review

MANLY MONDAY – “Blacksad” When Ex-Disney goes Film Noir

/ ElenaDS / 3 Comments

The Disney Company owns quite a lot of franchises these days: From Star Wars to Marvel, the Big Mouse has accumulated a vast gallery of rights, artists and studios under its white-gloved hands. Many wonder what Disney doesn’t own at this point.

This poses a more important and certainly more intriguing question: What if someone leaves Disney? What do they do after their time at one of the biggest companies in the world? Here is one of them: Juanjo Guarnido.

Juanjo Guarnido, born 1967 in Spain, always had a love for comics. He drew and joined many fanzines, gained the attention of Marvel, and started doing work for them. In 1993, Guarnido became an animator at Disney Animation Studios in Montreuil, France, and I am fairly certain that you have seen some of his animation work: strong and classy “Helga” in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the expressive and emotional “Hades” in Hercules, and he was the lead animator of villainous leopard “Sabor” in Tarzan.

However, Guarnido decided to leave Disney and to rejoin with one of his older friends from his comic days in Spain: Juan Díaz Canales – they had been discussing producing comics together for a long time. And so, both of them came together as an artist-writer team to produce their own original comic, which was published in 2000: Blacksad.

They surely couldn’t imagine what this comic would later become: Universally loved by critics and the public, a strong, respected and recognisable franchise with 5 comics in total, and several outstanding awards, such as the Eisner Award in 2011 for the whole series. Let us take a look at this wonderful graphic novel:

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[Spanish Complete Edition Cover.]

Blacksad is the story of the title-giving John Blacksad, black cat and private detective. His cases range from investigating a murder, to being a bodyguard, to simply fighting for his life which has gone downhill. Blacksad himself is the classic Film Noir protagonist, complete with badass traits and strength, but also emotional vulnerability and other flaws. The first volume, Somewhere Within The Shadows, shows the broken cat man in his messy yet functional office, telling of the character that works here.

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Guarnido’s backgrounds are brimming with detail.

The first volume is a celebration of all that makes the Noir genre, chiseled men who believe in justice, bad guys who must be defeated, shady bars full of questionable characters, and a looming sense of villainy seeping through every rusty crack of the city. The Blacksad series is the distillation of 1950’s America: freedom, style, beatnik, jazz, but also racism, inequality, street violence, and everpresent crime.

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Every volume plays in a different setting with a different theme, keeping the feeling fresh and interesting, with a reoccuring cast of colourful characters introduced slowly over time. And of course, these adventures will be intense, as the hardboiled genre asks it – action will go down.

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Action in “Blacksad” is strong, clear and perfectly framed.

Here is where Guranido’s artwork shows its pure strength: Due to his experience as an animator, of drawing art in motion, he is masterful in his depiction of movement. Shots, punches, beatdowns and explosions all look visceral, right in the execution, as if stopped in a wonderous intense timeframe where one can look at all the details that only a comic book can allow.

If you wish to explore his animation style a bit closer, to also understand his way of framing action, look no further than his animated music video Freak of the Week by Swedish metal band Freak Kitchen. This 5-minute kickstarter-funded marvel is filled with some of the most vivid and expressive character animation in recent years, showing musicians in their fiery strong element, with rough outlines full of camera turns and fluid motion.

Especially that wonderful metal hair animation, fantastic. Sakugabooru.

But not only is the action stellar, the colouring and lighting are wonderfully crafted as well. The watercolour settings spring to life, with astonishing detail and such a graspable sense of space that one wishes to simply step into the frame.

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All frames from Vol. 4, “Hell, Silence”, which focuses on the world of jazz.

To adress the elephant in the room and the reason many people start this series in the first place: the world is inhabited by anthropomorphised animals. And to see these Disney-esque character designs in dark stories is intriguing as a concept in itself. Together with the brilliant execution and talent of artist Guarnido and writer Díaz Canales, it has an inescapable charm and fascination – and when these bright character designs clash with the harsh reality of society, it is exponentially more shocking.

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From happy times with friends…

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…to shady places of the underground…

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…to the hatecrime against a black-feathered bird in a small town.

This “Disney but not-Disney” feel is one of the main points that draws readers initially in. These themes and topics would never be touched by the family friendly corporation, but with Blacksad, it opens the possibility to a dreamland what-if scenario: What if Disney had never left 2D animation, and had started becoming adult with its content?

However, one should not reduce this graphic novel series to the past of one of the creators. These are expertly crafted comic books with masterful artwork, and I highly recommend that you experience this series yourself. (There was even word around of a Hollywood adaptation with a budget of up to 100 million dollars, however, the project seems to be stuck in development hell since 2009. This is not a problem, as the comics can easily stand on their own.)

An additional note I want to make here: Blacksad was released in France first, and was thus intended for the standard publishing size of that market. Franco-Belgian comic books have a larger format than their international brethren, which is perfect for detailed artwork and has a long tradition in itself. Hence, I would not recommend buying Blacksad digitally, as it can easily lose its impact on a small screen. Treat yourself to the physical release of your choice, Collector’s Edition or single volumes, and enjoy Blacksad as it was intended.

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From left to right: manga size, American comic size, and the French standard size. Above, you see the full effect of the artwork if the book is flipped open.

Blacksad is a fantastic graphic novel series that I would recommend to anyone who is even remotely interested in comics, artwork and/or colouring. For fans of the Noir genre, this is an absolute must, and even if you are not into the genre – open the pages and let yourself soak in this retro atmosphere of a time long gone, now told with a charismatic cat man by a beloved and insanely talented artist/writer duo.

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The End.

Sources: Wikipedia “Junjo Guarnido” “Blacksad”, Disney Wiki “Juanjo Guarnido”, Sakugabooru.

MANLY MONDAY – “Buraiden Gai”: The Unique Shonen Outlaw

/ ElenaDS / Leave a comment

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It is a good time for Nobuyuki Fukumoto’s works. Gin to Kin and Akagi both have successful TV dramas, the Kaiji manga has started a new arc, Zero is getting a steampunk TV adaptation, and the highly anticipated Tonegawa anime is on the horizon, with a release scheduled for July 2018.

In this big “Fukumotoverse” with its prequels, sequels and spinoffs, lies one smaller work that is on its own. No continuation, no adaptation, there it stands, alone and completed – fitting for its own story, themes and characters.

This is the manga Buraiden Gai, or “Legend of Outlaw Gai”. This manga was published from 2000 – 2001 in the Weekly Shonen Magazine, (not related to JUMP) which has more popular and successful series in the past and present than you might think: Devilman, Ashita no Joe, Hajime no Ippo, GTO, and recently, Koe no Katachi, Fairy Tail and AKB49.

In Buraiden Gai, the eponymous Gai, a young 13 year old schoolchild, is running. Running away from the police.

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And so, he is cornered in a dead end street.

The city is in chaos, the media is all over the place and the police is unable to cope with all this confusion. Why is everybody on their feet trying to catch this young boy?

As it turns out, he murdered an older man. Not any man, however, but the patriarch of a big and influential yakuza clan. As Gai faces the overwhelming police force with nothing but his bare fists, he proclaims: “I was framed!”

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Of course, no one believes Gai.

The evidence points absolutely against Gai: his fingerprints are on the murder weapon, on the body, at the site and his escape from the crime scene is recorded on a security tape, directly after the point of murder.

After a long verbal battle and a short physical one with the police inspector, which Gai surprisingly wins despite his age and size, he is arrested. Too young to go to prison, he will be sent to a youth rehabilitation facility before his trial. However, as he arrives, he finds out that this is not better than prison, in fact, it’s worse.

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Something is fishy. Especially the visual historical weight of those uniform designs, if you look at them more closely.

This is more than prison, this an institution of cruelty with one goal only: turning young people into honourable and upright citizens, with any means necessary. It immediately becomes clear to Gai: He has to get out of here, but more importantly, he has to prove his innocence. The police officer believes him, however, there is no proof that the evidence is forged.

And so, the adventure of Outlaw Gai begins: Regain your freedom, fight for justice, crash the abusive system of the adults. “Prison Break Plot” meets “Philosophy Hour”.

Inherently, this sounds like a very Shonen plot, but the seriousness and intensity of Fukumoto’s Seinen spirit shines through, which I will not spoil here. The way the young prisoners are treated is very violent and shocking, and the themes he addresses are important to anyone, not just teenagers who are the target group of this manga. And it is definitely not for the faint of heart. There will be violence and questionable “education” methods, ranging from physical discomfort to psychological terror.

We see several themes in this manga: What is “freedom”? What is “strength”? What does it mean to “grow up”?

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School settings are rare for Fukumoto, and thus very welcome.

