Demon City ShinjukuSometimes all it takes for a guy to brave the legions of the damned is a pretty girl. Demon City Shinjuku is a supernatural horror anime film about the aftermath of a terrible earthquake that strikes Japan, turning the center of Tokyo's Shinjuku district into a monstrous wasteland filled with horrors from Hell itself. It is a terrible disaster born from the vile sorcery of Rebi Ra, when his rival, Genichiro Izayoi, was slain in their duel. Ten years later, Genichiro's son--and his disciple in the mystic sword art of Nempo--Kyoya, is called upon to pick up where his father left off; but only the courage of Sayaka Rama, daughter of the captured world president, is enough to stir him into action.
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Demon City Shinjuku is an animated film from Japan, part of a group of similar films made during the 1990s and released by acclaimed animation studio, Madhouse. Alongside the likes of films such as Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D, and Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku is filled with adrenaline-spiked action scenes, as well as shadowy antagonists, beautiful women, and monstrous horrors. Similar to these films, Demon City Shinjuku was one of the anime films to establish that these "cartoons" were not for children, and were filled with mature language and situations, including gruesome violence and nudity. And while Kyoya and his fellows use some rough language, Demon City Shinjuku doesn't quite fall as far as some--like Wicked City--into areas where children should definitely avoid exposure. Kyoya is a bit arrogant and overconfident, but aside from his faults, he is a noble soul. His merits include helping teach children martial arts and a bravery to put himself into danger when the courageous, if naive, Sayaka fails to understand the hazards she risks by entering the monster city of Shinjuku alone, after failing to initially convince Kyoya. Kyoya feels a sense of obligation to avenge his murdered father and kill Rebi Ra, but Rebi Ra and Genichiro's former sensei, Aguni Rai, observes that Kyoya's failure to control his power will leave him destined for destruction. Aguni Rai recruits Kyoya out of necessity, because he must continue to monitor a curse threatening the life of Sayaka's father, an important world leader. Rebi Ra knows that by cursing him, he will prevent his former teacher's intervention in stopping the demons from arriving at their appointed time to descend upon Tokyo and the world. As Kyoya observes when he is eating in a noodle cafe--in-between flirting with the waitress--that Sayaka is cute; in fact, she possesses a motherly grace and innocence, an aura of goodness, something which even more than her attractiveness is what motivates Kyoya to reevaluate his initial refusal of Aguni Rai. Set in the heart of Tokyo's supposedly stable and earthquake-resistant Shinjuku district, the idea that a disaster like "The Devil's Shake" could hit that area suggests a kind of supernatural quality, not least of which includes the presence of horrifying demons. The idea that a man like Sayaka's father--the world president and a virtual saint among the civilized world--should be the target of demonic attack also shows that Rebi Ra and those he serves are interested in more than just unleashing demons to slaughter humanity, but to also sow discord and strife in every possible way, like the tensions that rage across the world today.
Kyoya and Sayaka's trek into the literally post-apocalyptic megalopolis brings them in touch with a variety of colorful characters, allies and enemies both. They are aided by both a young street urchin on automated roller blades named Chibi--with his two-headed guard dog, Kuro--as well as the equally charismatic and enigmatic healer, Mephisto, who appears possessed of the same kind of supernatural power found within some of the less savory denizens of the city. In order to reach Rebi Ra, Kyoya must endure the assaults of numerous enemies, like the three demons who are purported to guard Rebi Ra. These encounters with the unusual and terrifying entities from beyond our dimension make for some of the most exciting set pieces in Demon City Shinjuku. The first monster resembles something like the rock-hard demon from Ninja Scroll crossed with a lower half resembling that of a scorpion, save that he can also merge with shadows and has a devouring maw in his torso. The second possesses the power to conjure manifestations of those who are asleep, create illusory copies of itself, and pull Kyoya into an underwater pocket dimension. And the third--a shadow which can assume the form of a beautiful woman--is able to regenerate and wrap her rubbery limbs around a foe, strangling them like a snake; she also has acidic breath. These creative and fascinating enemies make the supernatural swordplay and explosive action a riveting experience, and highlights what it is about films like Demon City Shinjuku that made them so popular to begin with. Demon City Shinjuku remains a favorite anime of mine for these reasons, as well as being a film which also heralded the influx of spectacular Japanese animated movies onto cable television via the SciFi Channel's block of programming titled "3rd Annual Festival of Anime" almost twenty years ago, beginning with this film. (I still never figured out what happened to the first two festivals.) Although edited for content, this exposure was a testament to the kinds of animated films which were more mature than the Saturday morning fare I had been accustomed to seeing, as though cartoons were growing up with me. Films like Demon City Shinjuku carried a kind of sharp, intense energy that became synonymous with 1990s era anime, with deep shadows compelling characters, and monstrous foes that made the triumph of heroes like Kyoya all the more satisfying. The iconic opening sword battle between Genichiro and Rebi Ra shares similarities to the kind of good versus evil mystic sword clashes found in the likes of Star Wars, and is so enduring in announcing a bold, new kind of animation style, that it was sampled in the cyberpunk thriller, Johnny Mnemonic. More than just swordplay and special effects, Demon City Shinjuku also possesses a sense of wry humor, such as when Kyoya discovers his father's Nenpo sword, and responds with a humorous "thanks, Dad", or when the old lady who informs Kyoya as to where to find Rebi Ra claims that the worst of the monstrous events to befall Shinjuku was that her business went under. The exciting action and suspenseful, world-threatening plot made the film exciting and kept me hooked for more like it, and prompted me to share the taped copy of the film with several friends, introducing them to the thrilling world of anime.
