Moon Child (2003)

Two thieves, Sho (GACKT) and Kei (HYDE) are best friends living in the crime infested province of Mallepa. Doing what they have to in order to survive, Sho soon comes to desire more from life and longs to move up in the world. Living in a world where the number of guns determines the law, Sho and Kei will find that the price of success is one few men can afford to pay.

In addition to following the individual stories Sho and Kei, Moon Child also explores Mallepa's criminal underworld and how it affects the culture of the world these characters inhabit. lay in how the criminal underworld in Mallepa works. Although the setting of Moon Child is strikingly beautiful, and the tone is humorous at times, these elements are used to contrast the heavy drama and grim mood of this film. Our lead characters aren't exactly good guys as they regularly engage in acts of theft and murder. On the one hand this is the kind of life people in Mallepa are driven to pursue. On the other hand, our heroes in this story don't appear to be in any rush to rise above the life.

Moon Child was written by Gackt and really showed how his creativity is not limited to his music. The film does an admirable job of following the lives of several characters trying to grow and survive in a city where the only law is survival of the fittest. While Sho and Kei are the main characters, their stories intertwine with several others. What is impressive here is that even characters occupying the periphery are well-developed and their motivations are believable, albeit morally depraved for some. With Gackt at the helm the script also explores numerous social problems that you wouldn't expect from a typical crime drama. Rather than focus entirely on personal relations in this drama, Moon Child explores issues of poverty, immigration, and anomie. It also provides food for thought by exploring those variables which lead some people into a life of crime. Also interesting is that the movie doesn't glorify thug life and instead makes a point to portray what happens to people who go down that road.

The acting in this film is fantastic! Many of those unfamiliar with J-Rock superstars Gackt and Hyde wondered if either of them could actually act on film. Yes, yes they can. Both stars bring the same emotional intensity and captivating persona often seen through their music, cementing in many ways that the two are artists who are not defined by one particular medium. In an interesting approach, the movie also took the two rock stars out of their natural element where their personalities are concerned. Gackt tends to be reserved in real life but his character is completely different from himself. Sho is outgoing, unpredictable, and extremely hot-blooded. If we look at Hyde who is more outgoing and typically less reserved, we find that in Kei he is playing a character who is very guarded, and does not express himself in any particularly visible manner. In an interesting dynamic it is almost as though Gackt and Hyde exchanged personalities to play characters who are their polar opposites and that takes a considerable amount of experience that many actors take years to build. Anne Suzuki has a small role in the movie but she proves that it's not the size of the part but the size of the performance. Suzuki's screen-time is very small but it's one of the most well-done scenes in the film as Suzuki is no stranger to the art of conveying a lot while saying very little.

From the standpoint of fanboyism, a movie starring Gackt and Hyde automatically makes this a must see in my eyes and any fan of either of these two musicians. Speaking objectively, Moon Child really is an exceptional film. Great writing, excellent performances all around, and an ending that won't leave a dry eye in the house makes Moon Child a film that is not to be missed whether you're a fan of Japanese cinema or crime drama.

DEATH TRANCE (2005)

Long ago, the Goddess of Destruction waged war in the heavens until she was banished to the world below. It is here where she continued her atrocities until a lone warrior defeated her and sealed her within a coffin. The coffin was protected by a temple of warrior monks for thousands of years. That was until the temple was destroyed and the coffin stolen by a single man simply called Grave. Who is this man?  What does he seek? Death Trance is a mixed bag where the narrative is concerned. Apart from Grave himself, we encounter a number of characters who are trying to get their hands on the Goddess of Destruction’s coffin but for some, the reasons are hackneyed if not altogether questionable. While the motivations are clearly defined for most, it still doesn’t seem like the characters are aiming to do anything worth telling a story about.

Death Trance’s setting is somewhere between a period piece and Fist of the North Star. There are fighters of substantial size and questionable aesthetics that operate with the mindset of “see what you want and take it” with the only problem being the fact that Grave isn’t a guy you want to mess with no matter how tough you think you are. The world has plenty of anachronisms such as motorcycles, gun tonfas, gun swords, and even the fashion in some cases. Of course this doesn’t detract from the movie so much as it adds to its unique design.

The action scenes are a major focus of this film. There are many of them and they are all different from the last. From a sword fight that ends with someone getting shot, to a bar brawl with people fighting with Capoeira and gun tonfas, and even a battle in a forest where characters are using anything that’s not nailed down as a weapon. Death Trance gives Tak Sakaguchi free range to display the street fighting techniques that made him a sensation in the first place. While the fights aren’t as impressive as say those in Fatal Contact, they are quite imaginative and it perfectly complements the type of world in which Death Trance is set.