Gai is a great protagonist for this story: young, with a clear, straight outlook on life, and he does what he thinks is right. He receives a proper backstory as well, which fleshes out his character even more – a rare thing for Fukumoto, who normally does not give big flashbacks to his protagonists, as they are characterised by their actions in the present, such as Kaiji, Akagi or Kurosawa. For Gai, it fits, as we see him in his middle school days, struggling with the decisions of life before he was thrown into the prison setting.

And much like Kurosawa, Gai uses predominantly his fists to solve problems. Fukumoto’s intense, visceral, sharp style lends itself perfectly to these violent outbursts that carry gravitas within the story.

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Smash the system. Right in the face.

If there is one word I can use for Buraiden Gai, it’s “condensed”. With its 5 volumes and 38 chapters in total, it is one of the shortest series Fukumoto has ever done, some of his series have been going for over 20 years – and yet, it brushes and discusses a lot of topics, through flashbacks, monologues and dialogues, all neatly woven into the story, which is equally busy: a prison break and a yakuza crime story all rolled into one.

From my research, I could only find information that the series was cancelled by the Weekly Shonen magazine, and that Fukumoto was unhappy with the ending he had to re-write, but nothing very concrete or any reasoning behind the decision to scrap it. As it stands, I like the ending, but one can feel the change in direction in the story. After about 3/4 of the chapters, the focus shifts and the narration speed slows down for a few chapters, only to pick up again – most likely to steer into the direction of the new finale.

It is a bit sad that Buraiden Gai was not allowed not fully unfold itself, as the potential is there. A young hero with a no-nonsense direction but lacking life experience and maturity, against a smooth-talking villainous prison guard who thinks his own askew methods of education are right. In addition, the Hirata Clan, the powerful yakuza family, is maybe holding more threads than they seem.

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Everything is connected. Is there a way out for Gai?

Even if the story is cut short, it still delivers the themes and questions it wants to. One can only wonder what it would have looked like if Fukumoto had the time to give it the vision he intended. Buraiden Gai could have been a big epic about the struggle of growing up and wishing for independence, as well as the conflict of generations. But as it stands, it is now a short, quick Shonen that delivers its punches and disappears again into the night, to leave you with its thoughts. Other Shonen might have pushed the boundary already what goes on in the genre, from Go Nagai’s Devilman to Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan, both violent and intense as well, but Buraiden Gai manages to even stand out among these. If a series can make me actively queasy with its ideas without being too graphic, then we got something unique here.

You can read all of Buraiden Gai in one or two days, maybe even in one sitting, and I highly recommend doing so. Not only for its intense story and philosophy, but also for Fukumoto’s artstyle. His longer stories rarely change settings, but Buraiden Gai displays a surprising amount of setting changes, brought to great effect in great spreads.

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Some double-spreads are absolutely beautiful.

Buraiden Gai is the unique little Shonen outlaw in Fukumoto’s catalogue, without gambling themes or spinoffs, and I highly recommend reading it – for seeing what can be done in a Shonen Magazine, and for its philosophic content that it delivers with a sympathetic, strong and likeable protagonist.

The series had no time to show its true potential, but what it did was great, and it can nicely sit with all the other Fukumoto series in a big serious universe full of intense life stories. Will Gai break out of the youth detention prison? Will Gai defeat the yakuza? And will Gai find what he wants in life?

Give Gai a chance, he won’t take much out of your time, but I’m sure that he will stay with you for a longer while.

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The End.

PS: And once you’re done, check out this fantastic mock-up of an Anime OP, in the style of the Death Note OP2.

Sources: Wikipedia entry: “Nobuyuki Fukumoto”, MyAnimeList entry: “Weekly Shounen Magazine” and “Buraiden Gai”

MANLY MONDAY – Makoto Shinkai’s “Someone’s Gaze” – Emotional Strength in 6 Minutes

/ ElenaDS / Leave a comment

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We all love big, far-reaching stories, in many shapes and forms. Either big space operas with gigantic casts and many factions to lose yourself in, or melodramas with intricate webs of drama and relationships, or big, bookish fantasy epics where the lore and history of the world could fill thousands and thousands of pages.

Such gigantic works are a marvel in itself, and if one finds the perfect one, be it Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones or Legend of the Galactic Heroes, or whatever world rings true with you personally, you will have something that may accompany you for a long time, with a lot of content to look forward to.

However, there is a merit in the short form too, something that may get overlooked in a fast world with long-running series or franchises: It’s the standalone short film – little pieces of media that will easily get lost or underappreciated in the popular consciousness.

The beauty of short films is that they can bring an idea, a feeling or moment to perfection. Condense something into its purest form, so that it will reach its goal in a short amount of time, with careful planning, framing and narration. And depending on the topic, the look or simply the presentation alone can touch you deeper than any long-form piece of medium.

For me, one of these is Someone’s Gaze (“Dareka no Manazashi”) by director Makoto Shinkai.

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Someone’s Gaze is the story of Aachan and her family, to be more precise, her father. Her life is not going too well, she gets scholded by her boss at work, the stress is taking over her life, and on top of that, her parents are now calling to ask how things are going. She lies on her phone, exhausted from her day, saying that she has no time for a dinner with her father, because she is still at work.

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As it turns out, her father is lying too. 

As they both exchange light small talk of “everything going fine”, we see that her father’s life has not been going swell either. His office work is equally rough, his wife is away too often as she seems to work abroad, and on top of that, the family cat is getting old, little Mii-chan is not the bouncy kitten she once was. Behind the friendly soft words of both of them, sadness lingers.

Essentially, as I cannot tell too much about the short film without completely spoiling it, it is a story of growth, progress and going forward, and what all of that involves. One cannot go forward without change, and it is impossible to go back in life. And all of this is told through the lens of a child growing up, from Aachan’s point of view and from her father’s.

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As beautiful as childhood can be, it has to end one day. Parents cannot watch over their children forever, and kids want their own freedom with time. This grows into full independence from your parents, a wonderful and scary feeling all in one. Freedom also means responsibility for one self, with all the good and bad. The other way around, a parent a must learn to let go, but still be supportive without being overbearing or clingy. All of these feelings, these two different situations and worldviews must be in balance, and the way to balance is a long and hard one.

The natural way of growing as a family and then growing apart, yet staying together, is fascinating, sad, and essential.

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Someone’s Gaze uses strong, memorable imagery and excellently crafted montages to show the life of this family, from Aachan being a little child, to her being a young woman,  passing all the stations in life where one struggles and succeeds: elementary school, high school, moving out, studying, and getting your first job.

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And so, time passes.

Director Makaoto Shinkai has recently gotten a lot of attention, as his last film your name. (“Kimi no Na wa.”, 2016), became the highest-grossing animated and Japanese film in history, earning critical acclaim and immense financial success, and making him a house-hold name even outside the anime world. With J.J. Abrams’ remake on the horizon too, his name will continue to carry weight and popularity. And his works are beloved by many, for their smooth and breathtaking animation, gentle and realistic colour schemes, and emotional stories.

I myself have sadly never been a great fan of his works, as they often missed the emotional impact they should have had, as I was missing strong characterisations and the power to hold every scene together in one concise big way. If you like Shinkai, please do not worry, I am in the minority. His works are beloved by many, and I can certainly see why: He tells big stories with even bigger visuals, and what he achieves visually with animation is simply unmatched.

And yet, Shinkai, to me, was always a director of “moments”. His films don’t always hold together, but if he wants to hit, he hits, with iconic imagery and shots. He is far better in presenting ideas and impacts in a single concentrated point than he is at painting characters and telling long stories.

Thus, I think, he is perfect at telling short films.

While none of his longer films have resonated with me, his short works (everything under 10 minutes) all have had a great impression on me, be it commercials, promotion videos, or, as we see here, short films. If Shinkai takes one idea and goes through with it, creating one “moment” as a standalone that does not need to tie itself to anything, he can reach fantastic heights.

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And Someone’s Gaze is the culmination of Shinkai for me, the perfect sweet spot of emotionality, nostalgia and progress showing the pain and joy of growing up. Such a universal theme, a concept that will be forever ingrained in humanity and that will continue in the future, is delivered in just a few minutes – and it hits all of the marks.

Someone’s Gaze was released alongside the very popular Garden of Words, it ran as a short film before the other one in cinemas, and is often found on the same home release too.

And yet, I have never really seen someone talk about this little film next to the big popular one, and I feel that it needs some more love and attention. It is a personal, small film that may not resonate with everyone, but make sure you don’t miss this tiny gem by Shinkai that will only take 6 minutes of your precious time.

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The End.

Someone’s Gaze can be found on Youtube, and it starts about 30 seconds in.

Sources: Wikipedia entries on Makoto Shinkai, your name., and Someone’s Gaze.

MANLY MONDAY – The Hardboiled Beauty of Takeshi Koike’s “Lupin III”

/ ElenaDS / 2 Comments

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The beauty of any long-running franchise is to see the different interpretations over time. How does the zeitgeist influence an adaptation? How does the director influence the style on a narrative or visual level? What does the new look or re-design say about the characters?

