A 2009 film by directors Yoshihiro Nashimura and Naoyuki Tomomatsu (the famous Japanese 'Goremasters' that brought cinema "The Machine Girl", which famously featured a girl with giant genitals) that falls under the genres of action, comedy and horror - and 'shock Japanese cinema'. This is based on an anime of the same name, so seeing it come to life in real action was a joy. The first thing I'll say, be warned that this is a bonkers film and it might cause offense, if you are familiar with other films like "Mutant Girl Squad", "The Machine Girl", or "RoboGeisha" than you may just be aware of what you might expect.
Teenage vampire Monami (Yukie Kawamura) falls in love with classmate Mizushima (Takumi Saito), but he's already got a girlfriend, Keiko (Eri Otoguro) - the leader of the Sweet Lolita gang. Mizushima accepts a blood laced chocolate from Monami, which inadvertently turns Mizushima into a half-vampire being. Keiko approaches her dad for help who happens to moonlight as a Kuabuki-mad scientist along with the help of the school nurse. They have been experimenting on corpses with the aim to reanimate them, kind of like Dr Frankenstein famously did. While they haven't had much luck recently, it seems that Monami's blood holds a secret which could help the reanimating process. This turns out to be a lucky thing as Keiko is killed, using the blood Keiko's father is able to turn her into Frankenstein girl. Monami and Keiko battle each other for Mizushima's love, but only one will survive.
The original title for this is "Kyûketsu Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken". It is a gore heavy crazy and offensive film that left me gobsmacked the first time I watched it. I wasn't ready for it but have since learned my lesson about these type of films. While there is kind of a plot, it's not particularly complex, nor is it that linear at times. Realistically though, it doesn't have to be; this is a comic book style film which draws from anime, where realistically, anything can go. As such I shouldn't have been surprised at some of the things that occurred in this, from the propeller head to the blood drop spikes, from facing being pulled off, to bone-sword-arms. Cheesy, bloody, camp, and crazy - this had it all. It was offensive, occasionally hilarious, and violent... but ultimately, despite being 'shock Japanese cinema', it had a good heart with a sweet schoolgirl romance at the center of it.
I enjoyed this but it certainly won't be for everybody, not by a long long way! At 85 mins this wasn't that long that I felt lost in the action, story or language. I was fortunate that the version of film I watched came with subtitles rather than a cheesy audio dubbing, because that may have made the film cheesier than it needed to be. Overall I'm going to give this 4 out 10 - I've seen a lot more and better Japanese gore/horror/comedy films since I watched this - but as a random throw-away film to pass some time it was unexpectedly crazy to the point it entertained me.
Be warned... there are some scenes that may cause offence, this is a shock Japanese film after all. It is supposed to cause offense and does! The film does well to parody itself and some Japanese cultures for the most part of it, but I have spoken to some people who have seen this film and took slight offense to parts, especially the 'Ganguro girls' in the film. Some of them, "Afro-Rica" for example, are wearing facial prosthetics to look like other cultures and races of the world, and today's world this may not sit right with people as it could be construed as racist. Slightly less racist, but still offensive, there is a following for the cool club of wrist-cutters. They are working towards the 13th Annual Wrist Cutting Championship. Just remember that this is shock Japanese cinema - if it offends you then it has done it's job.
Teenage vampire Monami (Yukie Kawamura) falls in love with classmate Mizushima (Takumi Saito), but he's already got a girlfriend, Keiko (Eri Otoguro) - the leader of the Sweet Lolita gang. Mizushima accepts a blood laced chocolate from Monami, which inadvertently turns Mizushima into a half-vampire being. Keiko approaches her dad for help who happens to moonlight as a Kuabuki-mad scientist along with the help of the school nurse. They have been experimenting on corpses with the aim to reanimate them, kind of like Dr Frankenstein famously did. While they haven't had much luck recently, it seems that Monami's blood holds a secret which could help the reanimating process. This turns out to be a lucky thing as Keiko is killed, using the blood Keiko's father is able to turn her into Frankenstein girl. Monami and Keiko battle each other for Mizushima's love, but only one will survive.
The original title for this is "Kyûketsu Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken". It is a gore heavy crazy and offensive film that left me gobsmacked the first time I watched it. I wasn't ready for it but have since learned my lesson about these type of films. While there is kind of a plot, it's not particularly complex, nor is it that linear at times. Realistically though, it doesn't have to be; this is a comic book style film which draws from anime, where realistically, anything can go. As such I shouldn't have been surprised at some of the things that occurred in this, from the propeller head to the blood drop spikes, from facing being pulled off, to bone-sword-arms. Cheesy, bloody, camp, and crazy - this had it all. It was offensive, occasionally hilarious, and violent... but ultimately, despite being 'shock Japanese cinema', it had a good heart with a sweet schoolgirl romance at the center of it.
I enjoyed this but it certainly won't be for everybody, not by a long long way! At 85 mins this wasn't that long that I felt lost in the action, story or language. I was fortunate that the version of film I watched came with subtitles rather than a cheesy audio dubbing, because that may have made the film cheesier than it needed to be. Overall I'm going to give this 4 out 10 - I've seen a lot more and better Japanese gore/horror/comedy films since I watched this - but as a random throw-away film to pass some time it was unexpectedly crazy to the point it entertained me.
Be warned... there are some scenes that may cause offence, this is a shock Japanese film after all. It is supposed to cause offense and does! The film does well to parody itself and some Japanese cultures for the most part of it, but I have spoken to some people who have seen this film and took slight offense to parts, especially the 'Ganguro girls' in the film. Some of them, "Afro-Rica" for example, are wearing facial prosthetics to look like other cultures and races of the world, and today's world this may not sit right with people as it could be construed as racist. Slightly less racist, but still offensive, there is a following for the cool club of wrist-cutters. They are working towards the 13th Annual Wrist Cutting Championship. Just remember that this is shock Japanese cinema - if it offends you then it has done it's job.