A review of the 2013 anime anthology 'Short Peace' featuring Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Combustible'

Neo Tokyo is a 1987 sci fi anthology of 3 short animated films. The middle film called Running Man appeared on the 205th episode of MTV's Liquid Television.

Neo Tokyo is adapted from a 1986 collection of short stories of the same name by Taku Mayumura with each of the 50 minute trilogy’s 3 diverse films being scripted by directors Rin Taro Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Katsuhiro Otomo.

Neo Tokyo begins within a maze called The Labyrinth in which a clown leads a little girl to a circus tent where he then shows her the 2nd and 3rd films, Running Man and The Order To Stop Construction. The 2nd film, Running Man, is directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and set at a futuristic racetrack called La Circus where drivers compete in anti gravity cars and where champion Zack Hugh--nicknamed The God of Death--literally drives himself to death to stay ahead of much younger drivers. The 3rd feature, The Order To Stop Construction, is directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and set in the Amazon Jungle where a project manager is sent to shut down a construction site but finds himself at odds with the site’s robot foreman that wants the project to go on as scheduled.

Neo Tokyo was a direct-to-video release in 1987 and double-billed with a feature length anime called Silent Mobius. At that time, Neo Tokyo was licensed by a company called Streamline Pictures and if you knew about anime back then you know about the classic “State-of-the-art Japanese animation” trailer on all of their videos. When Streamline went out of business, Neo Tokyo and all of the company's anime titles were on moratorium for a while before being picked up by a company called ADV that also went out of business putting Neo Tokyo again on moratorium.

There is no plot unifying the short films; Neo Tokyo was anime’s way of showcasing its top talents at that time, Rin Taro, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Katsuhiro Otomo who all went on to elevate anime out of obscurity and college dorms to the mainstream with classics like Akira, Metropolis (anime), Ninja Scroll, and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Each director of this anthology has his own distinct style. You have Rin Taro's surrealistic look against Kawajiri's realistic look; and then there is Otomo's obsession with tech and mechanical details. Of the 3 shorts, Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Running Man is my favorite. The detail in the cars and the characters-- especially the close-ups of the veins pulsating in Zack Hugh’s face and hands-- are incredible. Of the 3 directors, Kawajiri is the best character designer and all of Kawajiri’s films--from Ninja Scroll to Wicked City--bear this trademark. Neo Tokyo reminds us that as much as animation has gained with computer graphics and 3D, it can never replicate the edgy comic book feel that it once did when anime was hand-drawn and painted, cell by cell, by artists. No, the anime wasn’t smooth by today’s animation standards but it had more flair to make up for it.

Anyway, anyone interested in seeing what real anime is--when it was really good--need to check out Neo Tokyo. It’s not for sale anymore but you can probably check it out on Youtube somewhere. I was lucky enough to get a copy after it was reissued.

Super-sexy shape-shifters of the Dark World: My review of Wicked City

Super-sexy shape-shifters of the Dark World: My review of Wicked City

Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 1987 anime Wicked City is about a secret agent named Taki and his incredibly beautiful partner named Makie. They are assigned to protect a pint-sized pervert named Giuseppe Mayart who's coming to Tokyo to sign a 500 year old peace treaty between Earth and the Black World, a parallel dimension, which also happens to be where Makie is from.Throughout the film, the agents do battle with a host of weird creatures from the Black world determined to sabotage the treaty. But at the heart of the story is 2 very different beings from different worlds going through Hell together and eventually falling in love.

This animated feature contains explicit content, including a creature that resembles a giant phallus, sodomy, a very graphic rape scene, some profanity. At the same time, these elements are what sets this film and its director apart from other anime directors like Katsuhiro Otomo, Hayao Miyazaki, and others.

The artwork in this film is all hand drawn having been made in a time before CGI and has the director’s style being the long mysterious eyes, especially with Makie who, in my opinion, is the sexiest female in any anime feature.

But I can't stress this enough: this one is for adults only. If you like Japanese Director Takashi Miike's films you should have no problem with Wicked City.