Here comes Lupin III into the game. This franchise about a suave thief and his team has had many entries over the decades, from the original manga by Monkey Punch in 1967, to long-form TV series 1969 and 1977, to many OVAs and films in the 80s and 90s – some even by great and popular names in the industry like Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle of Cagliostro and Osamu Dezaki’s Harimao’s Treasure. And every creator brought their signature styles to the table.

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From Miyazaki’s bouncy fun and super-smooth animation… 

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… to Dezaki’s signature style “Postcard Memories” still frames.

This, to me, is the fun of Lupin III.

It’s essentially a gigantic toybox where any creator can come along and pick up the characters to play out a story for you, and in the end, they put the toys back for the next one to pick up. Do you have a favourite creator? Look up if they did anything on any Lupin III, they most likely will have an entry somewhere! You can explore freely through many styles and time periods, and find the Lupin III adaptation that you will like the most.

You only need to know the very basics and you’re good to go: Lupin is a thief, Fujiko is a rival thief and love/lust interest, Jigen is a relaxed gunslinger, Goemon is a honourable samurai, and frantic INTERPOL Inspector Zenigata is always hunting them. And then, adventures happen – car chases, shootouts, sword fights, trickery and thievery, helping friends and defeating foes, you name it.

This toybox freedom allows for great experiments and more outlandish interpretations of the characters. Lupin III: A Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012) by Sayo Yamamoto for example told the story from Fujiko’s side of things, with heavy themes and explorations of sexuality – heterosexual and homosexual alike – giving the franchise a very adult and interesting not-very-canon-feeling entry.

To give you a short overview of styles through the ages:

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Lupin III: Part 1 (1972)

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Lupin III: Part 2 (1977)

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Lupin III: Voyage to Danger (Special, 1993)

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Lupin III: A Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012)

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Lupin III: Part V (2018)

In 2015, the next Lupin III TV series started, called Part IV, with a light fun tone, classic thieving hijinks, and new characters to add to the roster. The opening alone will tell you the fun it has with itself, it certainly is a feel-good series where you can relax with a big smile. This year, in 2018, Lupin III Part V has started airing, with a heavier focus on the internet and the digital world, giving it its unique spin on the world too – and again, it has a fun opening, which underlines the sci-fi and digital aspect more, with Lupin’s little  signature Fiat 500 flying into space to install a camera on a satellite.

So, the TV series are doing fine and are absolutely fun, what else is going on? We have the funny Lupin III airing on TV, is there a serious Lupin III at the moment too? Some other interpretation? Another creator putting their own spin on the franchise?

Enter director and animator Takeshi Koike.

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Takeshi Koike’s character design for Goemon Ichikawa.

Takeshi Koike made a name for himself with the animated film Redline, which is an absolute MUST-WATCH for any fan of animation. A story about intergalactic racers, a yakuza plot, three friends who must grow together, and the most insane race the universe has ever seen – I could speak for hours about this film, as it is one of my favourites. Koike was the director, storyboarder, character and machine designer (and probably even more, as he mostly went uncredited in his own work) for this film, and it is simply a masterpiece in the medium.

Even before his directorial debut with Redline he was a talented animator and worked on many projects: Koike is the protégée of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the stellar director behind aesthetic and atmospheric masterpieces such as Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, Ninja Scroll and Running Man. Koike even worked on some of these films under his mentor. And the influence is more than visible: Both use stylish sharp character design, precise and breathtaking slow motion, strong shadows with stark contrast. To this, Koike adds his own flavour: extreme and atmospheric camera angles, immense power and speed in action, and some realistic violence with impressive outlandish sword- and gunplay. (For more information and examples: Here is a sakuga compilation of his work and here a piece by The Canipa Effect.)

So, what happens if such a skilled director takes on the Lupin III franchise?

Detailed, powerful, well-directed pure fun. (Source: Jigen’s Gravestone)

Koike’s Lupin III films are intense, fun and an absolute blast.

As you can see from the scene above, Koike brings the fantastic car sequences from Redline into the mix, and as the franchise always has had outstanding chase sequences, it fits perfectly into the whole canon. Little details can be found as well, like Lupin cranking down the window and covering his ears before Jigen shoots, the outline smear on the villain when he the cars collide, or Lupin’s expressive yelling you can hear even without sound.

Takeshi Koike has so far directed and designed two Lupin III films, Jigen’s Gravestone (2014) and Goemon’s Spray of Blood (2017). They are considered “spin-off continuations” of A Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012), however, the Fujiko series is not needed in order to watch these two, they work as a standalone duo of movies and do not reference the previous series.

In the first film, Jigen’s Gravestone, Lupin the 3rd and Jigen Daisuke are a team of a thief and a sharpshooter – however, they are not yet the “best friends” they will grow into, they are only business partners at this point. But it soon turns out that the two are being trailed by a dangerous sniper, Okuzaki, who is set out to kill them – he already has prepared their graves for them to see: The titular gravestones. Jigen is not ok with this, as this sniper has also recently killed a client Jigen swore to protect. And so, the hunt and battle between the two begins.

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Jigen is upset, but Lupin is rather calm about getting a death threat.

In the second film, Goemon’s Spray of Blood, the two heroes Lupin and Jigen meet Goemon, a samurai they have seen a few times around. Goemon is the body guard of a yakuza boss, but as he fails to protect him, the clan turns against him. Not only that, Goemon’s spirit will be broken by the assassin of his former boss, a man called Hawk, a big, bearish unit of a lad who fights with heavy dual-wielding axes. This is the story of how Goemon joins the Lupin team and how he became what is today: one of the best samurai in the world.

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Goemon vs. Hawk. This won’t go well.

As these films are quite short, about 50 minutes long each, I do not wish to talk too much about the plot of these. The are essentially introduction films, one for Jigen and his friendship to Lupin, and the other one as a character piece for Goemon, all held neatly together by the charming ensemble cast of the Lupin III franchise and charismatic villains they need to fight.

The big center pieces of the two films are the two main conflicts: Jigen vs. Okuzaki and Goemon vs. Hawk. And let me tell you that these are absolutely worth it – battles of strength, mentally and physically, but also of wit, observation and skill.

These are some of the more serious Lupin III entries, far away from the current jolly TV adaptations of Part IV and V. All of the fun aspects are still there, the car chases, the banter and the fights – however, they are all presented through a lens of hardboiled intensity. Meaning, if characters get hurt, they get hurt. It’s violent. Some of the most violent I have ever seen in the animated medium, and I like watching hyperviolent OVAs from the 80’s.

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This is tame.

If you say: “But I can deal with splatter, no problem!”, then I will warn you of some of the body horror that swords, blades and guns can produce. You will definitely do your sharp air inhale of “Oooouh, that must’ve hurt.“

And it’s this hardboiled intensity that is so strong and refreshing. It’s not trying to be “edgy” or deliberately over the top, it’s a whole new adaptation that paints the Lupin III franchise in the colours it always had if one thinks about it: Theft, murder, yakuza, gunmen, samurai, and the general underworld. The darker tone fits like a glove. It wants to be that, and it is exactly that.

But more than that, Koike finds the perfect balance between the fun action segments and heavier dramatic scenes, never feeling like a tonal break or betrayal of itself or the source material. These characters suffer, fight and grow, battle their fears and rivals, and in the end, you will be immensely satisfied.

Goemon’s Spray of Blood was such an adrenaline ride for me, that I watched the whole film with a smile, alternating between laughter at outlandish action scenes and quick comedy bits, and being in awe of the violence and intensity of the fights that carry importance to the characters and the overall story.

In addition, Takeshi Koike’s signature character design and artwork with thicker outlines than usual just fits perfectly to the Lupin III franchise. It is safe to say that the cast has rarely looked so suave.

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Especially in “Goemon’s Spray of Blood”, with its yakuza setting.

Every character is animated extraordinarily well, not only in the big set-pieces, but also in dialogue scenes and small movements. Let’s take the scene I showed you a still frame earlier, the first round of Goemon vs. Hawk – katana against axe, samurai against biker, on an exploding ship, while Lupin, Jigen and Fujiko get away on a boat.

This is only the beginning. (Source: Goemon’s Spray of Blood)

The gigantic flames in the background, the water animation, the debris of flying roof tiles, the heaviness of Hawk, Goemon putting his sword away, the wind flying through his hair – there is so much love and care poured into film, from the big scenes, all the way into these tiny details.

Everything comes together perfectly, Koike’s style, animation, tone, action and drama, even the soundtrack, which, for example, gives gunslinger Jigen a James Bond style opening credits theme – I’m sure you will find something that especially stands out for you in these marvelous films.

