Wicked City

Kawajiri outdid himself in this "retold" story of Demon City Shinjuku. Personally I am not clear on which came first, but I was exposed to Supernatural Beast City first. And let me tell you, exposed it the word for this film. It is a film filled with government agents, otherworldly beings, incredible gore, and incredible sex. If any anime other than Urotsukidoji deserves being called "Hentai" it's this film. If you are one with a strong stomach for violence and mayhem, watch this film. I personally enjoyed watching this thoroughly but I would not make it a date feature... unless you really wanted to scare her away. Note: last I checked, only the dubbed version was available through Orion - no subbed version was ever marketed here in the U.S.

Wicked City is one of my favorite anime movies of all time, and here's why: if this movie didn't have a solid plot, it'd be hentai. As it is, it's borderline hentai. But what makes it so radically different is that the adult content is weaved in with the plot - there's only one scene of sex that has no pertinence to the story. This movie was ingeniously done. Solid story, great eye candy.

This film is one of the more interesting Japanese animated films I've seen recently, though not necessarily in either a good or bad way. The setting and overall tone is very much along in line with the likes of Ghost in the Shell or Akira. It takes place in a dark, dystopian Japan far into the future.

The film follows a secret agent of sorts. He is recruited for a mission pertaining to a peace accord in Tokyo between Earth and a different realm. He is partnered with a humanoid female agent from the different realm. Their job is to safely escort an important ambassador (who turns out to be a perverted old man) to the peace accord so that the two realms can negotiate a treaty. However, there are beings from the other realm not too keen on making peace who set out to prevent the old man from making it to the accord. Adventure ensues.

This movie contains mild amounts of nudity and violence, so it is NSFW by all accounts, although nothing too outrageous is shown. Despite the dark atmosphere, it manages not to take itself too seriously. The perverted old man, while a cliché in Japanese anime and manga, is a likable enough character.

However, both the male and female leads are rather boring characters. Their inevitable romance feels cliché and forced. There really is no build-up for their relationship. The whole Romeo-and-Juliet "forbidden love" component here kind of falls flat. It has been done way too many times and comes off as uninspired and unoriginal.

That all being said, this movie does have some pretty badass animation, which is its saving grace. If you are watching this movie for a great storyline, you will more than likely walk away disappointed. If you are into dark, gory Japanese manga and animation, this may be right up your alley. I wouldn't write this film off, but I wouldn't necessarily want to watch it again. It wasn't particularly memorable either.

I wouldn't profess to be an anime "fan". I certainly watch it, and own a few British released videos, but I don't go to conventions or run down to Forbidden Planet every week looking for the latest import. The reason? Cultural differences mean a lot of high-end anime is perhaps confusing and a little boring for us westerners (see Akira and Ghost in the Shell). But not Wicked City. Just like Ninja Scroll, this dispenses with theological and spiritual issues in favour of gore, guns and shagging. Written and directed by the same guy, this is similar to Ninja Scroll, with the same superhuman themes and forbidden love interest. And I love it. Call me shallow, but I've been brought up on a diet of in-yer-face culture, and the Japanese prevalence to dwell on life and self-worth don't interest me in the slightest, at least not when I watch videos. Wicked City has the meanest gun IN THE WORLD, an amusing old man (a trademark of the director I fear) and people in smart black suits. O.K, the final battle is classically confusing, but not a day goes by when I don't yell "Fu**ing monsters!" at the top of my voice. An utterly enjoyable romp, and one that's always a pleasure to watch on the Sci-Fi Channel.

I feel this film is more about the atmosphere than the story.

Story wise it's nothing complex or new, but it creates with it's visual design and dark theme an intense experience which kept me interested throughout.

Also, I've seen the English dubbed version and it's surprisingly good, something that's not always the case.

The characters are nothing spectacular in terms of design, but their personalities (specially the male main) are well defined The guy reminds me a lot of George Clooney in the times of From Dusk Till Dawn, even though the anime is older.. Specially with the English cheeky way of talking!

The gore is quite heavy, in pretty twisted sexual ways.. The action is really good, as expected from the director.

Overall it's a very dak anime, very particular, definitely one of the classics from the 80s you don't want to miss!