The Heike Story (Japanese: 平家物語, Hepburn: Heike Monogatari) is a Japanese original net animation series adapted from Hideo Furukawa's 2016 translation into modern Japanese of The Tale of the Heike, a 13th-century historical epic depicting the rise and fall of the Taira clan. The series was produced by Science Saru and directed by Naoko Yamada, and streamed from September 16 to November 25, 2021 on Fuji TV's on Demand (FOD)'s service, as well as on Funimation. This was then followed by the television broadcast through the same network's +Ultra programming block, which aired from January 13 to March 17, 2022.
Contents
Plot
Set during the Genpei War (1180–1185), a devastating civil conflict that divided Japan, the story is told from the perspective of Biwa, a young girl and traveling biwa minstrel.
Following the death of her blind father, Biwa meets Taira no Shigemori, heir to the powerful Taira clan that is fighting for supremacy in the war. Shigemori also has the power of supernatural sight; with one of his eyes he sees ghosts of those killed in the war. Through his ability, he understands his clan's part in the killing of Biwa's father, and when Biwa relates a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Taira clan he believes that she has the same ability. The kind, level headed and responsible Shigemori invites Biwa to come live with him and his family under the auspices of being a playmate and companion for his children, but hopes that her power can prevent the downfall of the Taira clan. Biwa agrees to be taken in, but refuses to use her power to help the clan that was responsible for the death of her father. She serves to chronicle the events leading to the rise and fall of the Taira clan.
