The Deer King

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

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.

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

A gorgeously realized anime epic set in the lush forests of a centuries-old realm.

The Deer King looks great (and has a lovely score) but it’s repetitive, predictable, and downright dull.

A powerful and moving anime adaptation... there's something heartening about its message that thoughtful kindness may just save us all. [Full review in Spanish]

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.

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.

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.

The 2D animation, the important themes of life and sacrifice, and great voice acting talent makes this a good anime. At times is slow and the beauty takes away from focus, but the willingness to push past duty/tragedy is inspiring as humanity everything