All of the actors and actresses in Death Trance played their parts really well. I was not familiar with Yuki Takeuchi but seeing her play the swordsman Yuri, I am convinced that no one could have played the part better. Yuri is alluring and naturally beautiful but also intelligent, powerful, and extremely cocky, all of which were traits Takeuchi herself had in spades so it was fairly easy to bring that out of Yuri’s character. Leading man Tak Sakaguchi returns to his origins as a Dark Hero in his portrayal of Grave. At the risk of venturing into a character actor, Sakaguchi does a fantastic job as Grave is a character who talks very few times in the movie and may have just two or three paragraphs of dialogue at the most, yet Sakaguchi is able to communicate what kind of character Grave is, and why Grave does what he does using non-verbals such as his body language, facial expressions, even his eyes. Grave has a balance of being a brutal man-child who solves problems with violence but he also has a certain code of honor and is more sensitive to others emotions than one might think, and Sakaguchi did an admirable job at portraying a character that while being similar to his previous character in VERSUS, is still a bit more complex.

Death Trance is a movie that clearly emphasis style over substance. It’s not deep or thought-provoking but I enjoyed it overall. Interesting characters, very good fight scenes, and a catchy soundtrack by Dir en Grey helped smooth out the rougher edges of the film. The only real downside is the cliché sequel set-up but that seems par for the course. Death Trance is not an amazing film, but it is a fun film that won’t disappoint.

Volcano High (2001)

[This review follows the English version.]

Kim Kyeong-Su is a high school student with an unfortunate habit of getting picked on at every school he goes to. A lesser known fact is that Kim has powers, very unusual powers that bullies usually find out when it is already too late. Being the good guy that he is, Kim is a target for delinquents but it is always Kim who is kicked out of school for fighting. Kim has been kicked out of nine schools so far, and in his senior year, the only school that will take him is Volcano High. If he doesn't make it here he won't make it anywhere. However, even at Volcano High Kim has to deal with challenges and roadblocks on his road to success. He seems distracted by his crush Yu, and he has already become the target of school bully Jang Ryang.  If that weren't enough, Kim has to deal with his most fearsome enemy, the substitute Mr. Ma. Graduating is the least of Kim's worries as his goal must be to survive.

Set in Korea, Volcano High follows the formula of the high school delinquent genre where situations occur within the school and the only way to maintain order is by going outside societal norms. This has social implications as well because there are things the students have to deal with on their own, and without the guidance or support from any parental figures or educators. The movie does make an admirable effort at blending martial arts, comedy, and romance and more often than not succeeds, albeit some parts are a little cheesy.

The plot sets up the usual new guy in a strange place but also throws in some superpowers. The students versus the teachers is a rarely utilized plot device and is done on a level suitable to the world in which the movie takes place. Rather than being something like a talent show or some kind of competition, these are actual battles with serious consequences. The sub plot revolves around the enmity between Kim and Mr. Ma.  The two met at one of the schools from which Kim was expelled and they've developed a very unhealthy relationship. It adds a tense element to the story because there is more at stake here than Kim's popularity or academic success. Students who run afoul of Mr. Ma don't get sent home, they disappear.

The acting in Volcano High is very good. Each person was cast for the right part. Jang Hyuk plays our main character Kim and he really has a look that screams socially awkward new guy. At the same-time he conveys a certain aloofness that you would expect from a typical outcast. Shin Min-ah does a great job as Yu as well. We can tell from her character’s performance and how Yu interacts Jang Ryang, that there is a painful history between the two and while Yu doesn't have to explain that this relationship caused her to close off her heart, Yu is able to convey it via non-verbals. Kim Soo-roh did a very good, if unorthodox portrayal of school bully Jang Ryang. Soo-roh could have gone from a checklist of traits but rather, his take on Jang Ryang is not so much a bully as more of a hot blooded gang leader whose ambition is driving him towards something greater than what he has now. The acting also goes a long way in helping the viewer explore the relationships between the cast.

As expected of this genre, new guy Kim has a crush on popular girl Yu who used to date school bully Jang Ryang and Yu isn't all that into Kim until things go south and Kim plays the Spider-Man to Yu's Gwen Stacy only without the whole dying part. Kim and Jang Ryang get off to a bad start right from the beginning, but after seeing Kim’s threshold for pain, Jang Ryang wants him to become a Dark Oxen. This is an interesting development because although Jang Ryang doesn't like Kim, he does respect Kim's physical attributes and wants him to join his gang. Kim and Mr. Ma have an extremely tense relationship and it soon becomes clear that one of them isn't leaving Volcano High alive.

