Initial D: The Movie (2005) [Film Review]

Initial D: The Movie; or, It needs Eurobeat!
     You're a really good driver, Takumi. I always get carsick on long rides, but I didn't even need to take my pills today. I had a great time today.
After months of continuous resentment, I finally gave in and watched a live action adaptation of one of my favourite anime shows. The opinions about this film are very polarised, but I approached the matter with an open mind and a lot of optimism. After all, what can go wrong with a movie about racing, right? Let’s just say that Initial D: The Movie left me quite disappointed.
Release Info
Directed by: Andrew Lau, Alan Mak Starring: Jay Chou, Anne Suzuki, Edison Chen, Anthony Wong
Language: Cantonese Original Title: 頭文字 D Runtime: 110 min
 
Plot
The story focuses on Takumi Fujiwara (Jay Chou) a young driver who is helping out his father, Bunta (Anthony Wong), in delivering Tofu down the mountain pass of Akina. Fujiwara has been driving this route for 5 years in Toyota “Hachi-Roku” AE-86 and unknowingly became an expert at downhill racing. He is challenged by fearless, both amateur and professional, drivers who wish to defeat the legend of Mount Akina. The problem is that Takumi never loses in his old 86.
 
Running in the 2000s
Well, after checking this movie out, I can’t blame Initial D fans for their unfavourable opinions about this movie. To be honest, it felt like a fan-film that tried to condense as much references to the anime as possible, while at the same rejecting many of the hallmarks that made it so fun and popular.
 
Most importantly, unfamiliar viewers should know that the original Initial D tells the ultimate underdog story. There is that kid, the son of a legendary racer, who does not even know that he became a racing genius. Heck, he does not even care about racing. Only due to many challenges and adventures along the way, Takumi realises that he wants to go pro and, as a result, proceeds to rage his dream. This 80-episode long series depicts a wonderful coming-of-age journey with a touching message of never giving up, even against all odds.
Initial D: The Movie, on the other hand, struggles to present the same storyline, but shoves it in a very idiotic manner. First of all, the racing culture is depicted not as the environment of young drivers in pursuit of larger-than-life greatness, but rather as a gathering of thugs. Secondly, many supporting characters are either altered or missing (the most painful absence is that of Keisuke Takahashi). Thirdly, there are obvious name changes, unfunny toilet jokes (lots of puking), and… no Eurobeat.
 
Why this movie doesn’t work is partially due to the fact that it tries so hard to cram the first three stages (seasons) of the anime into a 2-hour time span. At the same time, it doesn’t do proper justice to its source material. The most vivid example is the character of Bunta Fujiwara in the movie. From a caring father in the anime, he was turned into a repulsive alcoholic and child abuser. Outrageous is also the filmmakers’ overconfidence in the success of this film. Not getting into any spoilers, there is an open ending which suggests a sequel (that never got made).
 
Don’t even get me started on the lack of Eurobeat, the music score of every self-respecting driver. That’s another reason behind the failure of this picture. Instead of recreating the thrill of gutter run, unexpected overtake, and epic drift, pumped up by the cool vibrations of Dave Rodgers, Mega NRG Man, and Leslie Parrish, the filmmakers went for the hip-hop vibes, because nothing feels better to them than that gangsta atmosphere of ghetto racing (Fast and Furious flashbacks). Guess what: this movie could have been saved in the edit by adding so much needed Eurobeat. Refer below to a fan video of one of the race scenes:
That being said about the disadvantages, I have to be fair and point out some of the good stuff. What was done well? Two things: the usage of classic cars from the anime (Toyota AE-86, Nissan Skyline R32, Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV) and the way how the racing scenes were shot. These were done in a very natural style with a camera attached to a vehicle that followed the racing cars. Very little usage of CGI, only a couple of shots, is commendable. In addition, I appreciated the scene in which, just for a moment, 86 turned into an animated version of itself.
 
With regard to performances, many actors seem miscast. Jay Chou tries his best as Takumi, but comes off as tired and bland. Anthony Wong does not do well as Bunta either, but that’s due to a bad script writing. Wong is a great actor and he would probably make a great Bunta if given a proper chance. Chapman To is embarrassing as the playboy amalgam of Itsuki and Iketani. The only actors who understood their parts were Anne Suzuki and Edison Chen as Natsuki Mogi and Ryousuke Takahashi, respectively. Especially Edison Chen did so well that he should reprise his role in a new movie adaptation.
 
