Most anime fans, particularly those in the west, would probably consider Cowboy Bebop one of the greatest series of all time. Before it got bastardized in a clueless live-action remake, it was a wonderful story of a bounty hunter crew down on their luck who never made any money but always had one hell of an adventure. Set to some wonderful jazz numbers. So naturally, when I heard about a new anime movie about an once powerful god who is now down on his luck as a penniless bounty hunter, my curiosity was certainly piqued. Let’s check out New Gods: Yang Jian.
Oh boy, we start off with some narration. Let’s see … a long long time ago, a calamity (wait, I have to look this one up; OK, got it) broke out between Heaven and Earth. Life hung in the balance (woah, heavy), and there was violence and destruction. Forces of Shang and Zhou fought for supremacy. Humans and Gods united in order to stand tall against opposing forces. After the battles ended, they went back to their respective realms. And the world was at peace. (Awwww.)
Many years later…
Yang Jian (voiced by Kai Wang) is playing the harmonica aboard an airship. The crew fills it up with the last of the cosmic gas, and they take off. The crew tells Erlang (his human name) that if they don’t get any jobs, then they have no gas. Soon they get word of a job going down in Penglai, the Home of the Gods, for twenty thousand space bucks. It’s a pittance, but anything is better than being stuck without transportation. They decide to head for Penglai to try their luck.
Once we get to this very picturesque location, Yang takes his personal craft down to the lively city. This job is actually to capture the equivalent of a snake oil salesman. It ends being a fairly easy job after he takes out an ogre and puts the peddler away in a jail cell. Soon after that, there is a mysterious woman who wants to meet Yang. Her name is Wanluo (voiced by Guanlin Ji), and she is looking for someone, which is not normally a job for this crew.
Wanluo had something stolen: a treasure; it was her sister’s. A family heirloom. The Lamp of Wishes, and it was taken by Chenxiang (voiced by Lanling Li). Yang must travel to Square Pot of the Fairy Island, which is essentially the entertainment/casino district of the Gods’ realm. However, Chenxiang, unbeknownst at the time to the bounty hunter, is actually related to him, and that’s where our story takes an interesting turn as the two are destined for a fearsome clash.
A little back history on Yang Jian, but the original tale tells of the once great God of War who imprisoned his sister under duress almost 13 years ago under a mountain. He has now taken a human guise of sorts, and his third eye is closed, hidden behind a bandanna that he wears everywhere. Yang also tends to do a lot of stretching. Seriously, if you really pay attention, he must have some very stiff muscles.
The film moves at a reasonable pace despite being over two hours in length. Sure, it could have spent some time in editing to trim it down, but I doubt they would have touched the interaction between Yang Jian and Chenxiang, which is where it falls apart. Without giving anything away, it’s supposed to be a big feel-good moment, but it goes a little flat.
It also doesn’t help that this hapless bounty hunter gimmick doesn’t really make sense. The crew only shows up in a couple of scenes and don’t really do anything except run the ship. Yang, even without his third eye, is still far stronger and more powerful than any normal human and most deities. It doesn’t feel like he suffers from bad luck, either, as he is able to get the first bounty he makes an effort to. It just feels lazy.
The story is promising enough, but I wonder if the problem was they got too caught up in being a visual and audio masterpiece. The execution isn’t quite there, and the backstory is hardly elaborated on. Unless you are already aware of the story of Yang Jian, it’s one of the “I wonder what happened” moments. I really did want to like the story, but I kept finding flaws all over the place.
Video
The video is in 2.39:1 widescreen. I last dealt with Light Chaser Animation when they made White Snake. I raved and complimented both the video and audio portions. The case is the same here. The quality is through the roof with fantastic color and scenery. There is so much detail that you will find new things that will catch your eye on each and every viewing.
Just like my White Snake review, I want to know where the heck the 4K is at for Yang Jian. Seriously, GKids is leaving money on the table by not giving this the ultra-HD treatment to disc. No matter what I think of the story, the sheer breathtaking of the video presentation must be something to behold if you are in a cinema (supposedly it was shown in IMAX) or have a quality setup at home.
Audio
The audio for this one is DTS-HD 5.1 in Mandarin and English. Subtitles are provided in English (for original language), English SDH and Spanish. As mentioned in the video review, the audio is also of premium quality. Clear dialog, wonderful use of surrounds, and full engagement with the listener. It’s an immersive experience.
No watered down animation sound effects here. It’s the same as if we were in an expensive action movie. This is a great movie to wake up the neighbors with its big and bombastic soundtrack. Reference level for sure, and a great way to test the speakers, if you are looking for one.
Special Features
- Interview with Director Zhao Ji 15:38: The director goes over the movie and how he decided on the choices that he did in making the movie. There are several sections here including 1)A Natural Rebel, 2)A Beautiful World, 3)Chasing Light in the New Gods Universe and more. Solid interview overall.
- Animating New Gods: Yang with Zhao Ji 06:17: There is always one special feature that is questionable for sure. I think Yang is some Youtube/Superfan person, and he is interviewing the director. Nothing really separates it from, say, the original interview, and it can be easily skipped.
- Original Cast Interview 16:24: Here we are listening to Kai Wang and Guanlin Ji, who voice Yang Jian and Wanluo respectively, talk about their experiences with the film.
- Arts and Culture Spotlight 13:04: Zhao Ji again talks us through some of the culture of the film. We also get introduced to a few crew members, including Character Design Director Cui Yuemi; Dubbing Director Tianxiang Yang, and Producer Lu Xi.
- Art Gallery 3:58: A collection of 47 pictures to stare at in slideshow format.
- NOTE: This set also comes with a DVD as well as a slipcover. Under the slip you will notice a thank-you card, and finally, if you open the case, you will see a folded poster.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately there was a film made before this called: New Gods: Nezha Reborn (don’t confuse it with Ne Zha), and while it’s not directly connected (but it’s part of a universe thing), I would have liked to have seen it. But it’s in Netflix hell, and I refuse to give them money. Anyway, New Gods: Yang Jian is an interesting yet flawed take on an old Chinese tale. The film made what amounted to $82 million US dollars in China and other neighboring countries, so it did exceptionally well. I just wish they had spent more time actually developing characters and giving us backstory to really chew on.
This Blu-ray and DVD package comes with fantastic video and audio. It has a decent array of extras, including some physical assets as well with a poster and a thank you card. All in all, I give this a light recommendation, especially if you have seen another Light Chaser Animation film. At least that way you have an idea of what to expect and know that if nothing else you are getting a feast for the eyes and ears. Hopefully Netflix allows Nezha Reborn (and Green Snake as well) to make the journey to physical at some point. Enjoy.
