That's not to say that Heike Monogatari is bad: quite the opposite. Although the art style is not typical to modern anime, both it and the animation are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Director Naoko Yamada knows exactly how to frame shots, as well as how to cut to and away from drama to leave the maximum emotional impact. What’s more, the story’s themes are universal—inevitability, suffering, and loss—and it explores these themes in an incredibly beautiful, reserved yet poignant way.
But Heike Monogatari is not for the faint of heart, for several reasons. The inevitable tragedy woven into the story makes viewing a draining experience. Also, due to the story’s origins as a Japanese epic and political drama, there are a lot (and I mean a LOT) of similar-sounding names. I had to regularly check the Wikipedia articles to make sure I was correctly differentiating between Kiyomori, Koremori, Sukemori, Shigemori, and tens of others. It also took me forever to realize that “Heike” and “Taira” were synonymous for the purposes of the story, and knowing that earlier would have saved me a lot of confusion.
The writing is also not without flaws, at least in my opinion. With so many characters and most of the scenes being dialogue-heavy, it’s hard to get a feel for what informs each person’s decisions. The pacing is erratic, and the story’s sudden time shifts feel awkward because the main character doesn’t age (except, we see snippets of her in the future when she’s clearly older, so… ??). There’s also a plot inconsistency in which the main character (who can see the future), sees the future of one of the other characters, only that future never comes to be. There’s a possible explanation that the main character actively makes it so the future is changed, but then, that undermines the story’s focus on inevitability.
I also want to address something that I’ve seen some viewers complain about, and that is the lack of an active protagonist. It’s true that the main character doesn’t really DO anything until the very end, and I understand if people dislike the anime for that reason. For me personally, though, I wouldn’t have it any other way, because the main character’s passivity makes the sense of helplessness in the face of the story much more tangible. I think the story weakens a bit when she has her personal arc at the end of the show; it feels so unrelated to the Heike tale. But that’s a matter of personal preference.
One more thing: I personally think the sound is a mixed bag. I love both the OP and ED, and I adore the incorporation of more traditional Japanese sounds and instruments. The voice cast is teeming with titans of the industry like Aoi Yuuki and Takahiro Sakurai, so it’s hard to go wrong. But while I loved Kensuke Ushio’s score for Koe no Katachi, I can’t say the same for his work here. For one, it feels derivative; a lot of soundtracks from Koe no Katachi could probably be inserted into Heike Monogatari with only a few noticing. More importantly, though, I don’t think it fits the tone of the anime. Ushio’s signature electronic sound is fine for contemporary dramas, but I don’t feel it has the same impact for an ancient Japanese epic whose art is ripped straight from a traditional painting.
Heike Monogatari is, without a doubt, flawed. But, perhaps its flaws are what make it beautiful. At the very least, they provide for an emotional, unforgettable experience that I will definitely revisit. While I think Heike Monogatari makes a few too many mistakes to be considered a masterpiece, those who are willing to watch it carefully and open-mindedly will definitely be rewarded.