Volcano High is not a unique movie by any means. In fact there is an entire genre devoted to works like exactly like this one which spans movies, comic books, and anime. To its credit the film does a fine job at balancing lighter elements like comedy and romance with the darker elements like violence, but when you look at the genre as a whole Volcano High isn't as funny as Cromartie High, nor is it as interesting or as action packed as Crows Zero. If we look at the movie on its own, Volcano High is still a very good film that's definitely worth watching and serves as a good entry point into the high school delinquent genre. Volcano High doesn't aim to be an exceptional movie and it doesn't really have to. It's a fun film that has its feel good moments despite its dark premise.

- Jetstream Rev

Returner (2002)

In the future, the human race is nearly extinct because of a war against an alien species. Scientists narrowed down a date and location where the event might have occurred that sparked this war. Milly (Anne Suzuki), a young resistance fighter is in the middle of her mission briefing when the aliens find the base and massacre her comrades. Milly narrowly escapes through a time portal to modern day Japan where she encounters a vigilante named Miyamoto (Takeshi Kaneshiro) also known as the Returner.  It is up to Milly and the Returner to save the future by finding a way to stop the war before it starts.

While it may be true that the trope of "alien invaders show up and destroy earth" is not all that inventive, Returner adds an element of originality by placing a greater emphasis on its characters and the relationships between them. Indeed, this is a very character driven science fiction movie which is not the norm for this genre. This fact ties into a revenge subplot involving Miyamoto and Mizoguchi (Goro Kishitani) who serves as the movies primary antagonist. It might seem a little hackneyed at times but the script does an admirable job of combining Milly's story and Miyamoto's story into one cohesive, compelling narrative. This is further aided by the fact that Mizoguchi's most prominent character trait is his ambition which quickly, but believably elevates him from a petty crook to a crime boss that endangers the world.

The science fiction setting isn't done in an overly indulgent manner. There aren't any floating cars or flying motorcycles, or photon torpedoes. Apart from the time portal and a watch that can slow down time for a few seconds the technology here isn't too far removed from what we have today. The technology isn't merely there mind you - it does serve an actual purpose, but it's not the major focus of the scenes which are largely there to develop the characters and plot. Of note is that the opening scene takes place in the future but the rest of the movie, with the exception of a flashback or two, takes place in modern day Japan.  There are a wide variety of settings that fit the story well. Miyamoto encounters Mizoguchi on a ship where the latter is doing business, there is a large dining room when Mizoguchi is meeting with the other crime lords, and there is an oil rig where the final showdown takes place.  The appearance of an aerospace technologies lab fits right in and is an important setting the brings the two extremes of Returner together. With that said it bears mentioning that it is the fantastic writing which allows all of this to happen.

The enmity between Mizoguchi and Miyamoto could make a very good stand alone action film while Milly’s quest to save the world would make a good movie or anime. An impromptu quantum leap of sorts lands Milly in the very center of the conflict between Mizoguchi and Miyamoto and while it seems that she brings the problems of her future with her, she actually discovers the origins of the crisis through her interaction with these characters.

The characters and scenarios are written more realistically than one might expect for a typical sci-fi movie. Characters don't easily adjust to the events that happen around them. Also, there are no heroes in this story - in other words there are no individuals who are selflessly dedicated to a particular cause, rather we are seeing characters that are almost real people. The pressure of having to save the world does at times look to be more than what Milly is able to handle. Also, the more time she spends in the present the less inclined she feels to return to the future where things are not so great, to say the least. Miyamoto doesn't believe that Milly is from the future or that there is an alien invasion as he is far more concerned with taking revenge on Mizoguchi. Mizoguchi himself is only interested in getting to the top of the criminal underworld. None of the characters are archetypes taken to an extreme.

The script is also true to the personality of the characters themselves. Milly and Miyamoto don’t fall in love with one another simply because they are the male and female leads which in most other movies would be a substantial subplot. However, they simply do not identify with each other on those levels. They do grow closer together but not in a way that would be typical of Western cinema. The animosity between Miyamoto and Mizoguchi is the driving force of this film and the tension it carries throughout is there until the very last draw.

Our three stars played their roles with expert finesse. Takeshi Kaneshiro is not new to the business and has starred in films since 1993 so even in 2002 he was a seasoned pro. His performance in Returner is widely believed to be one of his best roles.  He really expresses that anger and hatred his character has for Mizoguchi but not in the traditional, cinematic verbals.  Rather, it is in the non-verbals such as his facial expressions and eyes that speak more than words could.  Goro Kishitani displays adequate range as Mizoguchi but it almost seems as though he's playing himself given how cool and laid-back Kishitani is known to be in real life. He does a brilliant job turning Mizoguchi into a villain you just love to hate while at the same-time bringing out qualities of style and cunning reminiscent of classic Bond villains. Anne Suzuki was simply amazing. Her voice work in anime has always been critically acclaimed and she brings that experience to this live-action role. Suzuki's performance really gave the impression that Milly had the weight of the world on her shoulders, she conveyed the frustration and at times hopelessness of this character, and at other times really brought out the heart which complimented Miyamoto's character and kept him going. Suzuki really brought out Milly's supportive side even while the character herself was one in very much need of the same relief she gave to others.

