SUMMARY
De
Cheng is your typical good natured country boy; friendly, helpful, and
brave. When a flood hits his small village, he comes to the
rescue of a young
woman and her baby. This heroic act almost comes at the cost of
his own life.
After the waters subside, DeCheng is
found by the beautiful YuLing. She takes him to Zhong, the local Buddhist
priest, who heals the young man. As he recovers, YuLing and DeCheng
become close friends.
When word of his heroic act
reaches the temple, Zhong decides to adopt the young hero. He also
earns the respect of Chin Wong, governor of Kai Fong, and of traveling
warrior Chi Zeng, who
teaches him martial arts.
Years later, De
Cheng has grown up to be a fine young man. While staying
at a Taoist temple, he encounters the nasty servants of his old
friend, Governor Chin Wong. He also runs afoul of the Sun clan, who kidnaps
the governors daughter. The daughter happens to be Yuling. Because of De Cheng's fight with
the servants, the Sun Clan uses this information to frame De
Cheng. Now, our young hero must travel across the land to
rescue Yuling and clear his name.
WIDESCREEN
REVIEW
STORY: De Cheng
reminds me of the adventure books I used to read as a young
adult. It's chock full of action, adventure, intrigue, and
romance. Brighter in tone than "The Heroic Legend of
Arslan", this grand story will appeal to adults as well as children.
ACTING:
The
English voice cast are all well known "anime" voice
actors. While the ADR is a little rough at times, they do a fine
job. Unfortunately, as these are screener copies, we are missing the
Chinese language track. According to our interview with Brian
YuZheng, the original Mandarin audio track will be included in the release
version.
FAN SERVICE: Many of the voice actors from
"Risky~Saftey" do the voices in DeCheng.
CONCLUSION
DeCheng is an interesting adventure series. While it may not have
the heavy action of "Way of the Warrior", is does have an
interesting story, and a positive hero for us to enjoy.
We first meet
DeCheng just as a storm is about to hit. We learn that he is an
orphan, with no money, and no luck. Yet, his luck changes when his
act of kindness introduces him to a whole new world. As he learns
how to read, write, and practices martial arts, it seems that DeCheng
has finally found a home. Because of his training, and his good
heart, he grows up into a fine young man.
Unfortunately, his
good luck runs out, and he crosses the wrong people. Blamed for the kidnapping
of his childhood friend Yuling, he must go on the run. Things
don't get any better when the real kidnappers use a corrupt detective to
divert more guilt to our intrepid hero. He also becomes in broiled
in the governments attempts to stop invaders from taking over the heart of
China. Basically, he has to prove his innocence, rescue Yuling, and
save China from invaders, all the while avoiding the
authorities. This is going to be a long, involved journey.
As
these are only the first four episodes, many plot threads are started,
none are resolved. Set up is the key, especially in the first two
episodes. You pretty much can guess that every character we meet
will have some part to play in the story to follow. The big thing
I'm waiting for is when martial arts Master Chi Zeng and DeCheng meet
again. You can pretty much guess that these two men will face each other
as enemies, not friends. I can hardly wait.
DeCheng is a great
role model for young kids. He is good, honest, strong, and eager to
learn. He has a clear-cut view of right and wrong, and never
hesitates to do the right thing. Because of his "boy
scout" behavior, DeCheng impresses all those who come in contact with
him. Well, if they are truly good people.
Anime fans will recognize
many of the voice actors from "Risky Safety". The unmistakable
voice of Sandy Fox makes a brief appearance as Maiwa, the daughter of Chi
Zeng. You will also notice the voice of Dan Worren (Roy Focker in
Robotech) as the older DeCheng. While the acting was good, they did
read through their lines a little fast. There were also some awkward
dialogue changes, making for a rough transition.
The
animation is pretty average for broadcast television animation.
While the motion is smooth, the detail is a little lacking.
They use digital video, resulting in a very nice balance of color.
It also makes for some interesting looking pans and zooms. While the
simple style may not impress hardcore anime fans, the story should sway
even the most jaded anime fan.
All of the "Chinamation" series
are geared toward the 3-16 year old age range. Those expecting something along the
"grown up" lines of "Chinese Ghost Story" will need to look elsewhere.
I
was quite pleased with the first four episodes of DeCheng. This is
the one for the entire family.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
