Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

The plot of Jin-Roh is set in a fictitious Tokyo, several years after the second World War. Violent combats between an anti-administration terrorist organization and the capital's para-military police rock the city over and over again. When Fuse, a member of the capital's police force, gets suspended after a young terrorist messenger blows herself up in front of his eyes, he tries to search for more information about her but gets mired in a secret power struggle between the administration and the capital's police force.

The plot of "Jin-Roh" is so sophisticated, it can hardly be described without spoiling some very important facts. The movie then comes up with several stunningly surprising twists that one would hardly have anticipated. But despite, respectively, due to the movie's complexity, it is sometimes hard to follow properly the events and incidents. There are so many different organizations interacting and intriguing, which shall not mean, that the story is inconsistent. Rather are all relationships and hierarchies between the organizations (police, administration, ministries) brilliantly thought-out, but the fact that everybody seems to play off against one another, doesn't make it clear who belongs to whom until the end. I had to watch the movie twice, before realizing every aspect of the story.

All this may sound like an ordinary political crime plot, but let me tell you, it is something totally unique. The plot's obscurity perfectly fits its grim atmosphere. The idea of a fictitious past is excellently illustrated by the streets and locations, that seem familiar, but at the same time totally strange.

The movie's subjects about guilt, atonement and living with burden make it also pretty depressing, but at the same time, a special cinematic experience, due to its unique stylistic features, such as narrating the story of "Little Red Riding Hood and the evil wolf" during several scenes, which accurately fits the events in the movie itself.

All in all, one of the greatest and most unique movies, that I have seen, Mamoru Oshii, once again, created a brilliant and intelligent plot, whose complexity sometimes really reminds oneself of Oshii's "Ghost in the shell". The movie's overwhelming picture language and music contribute to its excellence.

"Jin-Roh" or "The Wolf Brigade" is an amazing anime film. I had seen the 3-disc special edition DVD at a video store, and having never seen this movie before, I took a chance and bought it. I had heard nothing but good things about "Jin-Roh" and I was very pleased when I saw it.

The film is set in what it calls "an alternate Japan" and a special police force has been formed to defend the capital. It seems that the government is under constant threat from an underground terrorist organization that uses "Red Riding Hoods" (teenage girls) to deliver powerful explosives to the authorities. One of these "hoods" is cornered by Fuse in the sewers and in a grim act of suicide, blows herself up. Fuse who was right there, is instantly traumatized by the event, and is forced to undergo re-training at his academy. Seeking to gather information on her, he runs into the dead girl's older sister, who he befriends and eventually begins a romance with her. Soon forces in the government, as well as Fuse's own police unit, threaten to tear them apart and it becomes evident that the girl herself may or may not be all that she seems.

This is one of the most devastating films I've ever seen. They certainly picked the right actor to voice the gravely Fuse, who I don't think ever fully recovers from what happens. The soundtrack to this movie is one of the best I have ever heard. There are constant allusions to "Little Red Riding Hood" and excerpts from the story are read throughout the film, as it details with a lot of government conspiracy theory stuff.

The films ending, which I will not describe, is the saddest part of the film. Yet, movies, especially animated ones like "Jin-Roh", are rare. A film that focuses more on the emotions of the characters, much rather action and graphic bloodshed, like most anime films tend to do, is what "Jin-Roh" is. Though I won't let that discourage gore fans, as they will certainly get their fair share of blood and violent action when they watch "Jin-Roh", but be prepared to wait a while for any action.

As I stated earlier, this is one of the most depressing films I've ever seen. To say that Fuse's romance is doomed to end tragically is not saying much, as I expected that would happen. There is a lot of intrigue and conspiracy-like things going on in this movie and that sometimes tends to get in the way of the characters, but nonetheless I still awarded the film a 10 out of 10, and "Jin-Roh" is still a moving experience and it is one of the best anime films I have ever seen.

Whoa. Everything seems to click in the right place with Jin-Rô. Awfully tragic and cold story of a man with the nature of beast trying to interact with an ordinary girl. Of course it's all wrapped around political conspiracy plots and lots of references to fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood", but I think most of the time the movie still works quite nice as it is.

Animation is fluid and smooth, soundtrack is beautiful and the few action sequences the movie provides simply kick ass. But the main thing in Jin-Rô is the impossible and tragic relationship between a beast and a man. This aspect is done extremely well in the movie, thanks to supporting soundtrack, great voice actors and painfully emotional and touching end. I dare not to spoil it, but these kind of endings are rare in the movies, animated or real. Bold move, and it works like a dynamite.

Jin-Rô exceeded all my expectations, although they were quite high before I ever saw it.

Watching this, it is important to make an overlooked distinction between Western and Japanese animation: while the former is often also considered as a genre and calls to mind a specific type of audience and story, the latter is purely a format. Many a film out there in the realm of anime could have been made as a live-action feature, even though in cases like Akira or Ghost in the Shell, the budget would have been prohibitive.

This distinction is particularly interesting to apply to Jin Roh: this could well have been live-action, and since its story, themes and execution put it well outside the Western boundaries for animation we need to ask ourselves why it is not only particularly suited to that medium, but can easily be counted among the finest animated features of all time.

Drawing countless parallels with the tale of Little Red Riding Hood - the original, somewhat pessimistic version - Jin Roh explores two characters on an inevitable collision course: a traumatized, counter-terrorist elite soldier and a young, female future suicide-bomber. Given the subject-matter, it is surprisingly apolitical, not siding with either faction or even exploring the roots of terrorism within the context of this story. In fact, to great and horrifying effect, it is more concerned with the mundane nature of it all, and the dehumanizing effect of their roles on the respective characters. This is a world without redemption, where the only choice is between embracing your role, or drifting off into an abyss.

Telling this very specific story through animation elevates it into a myth, into a horribly grounded adaptation of that ultimate suspicious authority-rejecting cautionary fairytale. Perhaps there is no grandma or little red riding hood, only wolves in people's clothing. It's hard to imagine a live-action version of Fuse's empty stare that could ever conjure the effect deployed here.

Finally, Jin Roh was the last fully hand-drawn Japanese animated feature (1999), and it uses its broad array of technical tool with a mastery and restrain that puts even a Pixar or Studio Gibli to shame.

If you want monsters and heroes and magic, go see something else... This is a moving example of how a good story incredibly well told can rip your heart out. A must-see!

osb.: GiS = Ghost in the Shell

I found this film to be a highly entertaining police thriller in the same vein as Ghost in the Shell in terms of characterization (of course, the premise was vastly different). It wasn't any timeless work of art and nothing compared to Miyazaki's output during the same period. To say that this was the best anime of the 1990's is ludicrous from my point of view: Ghibli alone made about 4-5 films better than this one in the decade, Ghost in the Shell is also a better film than this one.

Overall, I would recommend this film to anime fans and fans of police thrillers but not film buffs in general.