Please remember that this was the first full colour Japanese animated film to be released in America and was created as a classic children's story despite the turbulence of the time. The characters actually look Asian. Even Miyazaki, Hayao, wrote in an essay in 1979 that he was inspired by Hakujaden and decided to become a mangaka. The style is immediately reminiscent of Disney, especially Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, but at that time the animation industry in Japan was mainly influenced by Disney. This changed in the early 1960s when Tezuka, Osamu entered the animation industry. He founded Mushi Production as a rival to Toei Animation. He was already famous for his imaginative stories and became the pioneer of the anime and manga industry as we know it today, varying many of the techniques used by Disney. He was the founder of the now well-known "Large Eyes" style, as well as the Western European "look" of Japanese manga and anime characters. To cut a long story short, the animation is probably not what you would first expect when you think of anime, but the film is very well done for the time.

Sounds: BGM is fitting and well done, VA remarkable (7/10)
The background music was composed by Kinoshita, Chuji and enhances the scenario very well. It almost feels like a good musical accompanies the show. There is not much dialogue, and the dubbing is also mono, which makes the Japanese a little difficult to understand at times. Still, it is remarkable, though not really surprising for the time, that there were only two voice actors: Miyagi, Mariko and Morishige, Hisaya. All characters are literally spoken by one woman and one man. Which they did very well.

Hakujaden is a legendary work in the history of Japanese animation and a valuable gesture in the historical context of its time. The decision to use a legendary Chinese folk tale as a concept for an anime can certainly be seen as a valuable contribution to the relationship between the two countries and has also inspired many people. For me, this anime is touching and beautiful. As an anime fan, I hope that this review has sparked some interest in the beginnings of Japanese animation history. Take a look - it's worth it.

Thank you for reading and have fun watching!

For some reason when adapting the Legend of the White Snake into an animated movie, producers thought it was a good idea to have utterly boring protagonists. Perhaps attempting to remain faithful to the original, perhaps out of incompetence. Either way, it's a big problem since a lot of screen time is dedicated to them while offering nothing past two winsome bland and wooden stock characters in pursue of whatever it is they're after. I'm not saying there can't be people like that, just that there is no real reason to do that in a movie whose intention is first and foremost to provide an ... enjoyable and colorful experience for the audience. The pets are fine, but I'd rather watch them feature their own picture instead of sitting through pointless padding. If you need constant comic relief, I have bad news. I'd be more impressed at it had colors not been a thing since Flowers and fucking Trees from 1932.