Donten: Laughing Under the Clouds - Gaiden: Chapter 1 - One Year After the Battle

Set in Japan during the transition to the Meiji government, this fantasy action film follows three brothers who protect the Kumou sanctuary. A year after a major conflict with a giant snake known as the Orochi, Tenka Kumo lives in isolation, suffering from paralysis caused by the final fight. The story explores Tenka's history, including his involvement in a government human experiment, while his younger brothers, Soramaru and Chutaro, uncover the truth about their older sibling's past and the deaths of their parents.

Directed by Tetsuya Wakano, this was the first of three films he directed in this series, followed by two other chapters in 2018. The production was a collaboration between Shochiku, Production I.G, WIT STUDIO, and BLADE, with a screenplay by Eiji Umehara. The voice cast features Yuichi Nakamura as Tenka, Yuki Kaji as Soramaru, and Tsubasa Yonaga as Chutaro, alongside Takahiro Sakurai, Mamiko Noto, and Kenichi Suzumura.

The animation has a runtime of 50 minutes. On TMDB, the film holds a rating of 6.5/10 based on 12 votes.