Conclusion

I highly recommend watching Takeshi Koike’s two Lupin III films, Jigen’s Gravestone and Goemon’s Spray of Blood, purely because they are such fun, intense and wonderful productions, that ooze style and power in every second they are on screen. You can go in blind, or maybe check out another Lupin III adaptation that catches your interest, many start with Castle of Cagliostro, for example, for the taste of a young and fresh pre-Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki.

In the end, you will have a marvellous duo of films by one of the best directors in the industry. Two films that belong together, which also describe how one of the most beautiful friendships in the medium came to be. Lupin and Jigen – a friendship that has now existed for over 50 years.

And that alone is absolutely beautiful.

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The End.

Sources: Sakugabooru, Wikipedia entry “Lupin III: Jigen’s Gravestone“, MyAnimelist, Anime News Network

MANLY MONDAY – “Vermin” French Animation Goodness with Buddy Cop Insects

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When talking about “Modern Animation” today, the focus tends to be predominantly on North-American and Japanese productions. But outside of this massive circle are other international productions that are absolutely worth of your attention.

One of these are the works of Balak and Studio Bobbypills (former Bobby Prod), a studio specifically setting out to do adult animation. In this case, “adult” meaning crass, explicit humour, satire and imagery, with the intensity and directness of an oncoming truck.

Previous works from the same staff include Les Kassos (or “The Wakos” in English), a French webseries about many popular pop culture figures trying to solve their problems with the help of a social worker.

For example: The Teletubbies fighting their drug problems, Han Solo not being able to cope with his father-in-law Mr. Vader, or Ash Ketchum getting into trouble for animal fighting, and many, many others. While these sound like classic jokes or “dark” concepts that have been already done, it’s the fast and direct presentation with snappy dialogue and impeccable comedic timing that makes these little skits shine. Especially the wild character design remakes which can go from parody to the straight-up grotesque, are fantastic highlights.

From “Star Wars” to “Game of Thrones”, over to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, the “Smurfs” and “Astérix & Obélix”, you will find everyone in “Les Kassos”.

The whole series of Les Kassos can be found for free on Youtube, in French with English subtitles, or on the free Blackpills App in an English Dub. Three complete seasons exist, and they make for a very fun and highly inappropriate romp through nostalgic properties and through your laugh muscles.

So, what if this team sets out to do a new series that is not a sketch show, but an adult drama with original characters? Let us look at their newest production: Vermin.

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Vermin is the story of Mantos, a young praying mantis, who is finally old enough to start his job in the big city. Saying goodbye to his family and beloved fiancee, he is ready to walk into the foot steps of his father before him: to become a proper police officer.

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So young, so innocent.

And so, he embarks on his adventure.

Then all goes wrong.

As it turns out, the big city is rough. Gang wars, prostitution, violence everywhere, decaying cityscape, crumbling society and his co-workers are a equally tough bunch. He is paired with Shermock, a fly, middle aged hard-drinking lady with a shady past and even shadier mindset.

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They don’t get along, really.

As these two worlds crash, this unlikely duo of Mantos and Shermock must solve cases, stop crime and grow together as a team, in 10 episodes, each 8 minutes long.

It is essentially the set-up for a classic buddy cop film, however, the two main characters are splendid. Especially refreshing is the middle-aged lady Shermock as a lead, who has seen far too much in life, and who has her own arc, together with Mantos, who in return must learn to be strong in this harsh world. The duo goes through many episodic adventures, with re-occuring characters and many different cases, from abductions to robberies.

While this still sounds like your standard cop story business, it’s the presentation, detail and care that his been put into this series that makes it shine brightly.

First of all, the art and animation. This megalopolis of insects has a unique and creative design of thrown away household items and trash, with many backdrops and fittingcolour choice that feel all unique, dirty and run-down at the same time: The worldbuilding and backgrounds are simply amazing.

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These backgrounds are fantastic highlights.

Same goes for the inhabitants of the city, who are mostly insects, some are smaller animals, like scorpions or snails for example, and some are pure original designs, where you can feel different animal elements coming together. In short, the visual design is unique and worth it, and fits the darker humour and adult themes of the story.

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The Police Department, many shapes and forms!

Not only is the artstyle of this series fitting, but the animation as well. The style is reminiscent of Les Kassos – however, while their previous series only dealt with one static POV camera as a stylistic choice, Vermin has the complete added benefit of being a buddy cop film, with fantastically framed and choreographed action scenes, which I won’t spoil here.

The animation seems to run on carefully chosen keyframes with not many inbetweens, giving a choppy feel to the look, but this is used to great effect, most notably in the comedic timing and immense speed of the action. Movement feels rapid, fast, frantic, and so energetic, that it brings the whole cast to life. Together with the “ligne claire” style of Franco-Belgian comic that date back to Hergé’s “The Adventures of Tintin” and its bold colour choice, it feels clean, snappy, and very satisfying.

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Movement makes a difference! (Source: Trailer)

There is, however, another thing that I must point out when approaching Vermin: Similar to Les Kassos, this series humour is dark, crass, on-the-nose, and to a level it will offend someone somewhere. We are talking full on NSFW scenes in nightclubs, crass language, alcohol and drug abuse, a high amount of graphic violence, and dark adult themes.

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A random tweet on my timeline brought me to this series, and it described Vermin as “a mix of Zootopia and Devilman crybaby” and this is quite fitting on many levels.

For one, the small town character going to the big city to become a great police officer and the city of animals setting feels very Zootopia, but it is the Devilman crybaby part I wish to elaborate on.

Masaaki Yuasa’s Devilman crybaby, a Netflix exclusive anime that aired in early 2018, was a new adaptation of Go Nagai’s classic manga Devilman from 1972. It built on the source material, putting a new modern spin on a long-running franchise, with many NSFW and explicit scenes of violence and sexual content – fitting for the equally groundbreaking source material.

However, this was mostly only possible due to this anime series being a web-exclusive. All of this content would have been omitted or adapted differently if it had to conform to the rules and restrictions of TV productions. With the freedom of being a series that doesn’t need to change itself in order to be broadcast, the creators can act with complete liberty in their own visions and ambitions. And this is a great step in animation, reminiscent of the times when hyperviolent OVAs could flourish in the 80’s and 90’s, simply because they did not run on television. Hidden behind a paywall, behind a VHS back in the day, and behind an app download or stream service today, they can do however they please. And this artistic freedom that allows for unique, new and surprising projects.

Just make sure that you know this going into Vermin. This show can get very intense and dark. And very, very explicit. Very much.

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Nope. Can’t show that here.

If you can deal with the direct approach this series takes to everything, you will have a fantastic time. The characters are endearing, the dialogue is snappy and fast, the action is intense and strong, and the comedy will have you in stitches.

In this raunchy, violent world are characters that look out for each other and try to do their best, even if their friendships start off on the wrong foot. Mantos is a great main character, one who has to grow and learn, and Shermock has to overcome her bad habits, sombre past and terrible lifestyle.

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Mantos. Young and inexperienced.

(Spider-Spider gives support. He is a superhero spider. Spider-Spider. Swings around with his butt.)

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Shermock. Shining justice.

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Mantos and Shermock. An unstoppable team.

Vermin is a great production by Studio Bobbypills that you should check out if you are even remotely interested (and if you have no problem with raunchy, violent and intense imagery). With its short runtime of 10 episodes à 8 minutes, you can easily binge the series in one or two days. Vermin is exclusive to the app Blackpills, a new streaming platform for short webseries, which is free to use, with only one or two 5-second ad breaks inbetween.

On the question of which version you should watch, there is a French Dub, an English Dub and a Spanish Dub, which you can all combine to your heart’s content with a plethora of subtitles, ranging from German, to Italian, to Arabic.

I watched Vermin in its French Dub with English subtitles, as it had the added benefit of a few re-occurring stellar voice actors I already knew from Les Kassos. I especially wish to praise French female rapper Casey for her performance as Shermock, who really breathed her character to life with her rough charme and deep lovable voice.

(I looked into the English and Spanish Dubs as well, and from a first impression, they sound absolutely fine to me too. Down below I have linked all three trailer versions, you are free to choose, as you can put your favourite subtitles under any version whatsoever.)

Conclusion

Vermin is one of those series that nail the premise of: “It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, it’s for you.” Not many comedy series can make me laugh so hard that I fall into a minute-long coughing fit, and I highly respect Vermin for that. In the end, it even felt too short, this series could have easily been full-length instead of short-form, as I wanted more of this world, these characters and their adventures. The finale was surprising and a bit abrupt, but fitting, and I certainly would be immensely happy about a Season 2.

Studio Bobbypills, (especially director Alexis Beaumont, producers Hafid F. Benamar and Balak) really have produced a little gem here that deserves more praise, coverage and spotlight. I had a ton of fun, and I will rewatch some of these episodes as they make me laugh hard, and more than once. As I said, if you are interested, check it out, and if not, at least keep this studio on the radar – they will do some more great productions in the future, I can already feel it.

