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This article contains references to sensitive topics such as sexual abuse, child abuse and pedophilia.

The classics of anime have stood the test of time for a reason. Be it their impact on the community, the popularity that has persisted over many years, or niche cult classic appeal, the merits of older anime prevail through time and make some shows relevant regardless of how much the medium has evolved. However, the technical improvements and shifts in trends arent the only things that change over time - so do peoples values and notions of what is acceptable to depict in art.

The moral connotations and messaging of many classic series from even 20 years ago - let alone the shows that came out before the turn of the millennium - arent considered acceptable in modern times, making plenty of older anime hard to recommend. From small yet uncomfortable details, like promoting outdated...

The uneven Japanese animated fantasy “The Deer King” often resembles the sort of Studio Ghibli action-adventure that made animation figurehead Hayao Miyazaki internationally famous, especially “Princess Mononoke” and “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.” “The Deer King” not only looks like those Studio Ghibli staples, but also follows a plot that recalls Ghibli-style high fantasies: two warring feudal kingdoms try either to capture or enlist Van, a resourceful ex-soldier who may or may not be immune to a devastating plague.

Comparisons between “The Deer King” and Studio Ghibli’s better known movies seem inevitable, especially given how many of this movie’s creators learned their trade as animators and animation directors at Studio Ghibli, particularly co-directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, and key animators Kenichi Konishi and Kenichi Yoshida. Thankfully, what works in so many Ghibli movies also mostly works in “The Deer King,” given the craft and consideration...