Recommendations
If you are an Initial D fan, give this film a pass. It left such a bitter taste in my mouth, that I had to aid myself with a couple of Super Eurobeat albums and Carx Drift Racing. If you need to check it out nonetheless, keep an eye on the racing action, because this is a redeemable aspect of this motion picture. As we all know: Initial D is love, Initial D is life. This movie is related to Initial D by name only.
Overall score: 5/10 (generous points for the cars and racings)

Inuyashiki (2018) [Film Review]

Inuyashiki; or, Dawn of Salty Water
     Hanako… you better get ready!
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the abundance of modern superhero flicks? Even though many of them are indeed entertaining, they frequently follow an established structure. Marvel has their formula and (*smirk*) DC has theirs as well. Not to mention release dates separated by literally days in some cases. Well, guess what? You are the perfect viewer to check out the Japanese superhero action movie called Inuyashiki.
Release Info
Directed by: Shinsuke Sato Starring: Noritake Kinashi, Takeru Sato, Ayaka Miyoshi, Kanata Hongo
Language: Japanese Original title: いぬやしき Runtime: 126 min
 
Plot
Meet Ichiro Inuyashiki (Noritake Kinashi), a typical office worker with a wife, Marie (Mari Hamada), and two teenage children, Mari (Ayaka Miyoshi) and Takeshi (Nayuta Fukuzaki). The family has recently moved in to a new house. Nothing would seem out of the ordinary in this “stock photo-like” family apart from the fact that Inuyashiki is despised by his closest ones. At his workplace too, he is regarded as an incapable and worthless employee. The only consolation for Inuyashiki is a stray dog, Hanako, whom he takes in. After the wife orders him to get rid of the dog, Inuyashiki is struck by a huge wave of light in the park. When he wakes up, he discovers that his body was turned into a cybernetic machine. Inuyashiki gains enormous muscle strength, can hear people from great distances, but most importantly, he can heal those who are on the verge of death. Inuyashiki’s will to do good is going to be tested in a duel against Hiro Shishigami (Takeru Sato), a high school student who was also struck by the mysterious light.
 
First Action Hero
I think I should begin by pointing out that I have watched this movie cold. No description, no trailer whatsoever. The official poster with Takeru Sato at the front was enough to get me encouraged. Retrospectively, I don’t recommend this approach. You need to know beforehand that this movie is an adaptation of Hiroya Oku’s science fiction manga series that received an 11-episode anime treatment. Basically, as already outlined in the plot section, it’s about two men becoming advanced battle machines, but with such a difference that one does good and the other does evil.
 
Inuyashiki is a slow-burner. Initially, I was convinced that this is Ikiru tragedy about a middle-aged man mixed with a bit of school drama (yes, 29 year old Takeru Sato effortlessly passes off as a student). However, things gradually start to spin as the main characters begin to discover their supernatural abilities. In contrast to many recognisable comic book heroes, Inuyashiki is physically a different being, although he has his memories and usual demeanour intact.
 
One could say that the movie is a typical zero-to-hero story. However, I believe that Inuyashiki is actually a clever parody of this format. The main protagonist never gains self-respect as he is continuously treated like a punching bag; however, he finds fulfilment in anonymously helping out other people. As for Hiro Shishigami, I wouldn’t label him as the bad guy. He is just a man who had a crappy past, which made him bitter and vengeful. His friendship with Ando was just as touching as Inuyashiki’s re-establishment of fatherly bond with Mari, an estranged daughter. Having said this, in my opinion, character development is the strongest advantage of this picture.
 
Speaking about the disadvantages, there were a few. Specifically, the film is unevenly paced. It starts off like M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable (2000) and ends like Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 (2013). On top of that, the whole second act is devoted solely to Hiro, which at a certain point made me think that the movie should be renamed Shishigami. Thankfully, these issues faded away in the glory of a brilliant and action-packed third act.
 