The End.

ENGLISH TRAILER:

FRENCH TRAILER:

SPANISH TRAILER:

Sources: Wikipedia entry “OVA”, Vermin IMDB, Bobbypills, Bobby Prod [1 2 3 4]

MANLY MONDAY: “LifE”and “Confession”- Fukumoto Double Feature

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Nobuyuki Fukumoto, or nicknamed “FKMT” for short, is most known for his unique, sharp expressive artstyle, and hard-boiled underworld stories, that cut to the core of human emotions.

Since the 90’s, he is a successful mangaka, with several long-running series, that are all beloved by critics and fans alike. But one of the downsides would be that therefore his work is not easily accessible. His manga are fantastic, but insanely long -“Kaiji” and “Akagi” have both been running for 20 years now, and other series have had spin-offs, parodies, prequels and sequels. The “Fukumotoverse” is immensely big and vast, yet so very lovely to get lost in. Intense long stories all around.

So, is there a way to get a glimpse of his work, for a newcomer for example? A “snack-sized” FKMT story?

There are two short stories written by him, illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi (Ha! Kaiji!), that are short, intense and have all the traits of the author. These two manga are “LifE” and “Confession”.

LifE

“LifE” or “Seizon Life” is the story of Masao Takeda. His wife died after a hard and long fight with cancer, and now, he has been diagnosed with the same cancer as well. Devastated and emotionally destroyed, he wants to take his own life.

But as he steps up to the noose to hang himself, his phone suddenly rings.

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They found the corpse of his teenage daughter, Sawako, who went missing about 14 years ago. As he goes to the police station, and finally sees his daughter, he asks if the murderer can be found. He is informed of a crucial fact:

The “statute of limitations”. When 15 years pass, a case is dropped and closed, even when the true culprit has been found. Sawako has been found after 14 years and 6 months. In 6 months time, the killer will walk away unpunished.

Takeda cannot accept this. He waited so long for the confirmation of his daughter’s death and the finding of her body to give her a proper burial. He wants to take action. He will find the killer. Come what may. Yet his doctor is not ok with this.

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He hands in his resignation and walks away.

6 months until his death. 6 months until the murderer is free. This cannot be a coincidence, he thinks. And so, he goes on his very last mission: Find the killer of his daughter.

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He is somewhere. Out there. A free man, unpunished.

The story unfolds, and reveals single pieces of mystery and detective work, as Masao Takeda tries to walk the same path his daughter did on the fateful day she died. As he retreads his memories, Takeda sees himself as a bad father during her lifetime. He was too cold, distant, didn’t really care for her interests and hobbies, and was always at work.

But now, all he can and even must do, is to look at her life and interests.

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And so, they reunite from beyond the grave to find the killer and their lost time – together.

A big criticism of FKMT’s body of work has always been that he doesn’t include romance or important female characters in his stories. While largely true, this does not impact the strength and importance of his work. It is not his focus, and it may also be his way of breaking with his “Shoujo Manga Artist” past. He was once an artist who wrote and drew romance, even winning awards with it, but it left him unhappy. It was not what he wanted to do. So, he left the magazine he worked for, and went to a tiny Majongg manga magazine. And this is where his career took off. But now, it is nearly impossible to find his old work before he started doing Seinen.

Instead, he has found his way. He understands and paints “relationships”, especially between male characters, more than any other: be it top-down unbalanced friendships, true friendship, naive falling for fake relationships, false admiration, extensive villainy, a mix of all of them, or in this case: Family. And as he has shown in other works – most noteably in Kaiji Part 4 – that “family” is theme he can do perfectly. It’s even a more rare case here: The bond between daughter and father – a theme way too often overlooked and underexplored in media. “LifE” shows it in a beautiful, strong light, that may bring a tear to your eyes and make your heart swell.

Takeda only has 6 months to solve the case, and to live on this planet. It is his last stand and final action. The clock is ticking. 15 years are a long time. Many things have changed. This is not going to be easy.

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It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Or a clue in a junkyard full of cars.

Complementing FKMT’s writing is Kawaguchi’s artwork, a very detailed, but still slightly cartoonish look, that gives it a strong sense of realism. A special focus should be put onto protagonist Takeda. His grave, sad, expressive face is what carries this manga. In addition, cancer is eating away at Takeda’s general health, meaning that he becomes more and more thin and gaunt the more time passes. The visual clock of his well-being is ticking away too.

Takeda must also walk the fine line between “handing the murderer to the police”, and “not turn into a raging vigilante”, which is also a theme in the story. When sadness and grief builds up for so long, it can cause immense damage.

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“Shining Justice” certainly looks different.

While this story seems inherently sad from the outlook and may scare some readers away, I can more than recommend it for its intense detective/mystery story, but also for the heartwarming moments. “LifE” is a story of hope and sadness, reuniting of a family, the bond between father and daughter, and the race against death – for one last act of justice.

“LifE” is concluded in 3 volumes, and would make for a really good movie length-wise. FKMT’s writing and Kawaguchi’s artstyle really compliment each other and create a strong, emotional impression, with a touching story and expressive art.

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After this heartwarming/breaking story, let us focus on FKMT’s other short story and main strength: Intensity and Thrill.

Confession

“Confession” or “Confession: Kokuhaku” is the story of two friends, Asai and Ishikura, who go hiking in the snowy mountains, but get lost in a snowstorm.

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Now, you may look at this cover and think, “Man, why would you write such a spoiler on your cover?” There is a point to that. It is the initial setting.

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This happens in the first 15 pages.

Ishikura confesses that he killed one of their friends during a past hiking trip. He is certain that they will both die in this snowstorm together, so he wants to confess his sins, to, at least, die in peace.

Asai is understanding in this extreme situation. How can he deny his dying friend’s last wish?

But as Asai gets up, for a desperate try to look for help, suddenly:

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They weren’t far from their original destination, a mountain lodge.

Saved! They are not going to die out here in the cold! So, he simply needs to carry his wounded friend up there and call for help! Everything is going to turn out ok, is it?

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…

No.

In fact, everything has become worse. Ishikura just confessed a murder. And he survives. His dying wish has turned into a massive regret. Maybe into something more.

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Something is not alright.

And so, the manga starts. 2 days until help arrives. 2 men in a single room. One of them is a murderer, who just confessed. But he is hurt, so he cannot move.

What to do now?

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They wait.

Kawaguchi’s artstyle really shines in this story, as he also shows a stylistic preference and focus that FKMT prefers in his manga: Eyes.

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Eyes say more than a thousand words.

This is peak FKMT writing: Psychological warfare with real physical threat between two characters. We see both sides and it has the genre of a “chamber play” – a whole story that plays out in a single room. His writing influences the artstyle as well, a lot of reaction panels, atmospheric shots and internal monologue that just flies by. His writing is so smooth, you won’t notice going through many, many pages.

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I do not wish to tell you more than this setting, because this story is best experienced blind, without prior knowledge. Just let it be known that FKMT is a master of dialogue, suspense and Thriller.

“Confession” is only one volume, about 300 pages long, and yet it has you on the edge of your seat at every page turn.

Conclusion

If you ask me personally, I prefer “Confession” over “LifE”, as it had me cling to my table while reading it. This does not mean that “LifE” is bad, far from it. Both works are brilliant short pieces, but fundamentally different in tone and narrative structure, so that it comes down to personal preference. While “Confession” glued me to the pages and sucked me in with pure intensity and rough power, “LifE” made my eyes teary in empathy and understanding.

Both stories have aspects that many fans and critics love about FKMT’s writing: Heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, raw emotion, intruiging characters, difficult and interesting relationships, unique situations, psychological aspects and intense atmosphere.

If you are a fan of FKMT already, these stories are interesting additions to his canon and great observations about his writing, to see it detached from his unique, yet “something-to-get-used-to” artstyle.

If you haven’t read anything by FKMT yet, or have been put off by his artstyle, this may be your chance to check him out as an author and see the appeal that his trusty, long-living fanbase loves him so much for.

The End.

“Kaiji” – An Introduction to One of my Favourite Anime

/ ElenaDS / 1 Comment

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Genres: Seinen | Thriller | Psychological | Gambling

Rating: R (17+)

Studio: Madhouse

Year: 2007 (Season 1) | 2011 (Season 2)

Streaming License: Crunchyroll

What is this?

“Kaiji” is an adaptation of the manga by the same name, by author and mangaka Nobuyuki Fukumoto. “Kaiji” is his highly regarded, most popular manga. Running since 1996 and still ongoing today, it is a very influential piece and a beloved franchise. Like other long-running series, it is split up into story parts. The manga is currently in Part 5, and Part 1 and 2 were adapted into anime by Studio Madhouse, with Season 1 and 2 respectively.

