English Dub Review: New Gods: Yang Jian

Overview:

New Gods: Yang Jian takes place thirteen years after Yang Jian imprisoned his sister by placing her under a mountain in order to maintain peace and order in the world, which all but stripped him completely of his powerful abilities as a god. Yang Jian has been working as a bounty hunter with his crew aboard their unimpressive ship, sailing through the world collecting meager bounties to get by, essentially living as mortals for more than a decade. Yang Jian is haunted by his past and what he was forced to do for the sake of the world. But his past soon confronts him when an enigmatic woman boards his ship and offers him a job, setting the wheels in motion for an adventure that will push Yang Jian to his limit, testing his commitment between love and honor.

It doesn’t take long before Yang Jian finds himself hunting Chenxiang, his young nephew that was thought to be lost. Yang Jian is tasked with stopping Chenxiang by any means necessary as Chenxiang attempts to reassemble a magical lantern that will free his mother, even if it brings doom to the entire world. Yang Jian faces an array of enemies throughout his journey, including brutal vigilantes that have nefarious plans. Does he have what it takes to take them all on and stop his nephew in time?

Our Take:

There is a lot to like about this movie. Like New Gods: Nezha Reborn, this film is a unique take on a classic Chinese story that works tremendously well. Nothing feels out of place in what director Ji Zhao describes as a “silkpunk” epic. This god-studded world that the team at Light Chaser Animation created is sprawling and it feels like a living, breathing character in its own right. Part of the fun of this movie is watching the events unfold in this high-tech world dripping with classic Chinese culture and relics from the past. New Gods: Yang Jian plays out almost like a Star Wars film, allowing the audience to lose track of where they are and completely immerse themselves in this rich and expansive film.

One of the strongest aspects of New Gods: Yang Jian is the incredible visuals. Whether it’s the jaw-dropping scenery or the sharp character models, the artistry behind this film is a sight to behold. From a technical aspect, New Gods: Yang Jian hits it out of the park. The animation is key in bringing this story to life and giving this film a sense of magic. The action sequences are as majestic as they are frenetic. Each cinematic and explosive set piece is well-choreographed and creates an infectious energy that propels the movie forward.

Another impressive aspect of New Gods: Yang Jian are the characters themselves. They all look and feel very unique in their own way, and make this story even more enjoyable. Each character is equipped with their own quirk, flaw, or sense of mystique. The punk attitude that permeates through this film is at its best when each character is allowed the freedom to be themselves, whether it’s Yang Jian himself taking on the world or Chenxiang doing everything he can to free his mother from his perceived injustices.

On the flip side of the coin, one of the weakest aspects of New Gods: Yang Jian are the spotty voiceovers. Like most dubs, that’s to be expected, but this film gets bogged down by questionable performances. Do they completely take the viewer out of the movie? For the most part, no. But they certainly do not do the film any favors. Truth be told, it’s hard to pick out the best performance, which is a shame because these characters have some amazing things to say. The dubs turn these vibrant characters into somewhat muted shadows of themselves.

Another drawback of New Gods: Yang Jian is the sheer amount of story that is packed into its 2-hour runtime. It almost feels too much. We barely have enough time to process the speedy action of a chase scene before we are shipped off to another location and thrown right into an exposition-filled dramatic moment that begs for our undivided attention. I would have loved a chance for this movie to breathe more. To give the viewer a chance to gawk at the impressive world built by these gods. New Gods: Yang Jian is an example of a movie that might have been even better as a series. Give this story 10 episodes to flesh everything out and we may very well be talking about an elite show.

New Gods: Yang Jian is a rock-solid entry into the series that helps build upon the already impressive lore and the ever-expanding world that has been created. The sense of wonder and adventure is always present as the story plays out and it is easy to get lost in the superb visuals. However, it is also possible to get lost while trying to keep up with the story and all of the information we are given, especially to relative newcomers to the story. Some of the voiceover work does leave a lot to be desired as well. But at the end of the day, New Gods: Yang Jian delivers a thrilling adventure that certainly begs for a rewatch. This is a series to definitely keep your eye on in the future.