With Nahoko Uehashi having done some interesting works before such as Moribito, we were excited by the reveal back in June 2018 that their series Shika no Ō is getting an anime project. The adaptation is being done as a theatrical film that was scheduled originally to arrive on September 18th, 2020 but it was part of the slate of titles delayed because of COVID several times. It finally arrived with a February 4th, 2022 Japanese release date.
GKIDS previously announced their pickup of the North American rights to the film back in June 2021 and revealed then that it’ll be released as The Deer King when it arrived in select theaters on July 15th, 2022. The bilingual film is now getting some new streaming distribution with Hulu having added the film over the weekend. It’s available in both its subtitled and English dubbed form.
The film was directed by Masashi Ando and based on the screenplay by Taku Kishimoto. Masayuki Miyaji is serving as an assistant director while Ando is also handling the character designs. Production I.G. is working on the animation production and released a still below.
The Japanese cast includes Shinichi Tsutsumi as Van, Ryōma Takeuchi as Hossal, and Anne Watanabe as Sae.
The English cast includes Ray Chase as Van, Griffin Puatu as Hohsalle, Erica Schroeder as Sae, Luciana VanDette as Yuna, Doug Stone as Tohlim, Neil Kaplan as Aquafa King, Frank Todaro as Kenoi, Luis Bermudez as Makokan, Keith Silverstein as Ohfan, Chris Hackney as Yotalu, Doug Erholtz as Utalu, Xander Mobus as Shikan, Larissa Gallagher as Van’s Wife, Michael Deaner as Van’s Son, Stefan Martello as Tohma, Steve Kramer as Ohma, Edna Larsen as Ohma’s Wife, Larissa Gallagher as Kiya, Marc Thompson as Yoki, Stephanie Sheh as Yoki’s Wife, Michael Deaner as Yoki’s Son, Grant George as Hohsalle’s Assistant, and Stephanie Sheh as Kazan Woman.
The two-volume series (which saw a slimmer four-volume run in 2017) came out in 2014 and won the Japan Booksellers’ Award and won the fourth “Japan Medical Novel Award” in 2015.
Check out the official site and Twitter.
Plot Concept: The tribal homelands of the “Lost Antlers” are under siege — they’ve become the latest target of the Empire, an oppressive and unsurmountable enemy. Van leads his warriors into a losing battle all the same, quickly finding himself enslaved, toiling away at a salt mine. A chance for freedom comes one night when a mysterious pack of wild dogs attacks, and Van escapes the mine with a young girl, whom he takes under his protection. However, the wild dogs brought more than Van’s freedom: they carried a devastating plague with them, which begins to spread throughout the land. With an even greater enemy in sight, Van unites with the genius doctor Hohsalle and others to unravel the secrets of the plague and find a cure.
Previous trailers:
