Hakujaden

Hakujaden exceeded my (admittedly somewhat low due to the age of the movie) expectations.

This film feels less like an anime and more like a 1940-1960s Western animation.
With a family-film sort of vibe, it is a movie that I would recommend to anyone who's a fan of very old Disney movies such as Snow White and Pinocchio.

Though this is one of the two main things that I could see someone disliking about this movie. The child friendly tone means that you get things like 2-3 minute sequences of the animal companions getting up to hijinks, drawn out visual moments such as a parade going ... by during a festival that are meant to be visually entertaining but don't really relate to the ongoing story and pacing that can at times jump rapidly from one plot moment to another. Not to mention the somewhat hilarious 'fight' scenes that are meant to appear dramatic without being violent.
So depending on your personal affinity for this sort of classic 'disney-esque' tone, as well as the mood and expectations that you have when going into this movie it can either come off as remarkably charming and strangely nostalgic or annoyingly nonsensical and boring.

The other major drawback that I had was that the movie felt like it was a little slow. I ended up watching most of movie at 1.5x speed, other than the songs, and enjoyed it much more then I otherwise would have. If I had only been able to watch it at the regular speed then I probably would have rated the film a 6 instead of a 7.

The animation was the biggest draw for me. There is a beautiful fluidity to all of the moving elements that can only be found in older hand drawn works. The stylization of the art feels classic and dream-like. The backgrounds are usually still, but are highly detailed and the watercolor landscapes are gorgeous. I particularly liked how they depicted the occasional twinkling element, such as light glinting off of water or stars.

There were two categories of music that were predominantly used in the film. The first are the sung songs which are done in a older eastern Asian folk style. Though there are not very many of these used in the film, only two or three come to mind.
The other type was the orchestral soundtrack which was used much more frequently in the background. Lots of brassy trumpets and strings instruments. This was another element of the movie that is very reminiscent of the background music in classic Disney movies.
I personally enjoyed the music as I like both of these distinctive styles but this is another area that will likely be divisive to some viewers depend on your personal preference.

The characters are not particularly unique but the story does a good job of establishing their personalities and goals early and their characterization remain consistent throughout. It makes sense why each character makes the choices that they do.
While not particularly memorable they feel like a good fit for the type of story that they're in. Which is more of a fairy tale retelling than a character study. Because of this the film's straightforward depictions of the characters felt unpretentious and I found myself being more charmed than bored by them. It also helped that none of them, not even the animal sidekicks, are particularly annoying.

Overall I liked this movie and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys older animation. This would also be an incredibly good film to watch with young children or as a family film.

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!

ok so the artwork of the anime was kinda GOOD ngl. But the story was a bit boring i kinda had to skip a lot cuz of some really REALLY boring scenes. The background music was good tho. Also the story progresses real slowly. The protagonist are kinda boring too. I had close to zero fun watching this. But the pets that the mc has are cute and i had fun watching them more than the whole show. Thats why i rated it an overall of 4 just beacause of the pets.


If you like traditional music this anime has a lot of it though i ... am not into japanese traditional musics i liked the musics used in this anime also the instrument that i have never heard before.