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The Deer King

Play trailer Poster for The Deer King R 2022 1h 54m Fantasy Action Adventure Drama Anime Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
59% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Verified 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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The Deer King

The Deer King

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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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Critics Reviews

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Kambole Campbell Hyperallergic 11/10/2022
"The Deer King"’s delicate world-building plus its curious mix of the medical and the spiritual creates a strikingly different fantasy film. Go to Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) 07/31/2022
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. Go to Full Review Phuong Le Guardian 07/25/2022
2/5
One can only hope that, in future, the directors will have a better script that may befit their talents as animators. Go to Full Review Jana Monji Age of the Geek 09/25/2023
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. Go to Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix 12/19/2022
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. Go to Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness 11/16/2022
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
The Deer King

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Cast & Crew

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Masashi Ando

Director

Masayuki Miyaji

Director

Shinichi Tsutsumi

Van

Ryoma Takeuchi

Hossaru

Anne

Sae

Hisui Kimura

Yuna
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The Deer King

The Deer King (2021) The Deer King (2021) The Deer King (2021) The Deer King (2021) View more photos

Movie Info

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