A review of Mori Masaki's 1983 anime Barefoot Gen

A review of Mori Masaki's 1983 anime classic Barefoot Gen

When discussions of the greatest anti war films come up, Director Mori Masaki's 1983 anime Barefoot Gen should be right there in the same discussion as Stanley Kubrick's 1957 film Paths of Glory if not for anything other than the human dimension of war it provides from the perspective of those regarded as collateral damage.

My Review of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira

My Review of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira

Director Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime Akira takes place in the year 2012 in Neo Tokyo following an event similar to the atomic bombs America dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A boy named Akira is the subject of secret government experiments that give him access to superhuman powers. Things get out of control when the government does the experiment on a biker named Tetsuo who becomes obsessed with his best friend's motorcycle and who has been picked on all his life for being short.

This anime, like a lot of sci fi anime reference Japanese culture after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a way of signaling the death of one age and the birth of a new age. Looking at this anime and others like Ghost in The Shell, the influence of Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner is obvious in the fusion of industrial-looking tech combined with social and environmental issues like crime, poverty, overcrowding and lots of consumer products marketed on just about every square inch of available space. These elements together describe an aesthetic known as cyberpunk. Watching Akira, it is easy to see how much Blade Runner influenced the artwork and, in a lot of ways, Akira takes it a step further. Watching it, even after 30 years since it was made, it can easily take a couple of nights just to take in everything. And, unlike most anime where only the main characters in the foreground move, everything and I do mean EVERYTHING moves in Akira. Otomo is a gear-head and his obsession with detail, particularly machines, verges on the insane. Up to the time it came out, the only animation you could find this kind of motion was Disney. But Disney was for kids in those days but Akira was aimed at adults. This, if anything else, explains the cultural perceptions that American film audiences and Japanese film audiences have about animated movies. If you have heard of anime or if all you know about it is Dragonball Z or Pokemon, seeing Akira for the 1st time is going to be somewhat of a shock to what you are used to seeing, especially the level of graphic violence including blood. 

I still have my VHS copy of this film and recently, I upgraded to blu ray. This film looks incredible. The colors are popping and saturated but they don't bleed over the details. The opening scenes at night are absolutely crazy. The rainbows chasing the motorbikes, the motorbikes themselves, the clothes, the cityscape, everything looks better on blu ray. 

Despite the look of this film, the dialogue is bad. Otomo shows his weaknesses in the writing department but I'm not sure how much this has to do by it being translated out of Japanese to English. 

I read someplace that they were thinking about turning it into a live action movie but I don't think it'll work because the story itself is rather convoluted. Plus, I don't think that every good anime translates to live action. Look at what happened to Ghost in the Shell. I believe, too, that the sophistication of live action effects in recent years has not only equaled but has exceeded what you could only show in an animated movie. If they did make a live action Akira, I would like it to be Japanese. These films have a way of being Westernized with White actors like Ghost in the Shell was and Robert Rodriguez's upcoming action film Alita: The Battle Angel. If it is produced into a live action movie, though, I'll still go to see it. 

Finishing up this review, I'm glad to say that even after all these years, as far as animation has come, Akira still looks good. I think what makes this film age well is the fact that what you see on the screen is completely organic and hand-drawn by real people. This type of anime or animation period is gone now. I even read that Hayao Miyazaki's next animated film will be all CGI. That'll be interesting.

Battle Angel Alita finally!!

Battle Angel Alita at last!!!

Finally, at long long last, we'll finally get the movie that James Cameron made Avatar to prepare for, from the manga series by graphic artist Yukito Kishiro about a cyborg who has no memory of her past except for a deadly fighting style called Panzer Kunst. From seeing the film's trailer, I believe that Rodriguez will pull this off well.

The Dark Knight Returns: a review!

This is a review of  'Batman: The Dark Knight Returns' based on Frank Miller's 1986 graphic novel.

