Hero Tales: Part One

Set during the bad old days of China's Xian Empire, this anime series focuses on Taito, a teenager living in the Lian Tong Temple, which is invaded by bloodthirsty Lord Keiro—general of the Imperial Army—who is searching for a magical sword. When Taito takes hold of the weapon in a failed attempt to save it, his action awakens a hitherto unknown mystical force that grants him celestial powers. It turns out that Taito is no ordinary adolescent, but rather an omnipotent star reborn as a teenage dynamo, whose mission on Earth is to retrieve the sacred blade from Lord Keiro. Accompanied by his cutie-pie sister Laila, the archer Hosei, and the martial artist monk Ryuko, Taito sets forth on heroic adventures. Unfortunately, Hero Tales feels like a dismal B-movie, seldom rising above formulaic plotting and sleepy action sequences, while also suffering from surprisingly stiff animation. Compiling 13 episodes aired in 2007 on a dual-language two-disc set, rated TV-14, DVD extras include a roundtable conversation with the Japanese voice actors. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: Hero Tales: Part Two is also newly available.] (P. Hall)