Story

In the financial crisis of 90’s Japan, Kaiji, a young good-for-nothing guy, is failing at life. Accumulating small gambling debts, drinking and smoking, being jobless, living alone in his tiny apartment – he lives a sad life that he wants to change. Due to a stroke of tragic destiny, he suddenly gains a lot more debt, as he absent-mindedly signed a contract for one of his co-workers a few years ago. Now a mafia loan-shark stands in front of him, telling him that he is 3,850,000 Yen (~35,500$) in debt. And they want their money back. Now.

Thus starts the adventure of Kaiji, through a lot of manly tears, addiction, hype, tragedy, happiness, gambles, pain and twisted gameshows.

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Eh.

What?

I have seen this, I don’t like the art style. It looks ugly.

Don’t worry, there are perfectly good reasons for the art style to be like that.

Firstly, this is Fukumoto’s style. His character design is sharp, angular and instantly recognisable. And Madhouse did a fantastic job of brushing up his style and giving it a fresh coat of paint. Here is a comparison between the first chapter of the manga (1996) and the first episode of the anime (2007).

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Sharper, cleaner and more modern, while keeping the spirit.

They made the initial artwork more accessible and more timeless, the same way Studio David Productions handled the modern adaptation of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Secondly, this style fits perfectly for the stories Fukumoto is telling. Kaiji is a story of the lowlifes of this generation, the ones without hope and money, the shady business of loan sharks and the dark empire of the yakuzas. This is not a pleasant world, and the art reflects that. It is not supposed to be beautiful. The creators were in on the joke for Season 2 and straight up advertised it as “It’s the anti-moe anime.”

You will grow to you like it, once you see it in context and motion, trust me!

Characters

The main protagonist is Kaiji Itou, a man in his early twenties, our first grade procrastinator and overly emotional underdog. He may be one of the most relatable characters, without being a self-insert MC. Today’s anime landscape is saturated with overpowered light novel edgelords and insanely dense harem “comedy” protagonists, who can’t express any emotions except embarrassment when confronted with any form of sexuality.

Kaiji is emotional, he cries a lot, but he is annoyed by this fact – he doesn’t like it. He wants to change his life, he wants to do something! But life is not that easy sometimes. Some obstacles are thrown in his way, some obstacles he creates himself.

Significant to notice is: He is emotional, not whiny.

His emotional range goes both ways. From happy to sad, from destroyed to gleeful, this man has everything. He is expressive and vivid, in Season 1 and even more in Season 2.

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Season 1

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Season 2

Kaiji as a protagonist is an outright joy to watch, and that paired with the intense, unpredictable, serious Seinen plot, makes an emotional rollercoaster. Will he win? Will he lose? Will his plans work out for him?

When he is thrown into this unusual situation of fighting to survive, kill or be killed, he will reach his limits; but here is the important fact: He will not give up, he will fight. The harder he is pushed, the harder he will fight back. Even if that means suffering and dealing with the consequences of lost gambles.

And the yakuza do not take kindly to people screwing with them. Believe me, there is a reason “Kaiji” is rated R. Expect physical and psychological violence. This series gets intense. Manly tears shall flow.

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Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

Voice Acting

What makes Kaiji also work as a protagonist is not only the story and the characterisation; it’s also the voice work of Masato Hagiwara as Kaiji. He is not a voice actor, he is a film actor – often playing roles in drama and thriller movies. He is able to pull this emotional range off, and give it a realistic, non-anime touch. The main character breathes and comes to life.

The other important character is the “Narrator”. With a big, booming voice, he will explain and announce, and sometimes even have his own monologues. Over the top and full of ham, this performance is pure fun. You may recognise this voice: It’s Fumihiko Tachiki a.k.a. “Gendou Ikari” from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

This rift between realism and overstatement creates both moments of comedy and drama. Having these two voices clash is bliss.

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The narrator knows what’s up!

Soundtrack

Absolutely fantastic. As this anime is mostly about mind-battles and has heavy use of internal monologue and dialogues between characters, you need something to accompany this mass of words. And the OST by Hideki Taniuchi is stellar. You could watch this series for its soundtrack alone.

The whole OST is an effective blend between “hype”, “melancholy” and “INTENSE” . I can only call this OST “depressingly uplifting”. It fits the tone of the show like a glove. (I do not wish to spoil the soundtrack, but here is a selection if you want to check it out beforehand.)

Hype

Fate | Wish | Don’t Give Up | High Max

Melancholy

Beginning | Regret | Elegie | Child’s Mind

INTENSE

Middle Zawa | Black Sun | Prologue | ZAWA ZAWA~

What is this “Zawa”?

As most long-running influential series, some aspects gain a form of an iconic status.

For example, in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, it’s the use of  ゴゴゴゴゴ, the “menacing” sound effect used by Araki. Fukumoto also has his own sound effect that he uses: ざわ‥ or “Zawa…” meaning “unnerving/muttering/whispers/uncomfortable”. Madhouse, like David Productions, incorporated these sound words into the anime, and in this case, even into the soundtrack. It has a unique effect in creating an uneasy atmosphere.

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ZAWA…

Any downsides?

The animation is not the most mindblowing of all – it is solid, sharp and polished, but it takes a backseat compared to the dialogue, the characters, the intrigue and the soundtrack. Sakuga moments do exist, and they are great, especially in the realm of character acting – but most are reserved for big reveals and story twists. The use of CGI is unfortunately there, a bit more so in Season 1 – but it is mostly used as a 3D camera for establishing shots and sweeping shots through rooms and across tables. But: CGI is never used on characters or crowds. They are always hand-drawn, which is a big plus.

Another thing would be the sort-of slow beginning. Season 1 does not immediately start with life-or-death scenarios and Kaiji, the old procrastinator, needs a good slap in the face before he gets going. He needs to understand his position first. But once it gets into the hype flow, you will be binging this series. His character development is beautiful to watch.

Season 1 is great, but Season 2 clearly outshines it, with better soundtrack, better animation, better characterisation of the villains and even more intense mind battles. Fukumoto gets better with every part, in his writing and his artwork, and it shows.

Also, Studio Madhouse made a season 2 for once, hurray! Therefore, Season 3 never. But you can immediately pick up the manga for Part 3 after finishing Season 2, if you so desire. The adaptation is very faithful.

(And stay away from the live action movies. They’re bloody awful adaptations. But that is a rant for another day.)

Influence and Conclusion

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Kaiji was highly influential for the mid-nineties, by having a humane main character, who has his own flaws and occupies the position of an underdog. He is not overpowered, he has to work, scheme and think hard in order to win. And there is no way to tell if it will work out.

The ending for Season 1 conveys this feeling quite beautifully. The slow walk with a grave, Western style song, that nearly feels tarantino-esque, is delightfully elegant. Simple, yet effective.

In contrast to other gambling manga from this time period, Kaiji’s gambles are all original games. There is no Poker, Uno, Roulette, or Black Jack – everything and anything can be a gamble. This makes it easier for the audience to understand the situations, as no previous knowledge is needed and we, the audience, can figure out a way to beat the game with Kaiji together.

And little references to “Kaiji” are still present in anime today, either in direct form or as parody. Kaiji recently even got a “Monster Hunter” DLC, complete with little word clouds of ZAWA that surround your character. (Trailer, Attention: Little visual spoilers for Kaiji!)

It is a cherished franchise, still today, after 20 years.

“Kaiji” is a unique, intense, historically important manga, winning the Kodansha Manga Award in 1998. It has been treated and remade with great care and love in anime form, and I think that you will enjoy it. Both seasons have great ratings, but they are criminally underwatched. Maybe it’s your turn to check them out!

Watch this if…

– you like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. As already mentioned above, it’s an old manga series that has been brought to life again with a lot of care and love for the influential, beloved source material. The mix of intense battles and manly emotions is similar – just with a lot less muscles and longer hair. Important: If you loved the D’Arby Brothers fights in “Stardust Crusaders”, this is absolutely for you.

– you like Gen Urobuchi, especially Madoka Magica. Yes, you read that correctly. Both series share a common theme of likable characters going through a lot of pain and suffering. You might like Kaiji if you enjoyed Madoka for this melancholy feel. Get ready for another form of despair: Urobuchi is more tragedy and personal destiny, while Fukumoto is more human drama and moral dilemmas. It’s different, but in the same tradition.

– you like Sports Anime: Gambling is a sport! Just with more “card-throwing” and less “ball-tossing”. Some episodes feel as if only 5 minutes had passed. The hype soundtrack and insane cliffhangers will have you on the edge of your seat, as per usual for the genre. I can’t possibly fathom how people could have watched this series while airing. Kaiji is highly binge-watchable.

– you like Mind Battles: “Death Note” or the manga “Liar Game” are some examples that fit the genre. They are cat and mouse games, where the roles can easily switch from the hunter to the hunted.