Blu Ray

If you want to go directly to the source to see the Batman that seeded Christopher Nolan's reinvention of the caped crusader, this is the uncut brainchild of Frank Miller's 1986 game-changer, The Dark Knight. Director Jay Oliva stays as faithful to the graphic novel as you could ask for, the style so perfectly mimics Miller's artwork that it's like reading the graphic novel. The plot has a gray, middle aged Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement, 1st to do battle with a gang calling themselves the mutants, then a revived Joker who is a ward of a mental institution and finally, his ultimate foe, Superman himself who is reduced to America's tool. This is a great animated feature that is, in a lot of ways, better than the films Nolan did because it does a clearer job of showing Batman's personality through his foes. Again, DC kicks Marvel's ass when it comes to animation but comes in a distant 2nd in live action. 

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse: a review

This is review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, an animated feature produced by Warner Brothers Animation and DC Comics

Great flick. Marvel's got DC Comics beat in live action but DC kicks Marvel *ss in animation. The plot is around Superman's cousin who happens to be superpowered also. There's also a subplot involving a pimp/prostitute like relationship between her and Apocalypse that I found interesting. Parents please read the box: this isn't for your kiddies! There are plenty of kiddie movies out there so please review this film accordingly and not by it's suitability for your children. This and Public Enemies are the best I've seen of these animated movies. Lauren Montgomery does a great job directing this one. I have the DVD but I would advise getting the blu ray for the added oomph!

Fan-made live action 'Akira'

This is a fan-made video based on Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime feature 'Akira'. 

Wow, just imagine what Katsuhiro Otomo's science fiction epic would look like as a live action film made like this, the right way, with 'real' Japanese actors and faithful to the manga in every way. Here's a little something to wet your appetite. I heard that Leonardo DiCaprio bought the rights to this and Shoji Kawamori's Macross Plus. For now, these fan-made appetizers will have to do. Enjoy!

Hayao Miyazaki's 'The Wind Rises' ending theme

This is the ending theme music from Hayao Miyazaki's 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film 'The Wind Rises'. 

This is the end theme to Miyazaki's last film. Reportedly, he's unretired and working on his 1st CGI anime. The last of a dying breed of hands-on animators. Thanks, Miyazaki!

End of Evangelion: the greatest of all anime features

This is a video of Hideaki Anno's 1997 Japanese animated science fiction film 'The End of Evangelion'. The song in this clip is called 'Komm, susser Tod (Come, sweet death)' by Arianne.

Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Akira': a review

This is a review of director Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 anime masterpiece 'Akira'. 

This is one I first got on the original VHS format that included the now defunct Streamline "State of the art, Japanese animation" trailer montage featuring the original Vampire Hunter D, Silent Mobius, Neo Tokyo, etc. I popped my anime cherry with Akira and Fist of the North Star, but it was Akira that really blew me away with its sci fi and especially its artwork, the amount of detail and movement in this film is massive. This film remains a primer for anyone remotely interested in knowing why people like me are so nuts about anime.

Basically, this film is a Frankenstein story that takes place in the year 2012 in Neo Tokyo, called so because it's right after a cataclysm similar to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A super powered boy named Akira who was the subject of secret government experimentation played a major part in the cataclysm and for this reason is contained in a cryogenic vault at ground zero, which is beneath a stadium. Determined to master and control "the ultimate power," the government sets its sights on another guinea pig, a short, unstable, biker named Tetsuo who happens to be obsessed with a cool, red, turbo-charged bike owned by his best friend Kaneda.

This film looks incredible. The colors just pop at you scene after scene. The opening scenes at night are simply breathtakingly colorful. Comparisons to another cyber-punk classic from which this film derives its look, Bladerunner, are especially evident in its use of neon against a night backdrop. Amazing what can be done without 3d or cgi. The rainbows chasing the motorbikes, the motorbikes themselves, the clothes, the cityscape--everything about this film is eye-candy, almost too sweet, but I love it.

