Reception
Reviewing the series during its streaming release in the United States, anime-focused website Anime News Network featured responses from three reviewers. Analyzing the first six episodes, Rebecca Silverman rated the series with 4 and a half stars, concluding that "it may still be a bit of a confusing story to follow, but it's also one that has survived this many centuries for a reason."[11] In a joint review of the first six episodes, Jean-Karlo Lemus and Monique Thomas praised the series' artistry, complex story, and usage of music, with Lemus concluding "The Heike Story is easily one of the best-looking shows this season" and "this series could touch a lot of fans," and Thomas calling it "an instant classic".[12]
In a review for Japan-based magazine Metropolis, Chris Cimi called the show "a 13th century epic turned modern anime triumph" and wrote that the series "culminates into something exceedingly rare in the modern landscape of Japanese animation as a business; a show worth watching, no matter where you fall on the anime divide."[13]
Reviewing the series during its Japanese television release, Kenichiro Horii of Yahoo! Japan praised the series, writing that "The Tale of the Heike, one of Japan's treasures, has been transferred into a beautiful image, including its spirit. The anime The Heike Story is a work that has the potential to become a new Japanese treasure."[14]
Following the conclusion of its streaming release, The Heike Story was named one of the best series of 2021 by Anime News Network,[15][16][17] Paste Magazine,[18] Comic Book Resources,[19] /Film,[20] the editorial staff of Crunchyroll,[21] and Polygon.[22]