– you have been feeling down lately. There is nothing more cathartic and supportive than watching a character who is in an equal, or even worse position than you are. You are not alone. Aren’t we all procrastinators? Do you also just work when somebody forces you, or gives you a deadline? Haven’t we all got hope that our lives get better? Instead of looking for escapism – go for confrontation.

TL;DR Kaiji is a long-running manga, starting from 1996 and still ongoing today. It currently has 5 parts, Part 1 and 2 both got an anime series. Kaiji has ludicrous amounts of debts that he has to pay back to the yakuza. Join him in his adventures and his life-or-death gambles to get money. It’s a depressingly uplifting tale, with an endearing, overly-emotional protagonist who is all too relatable.

UPDATE July 2023: Kaiji was mentioned as one of the main influences on the Netflix hit series “Squid Game”, and the anime has a US Bluray release! Please enjoy!

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The End.

MANLY MONDAY: “My Brother’s Husband” – LGBT Slice of Life with a Big Heart

/ ElenaDS / 1 Comment

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In the vast landscape of manga, there is a niche. A tiny one, apart from all the others: The Bara genre, or Gei komi. Gay manga for gay men – far away from the feminine bishonen look of Shonen-ai and Yaoi. This is a genre of sexual content that the favours all male body types. From big to short, to curvy or hairy. Generally: A lot more “manly aesthetics”.

To understand this niche, you need to know: Being gay in Japan is not easy. Traditional world views are still in place, heterosexuality is the norm, homosexuality is seen as just “something silly” on TV. It is not being talked about, and swept under the rug. Coming out is hard, and parents will be highly disappointed or flat out destroyed at the prospect of not having grandchildren.

How does one deal in this environment as a gay person? What is this society? How can we talk about this? Here, Gengoroh Tagame comes in.

The grandfather of Bara/Gei Komi is Gengoroh Tagame. Born in 1964 and openly gay, he is the one that brought the overlooked, tiny genre to new heights – with explicit drawings, historical settings, and a lot of BDSM works, ever since the 80’s. (Please do not “Google Image Search” his name lightly, his art is extremely explicit NSFW.)

In 2014, Tagame would start his first mainstream, not sexually themed manga, in Monthly Action – the magazine that recently published “Orange”. A manga about LGBT issues in Japan, that was the plan. But he would not be angry or preachy, do something shocking, or try to disrupt the social norms – no.

He decided to do a Slice of Life manga.

This is “Otouto no Otto” or “My Brother’s Husband”.

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Story

Yaichi and Ryochi were twin brothers, but their parents died when they were young, and so, they tackled life and its difficulties together.

But one day, Ryochi outed himself as gay, and went to Canada, to live his life the way he wanted to, leaving Yaichi alone in Japan. Apart from each other, they lived their lives. Yaichi is now a grown man, and a stay-at-home single dad, living with his daughter Kana.

Unfortunately, Ryochi died just one month ago, leaving Yaichi in grief. But right now, this is not his biggest worry. Someone he doesn’t know is about to visit his house.

It’s his late brother’s husband.

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Unfortunately, initial awkwardness happens.

And thus, Mike, a big, bearish Canadian man, enters his household for a holiday. He was married to his twin brother Ryochi, and, now a widower, he wants to visit his late husband’s family and country, to see how he lived and to share memories.

Yaichi is not really amused by this. Of course, family is important, he can’t simply ignore his brother-in-law … but he is not comfortable with having “this homosexual foreigner” under his roof.

His daughter Kana, however, is different.

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His daughter Kana is experiences her first culture crash.

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But in the end, she is happy!

And so, the slice of life story of Ryochi, Kana and Mike begins.

Culture and Understanding

This manga is a cultural and social observation, from three different point of views. Ryochi, the rather reserved and lightly traditional Japanese man, sad about his brother’s death; Kana, the young child who sees no problem in having a new uncle; and Mike, the gentle grieving widower, who wants to experience his beloved partner’s culture and explore the past.

The main strength of “My Brother’s Husband” is the portrayal of culture and society. It would be way too easy to say “Japanese society is bad!” and just leave it at that. Instead, this manga becomes a story of sharing: culture, stories and memories.

Mike is interested in visiting Japan and its culture, he is very happy about it, although he sometimes still makes cultural mistakes, like hugging people, or pronouncing names wrong. Ryochi hadn’t seen his brother in many years, and he is interested in hearing how life was in Canada.

To present his country in the best manner possible, Ryochi integrates Mike into his household, doing day to day things togther, and going on trips, to explore Japan and to explain this new, interesting culture to Mike who only knew it through his husband.

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Slice of Life goodness.

Mike has seen a side of Yaichi that Ryochi never saw, while Ryochi has only memories of his brother when they were younger. Kana never got to know her real uncle.

Hence, the dialogue becomes important in the story. It evolves slowly into more than sharing history, and both men soon start talking about their feelings of loss and sadness, as they open up to each other. The two very different men become friends.

While the “slice of life moments” are really heartwarming and lovely, this manga can really hit you hard with emotion. Both men are in grief – one has lost his brother, the only family he had left, the other one has lost his beloved partner for life.

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The shadow of his former twin brother…

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… and the image of his late husband.

Conclusion

“My Brother’s Husband” is a melancholic, yet heartwarming slice of life manga, about a topic that is not often talked about. It approches the theme of LGBT in Japan with great care and love, without ever being preachy or condecending.

There are other themes explored as well, and the cast gets bigger as more people are introduced. I do not wish to spoil the manga here any further, as it is best read blind. It is currently ongoing, with 20 chapters in 3 volumes, and will most likely continue. I am normally not the type to recommend an ongoing series, but the future looks stellar.

If you don’t like slice of life, this is a very skilled and warm approach to it, that may introduce you to the genre. Some people are scared away from SoL, as they often see it as just a genre where “cute girls do cute things”, but this is really not the case here. (You can still see Tagame’s Bara roots just by the detailed and careful way he draws body hair, or men’s physique in general.)

If you like slice of life, I can more than recommend it. The themes of family, sharing and heartwarming togetherness are a beauty.

The manga won the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award in 2015. With other family themed manga like “Barakamon” and “Sweetness and Lightning”, I can only hope that this manga will have an anime one day too, be it just a short series, or even a movie. It fits well as a “slightly more muscly” entry into the Slice of Life “Golden Age” that we are now in. It would not only be a unique take on the genre, but the first time that the genre and authorship of Bara would be recognised in anime – a huge step for LGBT in Japan.

Do yourself a favour and read “Otouto no Otto” or “My Brother’s Husband”, and enjoy the wonderful, not so traditional, lovely family of Ryochi, Kana and Mike.

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The End

MAL “My Brother’s Husband”

Wikipedia “Gengoroh Tagame”

Wikipedia “Bara”

Edit: An English Omnibus release is out now! Amazon Link!

And a TV series was announced to air in March 2018!

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MANLY MONDAY – Riki-Oh: The Wall of Hell OVA

/ ElenaDS / Leave a comment

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The 80’s are a wonderful time capsule for media. It presents an aesthetic that is out of fashion now, but still beloved by the general consensus for its zeitgeist of the decade.

In this age, the manly, hypermasculine hero was the protagonist to have. Muscles, Justice, Violence and lot of Punching – this is the formula most of 80’s media pieces follow. Not only in films, with well-oiled Arnold Schwarzenegger and Silvester Stallone, between Robocop and the Terminator: The same goes for anime and manga, where “Fist of the North Star” and “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” were born and would take the world by storm. But many of these series are forgotten by time and widespread media, sitting still placidly in the 80’s, waiting for someone to come and look at them.

And this is exactly what we will do now!

“Riki-Oh” is one of these series. Published in Buisness Jump, a Seinen magazine from Shueisha’s Jump family, this is a manga that has all the tropes you could wish for: dystopia, yakuza, martial arts, manlyness galore, and prison hell. The manga ran for 12 volumes, between 1988 and 1990. Two OVAs have been released, and a live action movie as well, that received a cult following for being an over the top, trash, silly gorefest with a lot of mindblowing practical effects. But this is a story for another day, we will focus on the first OVA, from 1989. Off we go!

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Story and Characters

In a post-apocalyptic Japan, everything is awful. People are dying, injustice is roaming the streets and the air is polluted. In this dreadful world, Riki is one hard dude. A mysterious vibe is around him, he bears a star on his right hand, and he is insanely strong. After his girlfriend dies by the hands of the yakuza, he battles the man responsible, but gets caught while performing his revenge.

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Screw your car!

Our protagonist finds himself in a Tokyo State Prison that is now privately owned. Injustice is a daily matter, people are hurt or killed, and life is hell. Riki makes some friends, but loses them to the cruelties of prison pecking order, and therefore, tries to take the bad guys down.

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Prison life is not lovely.

Everything escalates as Riki finds out that the prison is using the inmate’s workforce as a drug producing factory. He burns down the greenhouses and confronts the bosses of the prison, the chairman, his yakuza boss and their right hand fighter. More on him later.

