00:00A movie for the holiday season? Yes, I'm planning ahead, but factually,
00:03I didn't know what to expect from Onigamiden, the legend of the thousand-year-old dragon,
00:07And I have to admit, I was fooled. This one is mainly aimed at children and teenagers.
00:12In my opinion, and this is why I recommend it as a family film, it's perfect for this time of year.
00:16Christmas. It should also be noted that there is a director's cut which adds about fifteen
00:20of minutes to this feature film which already reaches an hour and a half in its standard cut. The
00:26The extended version is the one I watched, and I don't recommend it because it becomes...
00:29It's simply too long. Now, I'll give you the story; we'll follow the adventure.
00:34The extraordinary life of a young boy named Jun Tendo. He leads a relatively
00:39normal middle school students in contemporary Japan, but one day he will be attacked by a
00:43A strange humanoid creature will pursue him until Jun accidentally finds refuge
00:48in a temple. A temple in which resides a monk with strange powers, and whose evocation
00:53The creature's appearance will come as no surprise. According to the monk, Jun seems to be the recipient.
00:58of immense power that makes him the chosen one. But the chosen one of another world, of another
01:03The time period is that of medieval Japan, where two factions clash. One of them is populated
01:08Oni, one of whose members attacked our schoolboy earlier. Jun, who arrived in
01:12This new age, haloed by its status as chosen one conferred by its power, will have to choose
01:17its place in this conflict where everything does not seem as clear as it appears.
01:21So overall, besides being too long, I hadn't noticed that I was watching
01:24The extended version, I didn't connect with this film for several reasons. The first,
01:29The character design. Almost all the characters have a childlike appearance. In the case of a
01:33Young shoots, nothing surprising, but when it also concerns adults, for me that
01:37It doesn't work. Another point about the character design: it's too bland. There are few details, few
01:41The shading work, whether on the outfits or the faces, isn't great. On another subject,
01:47Another problem is the soundtrack. Clearly, half the tracks don't fit the scenes.
01:51that they accompany. The team may have wanted to try something innovative, as had
01:56This was possible, for example, in its time with the anime Fairy Tail and its excellent soundtrack.
02:00But here on Onigami Den they messed up. So for me, the combination of too much length and character design that...
02:06I disliked it, and the soundtrack sometimes made me lose interest; this film doesn't deliver.
02:11that of entertainment. However, there are two interesting things about this production. The
02:16the course of history which sometimes sweeps away preconceived ideas we have about the
02:20In terms of how events unfold, it's quite successful from that perspective, even if we don't
02:25not avoiding a few clichés. Then, the only thing I truly appreciated and that
02:29I found the effects to be truly impressive. Whether it was flames, lights, or fluids,
02:35Regarding the alteration of the Oni's appearance, there is a clear artistic direction on this subject, and which
02:41It shines particularly brightly at the end of the film. Also, there's not much to criticize about the animation.
02:46with some rather daring sequences, it must be said. In conclusion, in my opinion,
02:50Book Onigami Den for a family viewing or for your children who will know
02:55I could potentially fully appreciate this achievement. That was Bleach, see you next time, bye!