A great deal of attention was paid to the plot and how to make it all fit together. The creators were able to artistically and seamlessly blend the sci-fi story and the revenge story together into a cinematic good time. The characters also benefited from being able to have much of the spotlight all to themselves.  Milly, Miyamoto, and Mizoguchi were given the time to develop as individual characters, and interact with one another without being overshadowed by special effects or a convoluted story-line which is unlike most other movies in this genre.

Although Returner was different from what I expected, I had a good time watching this. Each of the characters were appealing in their own way and really left an impression on me, while the plot admirably wove together two dissimilar stories into a convincing narrative. True, it may not appeal to those looking for an action packed movie or those seeking a traditional science fiction movie. However, what is here is a highly entertaining story, great characters, and an ending that really stayed with this viewer. It's not the best sci-fi action movie out there but it doesn't have to be. It's an enjoyable film that still holds up after more than a decade.

- Jetstream Rev

Aragami (2003)

A samurai is brought to a mysterious estate on the verge of death. He awakens to find that his wounds are completely healed and without even a hint of scarring. The Samurai is introduced to Aragami, the owner of the estate and his maid who offer him food and shelter. The flooded roads and enemy forces in the area are convincing reasons for The Samurai to stay hidden in this estate, especially when he learns that somewhere out there is a tengu - an ancient Japanese demon of terrible power. When the Samurai's hosts are Aragami and his mysterious maid, could he be safer outside?

Aragami is part of the Duel Project which was arose from a challenge made between Ryuhei Kitamura and fellow director Yukihiki Tsutsumi. As per the challenge Kitamura had to make a movie that takes place in one scene, with two characters engaged in battle, in only one week. Very few directors can even conceive rising to a challenge like this but Kitamura doesn't disappoint. Although he is better known for VERSUS, Kitamura shows that he doesn't need to make action the center or his universe. The action is played down to just two scenes and the plot takes center stage.

Having dropped us at an undisclosed point during the Warring States Period, the movie takes place entirely inside one room of Aragami’s home. Given it’s architecture, it is probably a castle of some sort or at the very least, an elaborately decorated estate, but it hardly feels inviting. While the place is well lit, the use of blue and purple light provide a menacing atmosphere, while the statues, dark curtains, and weaponry almost turns the setting into an antagonist in its own right.

The cast should look familiar as Kitamura brings back many of the actors from his previous movies. Hideo Sakaki and Tak Sakaguchi from VERSUS, and Alive, return while Takao Osawa and Kanae Uotani were both in Sky High. With that in mind the entire cast gives a stellar performance regardless of how large or small their roles are. The person who steals the show however is Masaya Kato. This is due largely in part to the fact Ryuhei Kitamura used Kato himself as the basis for Aragami. In essence, Kato isn't playing a character so much as he's largely playing himself. With that said Aragami is cool, charismatic, and deadpan funny. The fight scenes also open an interesting demonstration of Kato's skill and athleticism who is surprisingly spry for someone with such a muscular frame.

The relationship between Aragami and The Samurai is the driving force of this movie. It is a powerful friendship forged in a very short time between two men who - in addition to possessing a code of honor also have a certain understanding as warriors. Initially, The Samurai is suspicious of Aragami and his mysterious female accomplice and rightfully so. As the two learn more about each other’s motivations and ideals, a bond begins to form between them and although they must fight, they can also be friends.

Aragami pays homage to Japanese dialogue plays which essentially consists of two characters sitting in one room and talking for the duration for the performance. While this would normally come across as boring to the Western audience, Aragami is often held in high acclaim even in America, where the vast majority of people are not used to this style of story-telling. This is due to three factors: the captivating performances of the actors, the intelligent and at times humorous dialogue, and the highly detailed and atmospheric room where the movie takes place.

Thanks to the impeccable directing and writing of Ryuhei Kitamura, as well as the performances of the cast, I found Aragami thoroughly engrossing. The moody atmosphere, the non-contemporary setting, and the well choreographed fight scenes definitely added more than a few brownie points to boot. While it's true that Aragami won’t appeal to everyone, it is a very good movie and a no-brainer for Kitamura fans or fans of Japanese movies.

- Jetstream Rev