Legend of the Millennium Dragon

Even if a anime misses the mark story wise, they usually can make up for it by painting up a beautiful world. This film however does not. The character designs are cheap and crude and while the backgrounds are usually pretty good, they're also at time very simplistic. For example, when the protagonist goes back in time to the city in the beginning and the city is attacked by demons, keep an eye on the background stick figures in one of the scenes where people are panicking. Look at the guy who falls into the river. Sheesh.

This anime is for kids who are used to cheap, mass produced Saturday cartoons. If you value quality then look elsewhere.

Jun is an ordinary middle-school boy, except for his unusual birthmark which takes the form of a dragon on his chest. Because of that birthmark, he is abruptly whisked back in time, to the medieval Heian era. That era is remembered for being a peaceful time, but in fact humans, led by sorcerer Gen'un and warrior Raiko, are battling demons called the Oni, and Jun has been summoned back to awaken and control the legendary dragon, Orochi, in the fight. But the humans and the Oni are not quite what they seem, and both sides are desperate to enlist Jun, and Orochi, to their cause in this long-running conflict. Jun, however, is uncertain where the truth lies amid all the contradictory information he receives from each side, and he thinks maybe the best thing to do is simply to stop the fighting....

This anime film reminded me a good bit of YA fantasy novels, or perhaps novels for a slightly younger (say, 9-12) set, in that Jun is a typical Everyboy who must fight his insecurities and doubts to become the hero (indeed, Gen'un constantly calls him "Saviour") he is meant to be in a fantasy realm before he can return to his own time, having grown stronger and wiser in the process. Each frame of this film is hand-drawn, and some of the imagery is quite beautiful, while the supernatural battle scenes are quite epic in scope. Not a film to think about very hard after viewing, but an eye-pleasing spectacle to watch.

This movie was another example of excellent story telling. It reveals the struggles of two opposing groups, each vying for the power of a "Savior", the main boy character. But he comes to understand that war is not one-sided, but often disguised by deception and fears. It was especially satisfying watching the child change from a fearful, fragile person, to a strong and powerful young man, though not necessarily in a way one would totally expect.

The one drawback I experienced was that with so many characters put into the story, it was hard to tell them apart, and who signified what. Of course, there is a lot of back story that is not presented and, without some research would be difficult to understand. However, I cam e away from it with a renewed appreciation for this type of story telling.

"Onigamiden" (2006), or "Legend of the Millenium Dragon", is an alright movie that has some slight issues, however, if you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:

Onigamiden is currently rated 5,8 on IMDb. Even though the movie isn't perhaps one of the better animes out there, I do believe that this one is somewhat underrated. There are some fresh ideas and imagery used which, even though it doesn't save the movie, should justify a rating around 6,5 or so. Don't see this one with your mind made up it will be bad, but don't expect a masterpiece either.

The more knowledge you have about Japanese culture, the better. References are being made early to the beings known as "Oni", and characters recall and comments on different eras in the Japanese history, as well as old cities and villages. There are some points to gain here if one has a basic knowledge on those things.

Finally, the movie's plot is somewhat of a mess, and this is where its main problem lies. Objects which we understand have a big importance to the ongoing events are introduced to left and right without proper introduction, characters often do things while their intentions or motivations remains undisclosed, and the main protagonist has basically no character arc for the first 60-70 minutes. Some major loopholes can leave the viewer confused as well. I do not list this to discourage viewers, but rather to give you realistic expectations. It feels as though the movie was intended to be about two and a half hours, but an hour was edited out.

Overall, Onigamiden is an okay, care-free watch, but it needs not be prioritized too high on any's watchlist.

My personal grade: a puzzled 6/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.

The recipe is simple and that did the film decent. a middle - school boy as arbiter in a conflict, appearences, impressive fight scenes and the importance of values. sure, not remarkable animation. but one of many respecting conventions of genre, proposing a reasonable story for young public, remembering pieces from ~Neverending Story~ and other classic tales. in first part, the animation seems not brilliant. in the second, the story has more coherent. but not exactly convincing. because the fight of man against nature, theoretically noble, is not served by a story who seems a fruits basket. and Jun is so bizarre in the status of great hero , than something seems missing in profound sense. so, a nice film. but far to be memorable.