With regard to performances, Noritake Kinashi rocks as Inuyashiki. This is the first time I have seen this actor in action and I would love to check his other works. In addition, this is my first time seeing Takeru Sato as the villain. He did a great job, even though I couldn’t get out of my head his other roles from Bitter Blood (2014) and Bloody Monday (2008). Ayaka Miyoshi also deserves a mention as Mari, Inuyashiki’s daughter
 
Briefly touching upon some trivia, the character of Inuyashiki was actually voiced in anime by Fumiyo Kohinata :) I wonder how his take on the role would have looked like in the live action version. Coincidentally, the only actor who "appeared" in both the anime and the movie is Kanata Hongo as Ando, Hiro’s childhood friend. On a side note, I wonder if the creative team behind the movie has seen the old American comedy Real Men (1987), because it also jokingly uses the motifs of finger guns and drinking water.
 
Recommendations
Highly recommended to anyone who wants to spend an entertaining evening. The movie is not flawless, but it is ridiculously enjoyable nonetheless. Especially in the era of Marvel and DC universes, we need more everyman heroes like Inuyashiki. Superman? Batman? Guyver?! Give me a break. I’ll take Inuyashiki over them any day. Give him a cameo in Avengers: Endgame!
Overall score: 7/10

Gunnm [Battle Angel Alita] (1993) [OVA Review]

Gunnm; or, Gun Dream
     No past means a clean slate for your soul, no memories to haunt you.
With the approaching premiere of James Cameron’s dream project Alita: Battle Angel (2019), I thought that it would be fun to review the 1993 OVA which stemmed from the original manga and served as the introduction into the world of Gally for many fans.
Release Info
Directed by: Hiroshi Fukutomi Voice actors: Miki Itou, Shunsuke Kairya, Mami Koyama
Language: Japanese Original Title: 銃夢 GUNNM No of eps.: 2
 
Synopsis
Doctor Daisuke Ido, the cybernetics expert, is scavenging the garbage heap which has been dumped from the city of Zalem. There, he finds a female cyborg with an intact head and chest. Ido rebuilds the cyborg, but she does not remember her past at all. She is given the name Gally and starts living with Ido. Soon after, Gally discovers that her cybernetic body contains huge reservoirs of power and knowledge of martial arts. She registers as a bounty hunter and begins hunting down criminals in the dystopian Iron Scrap City, a place below the unattainable Zalem.
 
Rusty Angel/Tears Sign
Due to the increasing talk about the movie over the last year, I decided to check out the phenomenon of Battle Angel Alita. This is the English title, actually. For clarity’s sake, I intend to refer to the main protagonist by her original name, Gally. So at first, there was a 5-year-long manga which was originally released in 9 volumes. OVA came approximately in the middle of the manga’s release process and its sole purpose was to boost the comic book sales. As a result, there were no plans intended for a huge story-arc beyond the two episodes which were made. Allegedly, Yukito Kishiro, the main creator, did not really care about the OVA either.
It does not change the fact that Gunnm is a stellar instance of animated science-fiction. Within the time span of a little over 50 minutes, the viewers are presented with the image of a vast world in which there is an ongoing conflict. The exposition is served quite effortlessly, as things are only touched upon rather than properly developed. However, these are the basic things we need to know: Gally is a cyborg without any past and she finds her way of life in destroying the robotic bad guys. Ordinary people want to go to Zalem, but in fact, Zalem is exploiting Iron Scrap City. The world of Gally is dense and claustrophobic, but open and colourful at the same time. These are the primary advantages of Gunnm.
 
Is there anything I didn’t particularly like? Well, the romantic aspect felt a bit too rushed (I'm not going into spoilers). The character Gally falls in love which comes off as bland, but nevertheless, the subplot furthers the story and provides a change for Gally at the end of the second episode. When the end credits roll in with the chilling “Cyborg Mermaid” song by Kaori Akima in the background, I desperately wanted to see more of Gally’s adventures. Perhaps that is the main disadvantage of Gunnm: it sets up things so well and they don’t get picked up afterwards.
 
Recommendations
Generally, I very much enjoyed this animation for its hand-drawn style, interesting story, and awesome main heroine. There was a lot of action, which was aided by Kaoru Wada’s atmospheric music score. Taking everything into consideration, it was an hour well spent and my only regret is that it was just an hour. Gally deserves to be revived in a full season anime. Check out this OVA if you can, even if you will happen to find the theatrical movie disappointing. Now, I’m off to read the manga!
Overall score: 9/10