(1992)
Dir - Hiroshi Harada
Overall: MEH
The story of Midori the animated film is positively fascinating and strange. Based off of the ero guro graphic novel by Suehiro Maruo, (itself an adaptation of a kamishibai tale with varying origins), animator Hiroshi Harada sunk his life savings into the project and hand-drew every frame himself since the source material was so risque as to scare away all potential investors. Then Harada insisted on showing it in his native Japan solely through a series of bizarre screenings which involved audience members having to go through specific instructions, following clues, and experiencing the movie in an interactive format that Rocky Horror Picture Show fanatics would appreciate. It was also shown in legit freak show recreations as well. As far as the rest of the world getting a chance to see it, a French DVD is the only means and whether or not it is in fact complete is still possibly a mystery as different print lengths exist according to different sources. Finally getting to the movie itself, it is enormously unsettling and strange. A twelve year old girl gets raped and tortured both physically and psychologically by a number of depraved and deformed circus freaks and reality itself is skewed where her short-lived moments of happiness seem to diminish in an endless loop. The style is quite unique and of course the lengths that Harada went to make it and screen it are admirable, but it is a highly difficult work to ride out.
(1997)
Dir - Satoshi Kon
Overall: GOOD
A deliberate, well-executed psychological thriller that seems more than a little akin to the giallo sub-genre, Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue is nearly remarkably done. An adaptation of Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis, (a novel by Yoshikazu Takeuchi), the film works best when it is increasingly blurring the lines between reality. The audience is left impossibly confused just as the lead protagonist is, but this never becomes frustrating due to how meticulously structured it is. The more topsy-turvy it gets, the more compelling it gets. The grand reveal may be slightly disappointing to some as well as the familiar stalker-killer elements. Even still though, with a plot that so carefully distorts all realms as possibility, the twist at least seems appropriate. Originally planned as a live-action film which it easily could have worked as, (and one would eventually get made in 2002 under the title Perfect Blue: Yume Nara Samete), 1995's Kobe earthquake ended up diminishing the budget. This is only a problem in that some of the characters are impossible to tell apart at times due to the animation, but it is still only a minor qualm. This easily stands as one of the more excellent contemporary-set, non-dark fantasy anime horror films out there.
(1997/1998)
Dir - Yasunori Urata
Overall: MEH
This flawed, two-part OVA based off of the novel Makai Tensho by Futaro Yamada was never finished, thus making it a frustrating adaptation. Ninja Resurrection also bares many stylistic similarities to the wildly popular Ninja Scroll, down to the main character having the same name of Jubei and the logo baring a close resemblance. The fact that it is not related to Ninja Scroll beyond just surface level and that this was possibly done to confuse audiences as a cash-in may certainly annoy some, but the problem is more simply that it is left incomplete. Since it is rather pointless to become invested in a story that only sets up its premise, all that is really left to do is appreciate the squandered potential. Brutally violent and featuring enough Christian blood-shed and blasphemy to make any well-respecting heathen giddy, it throws in some other unpleasant details such as rape and child murder just to up the nastiness even more. It is difficult to tell what side of the holy or unholy fence one is supposed to root for, (which is an interesting idea to present), but again, unless you read and finish the actual source material, there are no answers or further development to be found here.
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