Despite the visual achievements of this film, the dialogue is embarrassing and cliched. Mr. Otomo shows his weaknesses in the writing department here but I'm not sure if this isn't due to it being translated into English. Maybe it sounds better in Japanese. But here it sounds very hokey. But in the end it didn't matter to me as it most likely won't matter if you see this film for the first time. Even after all these years, as far as animation has come, Akira still looks good. I think what makes this film age well is the fact that what you see on the screen is completely organic, that is, done by real people, an army of people working day and night to bring this enormous vision to life. A true anime masterpiece.

'Neo Tokyo'; a Review

A review of MTV Liquid Televisions 1987 anime science fiction anthology 'Neo Tokyo'.

Neo Tokyo is an anthology of 3 short films, the best of which is the middle film called Running Man, which ran years ago on MTV's Liquid Television along with Peter Chung's Aeon Flux.

Neo Tokyo begins with Labyrinth, which features a small girl being lured into a carnival tent where she sees the 2nd and 3rd films, Running Man and The Order To Stop Construction. Running Man, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, is about a futuristic race and its god, Zack Hugh, who, like most athletes, don't know when it's time to quit. The Order To Stop Construction, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, is set in the Amazon where a construction manager is ordered to halt a construction project gone haywire under its rogue construction manager, which happens to be a robot, a la Frankenstein.

I don't think that telling a story is the real object here as much as it is to showcase the talents of the respective directors, Rin Taro, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Katsuhiro Otomo. All of their styles are strong and distinct. You have Taro's surrealistic look, Kawajiri's realistic look, and Otomo's obsession with mechanical details. But of the three, the best imo, is Kawajiri's segment, and career for that matter. Anyway, anyone interested in seeing what real anime is, when it was really good and before it went south trying to please American tastes, check out this collection.

'Wicked City' Review

This is a review of director Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 'Wicked City'.

Still have this one on VHS with the old Streamline trailer that included classics like Akira, Neo Tokyo,Fist of the North Star, and Vampire Hunter D. Basically, the film's about a secret agent named Taki and his incredibly beautiful partner named Makie. They are assigned to protect a pint-sized pervert named Giuseppe Mayart who's coming to Tokyo to sign a 500 year old peace treaty between Earth and the Black World, a parallel dimension, which also happens to be where Makie is from.Throughout the film, the agents do battle with a host of weird creatures determined to sabotage the treaty.

The artwork is absolutely gorgeous. Kawajiri's trademark throughout all of his films are the long mysterious Japanese eyes and this film is probably his best in that regard as Makie has got to be the sexiest female ever in an anime.

But I can't stress this enough: this one is for adults only. A good example of hand-drawn artwork before 3D rendered artwork took over. Like the song at the end also. If you like Takashi Miike's stuff you should have no problem with this one.

Hayao Miyazaki

Seen any of these Anime?

A Few Flicks From My Anime Collection

Will The New 'Ghost In The Shell' Film Live Up To The Anime?

Being that this will be a "Europeanized" interpretation of GITS  and that most of the people seeing this film will not be familiar with the story's Japanime pedigree, I look for this film to stray from a lot of the deep philosophical and political themes the anime is known for. I, personally, have no problem whatsoever with Scarlett in the title role. She is at the very forefront of female action stars right now BAR NONE  with Lucy, The Avengers, Captain America, and Under The Skin most recently. However, being that this film is adapted from a story set in Hong Kong and the lead being recast from a Japanese woman to a white woman, I would have something to say about this if I were Japanese. But if they have no problem with this then why should I, right? Another factor that may affect this film's success is its long delay in being made and the director (Rupert Sanders) who's a virtual unknown. As anyone who's followed this film from Mamoru Oshii's original (based on the manga by Masamune Shirow) to the recent 'Arise' prequels knows, GITS, which itself is influenced by the film 'Blade Runner,' has been cannibalized by so many films from the Matrix on, that it may come across like a copycat of the films that copied it. I do believe that a director like Nolan, Greengrass, or even the Wachowski's could have at least guaranteed this film an intelligence close to that in the anime. I will see this film but I will go in the theater with realistic expectations of seeing nothing more than a dumbed down westernized live-action anime adaptation with loads of action and cool gadgets programmed to make as much money as possible.