Recommended for: Fans of a compelling supernatural horror film and engaging Japanese animated film both. Demon City Shinjuku carries all the earmarks of what made the anime of the 1990s so thrilling that it became such an enduring sensation.
Kyoya and Sayaka's trek into the literally post-apocalyptic megalopolis brings them in touch with a variety of colorful characters, allies and enemies both. They are aided by both a young street urchin on automated roller blades named Chibi--with his two-headed guard dog, Kuro--as well as the equally charismatic and enigmatic healer, Mephisto, who appears possessed of the same kind of supernatural power found within some of the less savory denizens of the city. In order to reach Rebi Ra, Kyoya must endure the assaults of numerous enemies, like the three demons who are purported to guard Rebi Ra. These encounters with the unusual and terrifying entities from beyond our dimension make for some of the most exciting set pieces in Demon City Shinjuku. The first monster resembles something like the rock-hard demon from Ninja Scroll crossed with a lower half resembling that of a scorpion, save that he can also merge with shadows and has a devouring maw in his torso. The second possesses the power to conjure manifestations of those who are asleep, create illusory copies of itself, and pull Kyoya into an underwater pocket dimension. And the third--a shadow which can assume the form of a beautiful woman--is able to regenerate and wrap her rubbery limbs around a foe, strangling them like a snake; she also has acidic breath. These creative and fascinating enemies make the supernatural swordplay and explosive action a riveting experience, and highlights what it is about films like Demon City Shinjuku that made them so popular to begin with. Demon City Shinjuku remains a favorite anime of mine for these reasons, as well as being a film which also heralded the influx of spectacular Japanese animated movies onto cable television via the SciFi Channel's block of programming titled "3rd Annual Festival of Anime" almost twenty years ago, beginning with this film. (I still never figured out what happened to the first two festivals.) Although edited for content, this exposure was a testament to the kinds of animated films which were more mature than the Saturday morning fare I had been accustomed to seeing, as though cartoons were growing up with me. Films like Demon City Shinjuku carried a kind of sharp, intense energy that became synonymous with 1990s era anime, with deep shadows compelling characters, and monstrous foes that made the triumph of heroes like Kyoya all the more satisfying. The iconic opening sword battle between Genichiro and Rebi Ra shares similarities to the kind of good versus evil mystic sword clashes found in the likes of Star Wars, and is so enduring in announcing a bold, new kind of animation style, that it was sampled in the cyberpunk thriller, Johnny Mnemonic. More than just swordplay and special effects, Demon City Shinjuku also possesses a sense of wry humor, such as when Kyoya discovers his father's Nenpo sword, and responds with a humorous "thanks, Dad", or when the old lady who informs Kyoya as to where to find Rebi Ra claims that the worst of the monstrous events to befall Shinjuku was that her business went under. The exciting action and suspenseful, world-threatening plot made the film exciting and kept me hooked for more like it, and prompted me to share the taped copy of the film with several friends, introducing them to the thrilling world of anime.
Recommended for: Fans of a compelling supernatural horror film and engaging Japanese animated film both. Demon City Shinjuku carries all the earmarks of what made the anime of the 1990s so thrilling that it became such an enduring sensation.