The Deer King

The Deer King is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure set in a land conquered by a powerful empire. Van, a former soldier, has been enslaved and put to work in a salt mine. When a pack of infected wild dogs attacks the mine, Van survives along with a young orphan girl named Yuna, and the two flee together, hoping for a quiet life in the countryside. The disease carried by the animals spreads through the region, and the pair are pursued by imperial forces. A gifted physician, Hohsalle, comes to believe that Van's blood may hold the key to a cure, while a larger political struggle unfolds around them.

The film was directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, with a screenplay by Taku Kishimoto. It is one of two features Ando has directed, following The Case of Hana and Alice, and it is his first film in that role after a long career in animation. The voice cast includes Shinichi Tsutsumi as Van, Ryoma Takeuchi as Hohsalle, Anne Watanabe as Sae, Hisui Kimura as Yuna, Atsushi Abe as Yotaru and Yoshito Yasuhara as Tourim.

Released in Japan in October 2021, The Deer King runs 113 minutes. It holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 on IMDb from around 1,300 votes, and 6.8 out of 10 on TMDB from a smaller number of votes. A critics' score of 6.1 out of 10 from 41 reviews places it close to the audience ratings, suggesting a broadly similar reception on both sides.