The Deer King

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The Deer King

R,

2022,

1h 54m,

Fantasy/

Action/

Adventure/

Drama/

Anime

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Watchlist

59%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

50+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

In the years following a vicious war, the Empire of Zol now controls the land and citizens of rival Aquafa -- except for Aquafa's Fire Horse Territory, where wild dogs that once carried the deadly Black Wolf Fever continue to roam free. When a pack of dogs race through a Zol-controlled mine, Van, an enslaved former soldier, and a young girl named Yuna are both bitten, but manage to escape as the sole survivors of the attack. Finally free, Van and Yuna seek out a simple, peaceful existence in the countryside. But as the deadly disease once again runs rampant, they find themselves at the crossroads of a struggle much larger than any one nation.

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Critics Consensus

The Deer King's lush animation is certainly striking, although it isn't quite enough to make up for the movie's dawdling, predictable story.

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Kambole Campbell

Hyperallergic

Nov 10, 2022

"The Deer King"’s delicate world-building plus its curious mix of the medical and the spiritual creates a strikingly different fantasy film.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Jul 31, 2022

2/5

The clear lines of the elegant 2D animation are not matched by the mythic muddle of the storytelling, an exposition-heavy slog of warring factions, convoluted webs of enchantment and a deadly, wolf-borne pandemic for good measure.

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Phuong Le

Guardian

Jul 25, 2022

2/5

One can only hope that, in future, the directors will have a better script that may befit their talents as animators.

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Jana Monji

Age of the Geek

Sep 25, 2023

3/5

This is an interesting tale that is an adaptation of a manga series that was published after a different pandemic, but this film came out during the COVID-19 pandemic with a lot of thoughtful observations.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Dec 19, 2022

The Deer King had the potential to be compelling anime. Unfortunately, the movie fails to capture the adventurous spirit of the novels and is bogged down by clichés, trite dialogue, and frequently tedious pacing.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Nov 16, 2022

2.5/5

Perhaps because Ando needed to condense everything down into a 113-minute movie items were lost or pushed aside, but there’s so much about "The Deer King" which dissatisfies upon the conclusion.

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Masashi Ando

Director

Masayuki Miyaji

Director

Shinichi Tsutsumi

Van

Ryoma Takeuchi

Hossaru

Anne

Sae

Hisui Kimura

Yuna

X

44%

58%

X

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Synopsis

In the years following a vicious war, the Empire of Zol now controls the land and citizens of rival Aquafa -- except for Aquafa's Fire Horse Territory, where wild dogs that once carried the deadly Black Wolf Fever continue to roam free. When a pack of dogs race through a Zol-controlled mine, Van, an enslaved former soldier, and a young girl named Yuna are both bitten, but manage to escape as the sole survivors of the attack. Finally free, Van and Yuna seek out a simple, peaceful existence in the countryside. But as the deadly disease once again runs rampant, they find themselves at the crossroads of a struggle much larger than any one nation.

Director: Masashi Ando, Masayuki Miyaji
Producer: David Jesteadt, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Sinterniklaas, Jorge Soto Marin, Rodney Uhler
Screenwriter: Taku Kishimoto, Nahoko Uehashi
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Production I.G.
Rating: R (Some Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Drama, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 13, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 1h 54m

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