After a lot of violence, a prison riot, and people getting hurt, Riki punches through the prison wall and leaves, towards new adventures.

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This is how you exit.

The story is streamlined and not as complex as in the manga, there is for example only one main prison fighter, instead of four, and characters are omitted, while others are changed completely. But it does not hurt the story, it becomes its own thing.

As you can see, the story is explained pretty fast, but it is not the main focus of the OVA anyway. When you watch Riki-Oh, you are here for the spectacle.

Artstyle and Visuals

There is no point in denying that this OVA puts a great emphasis on bodies and the presentation thereof. Given that the violence involves a lot of body horror, it makes sense, but the amount of half-naked men in a prison is through the roof. The hypermasculinity of the 80’s comes with a fetish-isation and cult of manlyness that ends up being so over the top that it becomes ridiculous. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

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Naked fight in a prison shower. Man gets punched in boobs. I never thought these two sentences go together.

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Riki gets punched and his clothes explode, leaving him topless.

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His sit-ups sparkle!

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Naked Riki is in chains, BDSM undertones included.

The 80’s fetish of men, and the muscles they have are one thing, but another aspect impressed me, a trope that I really much like in these types of shows: The feminine guy. If everybody has gigantic muscles, strong jawlines and incredible punching power, the nimble, slender and soft-faced guy visually stands out. And that can only mean one thing: That guy is going to kick immense amount of ass. Contrasting gender performances seeing eye to eye and are to be taken seriously!

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OH SHIT

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Now that is one badass man who can rock those fingernails! (Not pictured here: His superdeep voice.)

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On the matter of framing and presentation, Riki-Oh has some beautifully composed shots, that really do shine in the fight scenes. The animation is not extraordinary, but it gets the job done. Gory shots and violence are animated well, the rest is very static, but still pleasing to the eye. The cinematography in those scenes is lifted straight from the manga and it really shines.

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Simple, clean, nicely framed shots that look good. What more do you need?

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X-ray “impact frame” that shows up only for less than a second. A nice touch.

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The final fight in the burning greenhouse. Visually pretty impressive!

Conclusion

While Riki-Oh is a neat OVA that is very much a child of its time, I would personally love to read the manga some more, for the “way-too-realistic”, yet “too-over-the-top” violence. The violence in the OVA is toned down. Yes, the OVA is tame in comparison to the manga. Eyes get stabbed, people get skinned and the violence never stops. It becomes an insane gallery you walk through and go “Oh, no I never thought you could actually do that!” In addition, it does seem that the OVA does not give the original artwork 100% justice.

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The balancing of black and white, as well as the artstyle are stylish. The OVA loses a bit of the “oomph”.

While the original story is a lot longer and features more characters, the Riki-Oh OVA does not waste your time. The pacing is fast and it trims the fat so strongly, that you are only left with the crucial plot points and main fights. Is that bad? No. Instead of an epos, it becomes a snack-sized anime of condensed 80’s that you can watch in one go and think: “Oh yeah, that was a nice trip to the past!”

If you are interested in the time capsule that is Riki-Oh, give it a watch. It is not a landmark of the genre, but a cult classic – well, that title would rather go to the manga and the live action adaptation – but it is a nice short action flick for a rainy afternoon, when you craving fun and camp goodness.

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This has been Riki-Oh: Toukatsu Jigoku (The Wall of Hell)

MAL

Wikipedia

Grappler Baki – First Impression

/ ElenaDS / Leave a comment

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A lot of anime viewers have a weekness for the “cute girls doing cute things” genre, and I love the “manly men doing manly things” genre.

I have a soft spot for that certain aesthetic in anime and manga. There is nothing more entertaining than seeing over-the-top burly, muscular characters fighting over something very, very important – the love of their life, the name of the family, execution of justice or plain old “saving the world”. I simply adore it. It fills me with hype, power and happiness.

But if you know your manly stories, you know that they come in different flavours.

Some are straight up serious Seinen. Berserk and Fist of the North Star fit the bill, with dark stories and adult themes, where characters are hurt and justice must be served. A dystopian setting helps and the main characters themselves are not without sombre back stories. This is intense and serious.

Some others are fun Shonen. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Toriko would fall into this category. There are serious moments, sure, but the main attraction is “fun”. Strong characters having big fights and a lot of comedy on the side. Have fun, sit back, enjoy the sillyness!

And then there is Grappler Baki.

I picked up this show because it was a special offer at an anime convention. Both boxsets, 48 episodes, for about 20€. I couldn’t argue at the value, and the guys at the booth were really happy when I bought them. “This was the first anime we ever licensed! We didn’t know what to do back then and we have way too many around! Thank you for buying them!” They are now the German distributors for Akame ga Kill, Free!, Assassination Classroom, Kill la Kill and Sword Art Online, and, well, they had to start somewhere.

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Look those covers. I couldn’t walk past them.

I had heard of Baki before, on the the AnimeHERO, an English-speaking hispanic anime reviewer, who specialises in MANLY anime and Seinen. Of course I am subscribed to him, what do you think. It’s right up my alley!

Anyways, here I am with my two DVD boxes. And I decided to check them out – what is this manly show? I have now watched 7 episodes out of 48, what are my impressions?

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Baki and his dad. Not the best of relationships.

The series falls oddly between those two previously mentioned groups.

There is a family drama going on. Baki, a young 13 year old delinquent, is overshadowed by the legacy of his father and the protection of his mother. His dad was the hardest arsehole out there, and after he disappeared and left the underworld in ruins, the yakuza are out after his son. Baki’s mum has a big buisness and wants to do everything for her son. Baki himself cannot be bothered with all of this. He simply wants to be the strongest, on his own merit. And defeat the yakuza that simply want to kill him because of his father.

And thus starts the story. Baki wants to be strong, and for that he has to defeat many foes. So, a battle anime it is. The concept is also nothing new. Baki himself is strong, but small, of compact build. And right on episode 2, he goes into a training arc in a forest, to fight … a mountain gorilla.

You see, this series tries to be serious and then it doesn’t. It stikes a very strange balance between the two, while being visually over-the-top.

We need to talk about the character design.

Baki himself is a great protagonist. Happy, but strong-willed if the situation calls for it, and a delinquent with a heart of gold. He will find his way through life, even if that means getting beaten down once in while.

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Look at that happy face.

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Small, but not to be underestimated.

So far, so good. He is the burly version of the protagonist of Haikyuu! Small, with flaming orange hair and incredible jumping power. Just with less volleyball and more gangsters.

I also love the design of Baki’s mother. This is something I have always loved about those “manly” series. If you have strong guys, you can’t just make women frail and weak. (Looking at you, light novels.) No, they have to be badasses as well.

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Like “Lisa Lisa” from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.

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Baki’s mother. Hard buisnesswoman with a softer side.

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The happy boss of everything.

The idea of “manlyness” transcends gender. Everyone, man or woman, gets badass. I love this concept. We all get “badassery equality” over here.

Well, that poses a question: How much is “too much”?

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That dude is 13 years old? 

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The inside of the first box. Baki fighting the mountain gorilla, but what is this background? Are we looking at someone’s back or front? Do these muscles even exist?

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WHAT THE

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WE HAVE REACHED THE OUTER LIMIT OF MANSERVICE

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WAT

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SO MANLY THE DOOR BROKE

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WOLF HELICOPTER PUNCH

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JUST HOW HUGE ARE YOU JESUS

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I FORGOT ABOUT THE GORILLA

And I am only 7 episodes in. The design and situations are ridiculous. Too much. Of everything. With the two of my other favourite series that are visually different, I know which artstyle I am at. Kaiji and Akagi are pointy and expressive, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is colourful and fabulous, but this is just: muscles. Muscles everywhere. So many.

And the series is not attempting to be anything supernatural! It is essentially a family drama set in the underworld. And yet: gorilla fights. Baki is simultaniously too serious and too silly, stuck in an odd limbo balance.

Baki is a 90’s manga and it shows. But this over-the-top attitude has something really charming to it. The anime is from 2001, but they respectfully kept the cheesy nineties feeling. The eurobeat soundtrack that occasionally shows up is fantastic, straight out of Initial D. And as I am enjoying this anime in the German dub, that is equally over-the-top, I am really having fun.

I like this series. It has everything I wanted from it, big and small muscly men fighting for a bigger cause, a lovely protagonist and a lot of episodes to dig myself into. I can even continue to read the manga afterwards if I want to! I am excited to see what is about to come, as at the end of episode 7, it is revealed that Baki’s father comes back! Now the story really starts! The artstyle is not fantastic, but, hey, it actually fits the story! If it finds its balance and knows what it wants, this series will become really great. But even now, I am having fun!

I am glad that I bought this series. Because sometimes, what you need in life, is just a lot of manly men doing manly things.