The original Tale of the Heiki is a 900-year-old story that documents the Ganpei civil war that has all sorts of tales about musicians, warriors, monks, and even horses.
Science SARU is ready to let us in on the epic with their original anime, The Heike Story.
This will be an adaptation of Hideo Furukawa’s novel of the same name, a modern take on the 12th-century epic. Although there are several small stories, the anime adapts the story of Biwa, who befriends nobility.
The official website for The Heike Story anime has released a promotional video. The anime is set to debut on September 15, 2021, on Funimation.
The PV begins by introducing the main character Biwa, an almost blind traveling musician who is taken in by the heir to the Taira clan, Shigemori. Biwa then prophesies the end of the Taira clan, and then we see her running away from what seems to be Taira’s estate.
The anime will be produced by Studio Science SARU with the following staff:
| Role | Staff | Other Works |
| Director | Naoko Yamada | A Silent Voice |
| Scirpt | Reiko Yoshida | Violet Evergarden |
| Character Design | Takashi Kojima | Ride Your Wave |
| Music | Kensuke Ushio | Ping Pong The Animation |
The main cast for the anime was also revealed:
| Character | Cast | Other Works |
| Biwa | Aoi Yuki | Kotatsu Tamaki (Fire Force) |
| Shigemori Taira | Takahiro Sakurai | Kururugi Suzaku (Code Geass) |
| Tokuko Taira | Saori Hayami | Yukinoshita Yukino (Oregairu) |
| Kiyomori Taira | Tessho Genda | Kyuubi/ Kurama (Naruto) |
There is no shortage of stories to adapt in Furukawa’s novel. The legendary director Masaaki Yuasa, who happens to be the co-founder of Science SARU, is working on a film called INU-OH, an adaptation of the same novel.
Although there isn’t any indication of how the two stories are connected yet, surely there will be a few references in both, given how they even have the same artstyle. Maybe this will be the start of the Heiki universe.
About The Heike Story
The Heike Story is an original anime by Studio Science SARU which follows the story of a musician girl Biwa, who has the power to see ghosts and the future. She befriends the heir of the powerful Taira clan and prophesies the clan’s eventual downfall.
The story is adapted from Hideo Furukawa’s novel Heiki Monogatari, a retelling of the 12th century Genpei War between the Taira and the Minamoto clan for the control of Japan.
Source: The Heike Story Official Website
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