Twenty-fourth review is for a movie that is technically labeled a Japanese horror-action dark fantasy animation. I’m shook, did Men in Black get their whole inspo from this film? Creatures, foul language, lots of nudity, sexual assault, taboo and bizarre imagery. Includes #spoilers :
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Wicked City (1987) Pros: Love this style of animation always. When I watched Cowboy Bepop and Akira for the first time I had the same feeling. The excitement in the fighting, different forms of the demons, great voice acting. So many things had me in a chokehold. I knew this is not a regular sci-fi animation because of different classic horror elements: Shape shifting creatures, walls with creepy arms busting out of it, eerie music/sound cues, and more. When! Shorty! Transformed! Into! A! Vagina!? Shook! Her whole torso was a vagina and was luring Taki’s whole body into her, it was the kind of bizarre that you can’t look away from. Reminded me of Bilquis from American Gods who would basically absorb men into her through the yoni. Chile, sign me up! So much of this was creepy and strange, but also so much had happened and I checked the time and there were 20 minutes left after I thought the big rescue and conflict was complete, a pro for me. The scene with the spider shorty slashing Taki’s back and laughing was nightmare fuel. The twist that Mayart, the Stinkmeaner looking dude, was there protecting them the whole time was unexpected, and the ending was a nicely wrapped bow. Leaves possibility for growth or to build off the source materials written by Hideyuki Kikuchi.
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Cons: The movies I’ve watched so far this month have been really tame with the showing of sex and sexuality, so I was more caught off guard by the wild sexual assaults. Movies usually pose that the worst way to punish a woman is to abuse her sexually, it was happening so fucking much in this.
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I rate this a solid 8, it’s the style and creativity for me. The fact that I’ve seen movies like this but not like this at the same time. But all the sexual abuse can go and the rest can stay. Similar to: Men In Black, Akira, Resident Evil, and The Thing.
#halloween #wickedcity #review #explorepage #new