Legend of the Millennium Dragon

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Legend of the Millennium Dragon is a 2011 Japanese anime film from Studio Pierrot, directed by Hirotsugu Kawasaki. It’s based on a novel by Takafumi Takada, with a screenplay by Takada and Naruhisa Arakawa. The movie runs 98 minutes and is in Japanese.

Story
A battle between samurai and demons called Oni ends with monk Gen’un using magic to wipe them out. The tale then follows Jun Tendo, a shy teenage boy who is transported 1200 years back to Japan’s Heian era. Jun must seek help from the dragon Yamata no Orochi to end a war between humans and Oni.

Jun is bullied for his weakness, but he hides in Gen’un’s temple and learns that he is a descendant of the Magatama clan. A birthmark on his left shoulder can awaken Orochi, a powerful dragon. When Jun shouts Orochi’s name by accident, the dragon awakens and becomes his ally and source of power.

As Jun learns, the Oni are not pure demons but people wearing masks, and the nobles had driven them from their homeland to take their land. Jun is torn between helping humans and the Oni. He refuses to join either side at first, but circumstances push him to act. Mizuha, an Oni, tries to recruit him, but Jun decides to protect both sides and uses Orochi to escape.

Back in the temple, Gen’un’s cruel plans are revealed. He wants godlike power and has turned Raiko and some other swordsmen into the Four Heavenly Kings, powerful armor-like warriors under his control. A fierce battle erupts between Oni and humans.

Jun learns the truth about Raiko’s fate and Gen’un’s manipulation. With Mizuha’s help, Jun receives a gem containing true power and a dagger that, when paired, become a sword for him to wield. Gen’un summons the giant form of the Four Heavenly Kings, but Orochi transforms into true Yamata no Orochi and defeats Gen’un by using water control. In the end, Jun returns to his own time as a more confident person.

Reception
Some critics found the story unclear and the cast underdeveloped, with characters appearing and disappearing too quickly. Others praised the film’s hand-drawn animation and epic battle scenes, noting the visuals were beautiful even when the plot was uneven.

Release
In the United States, the film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 4, 2011. It came out on Blu-ray and region 2 DVD in Scandinavia on October 12, 2011, and in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2011.