Roujin Z

PG-13

1991

1h 20m

Sci-Fi

Animation

List

Reviews

62%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

An experimental machine designed to care for the elderly transforms itself into an unstoppable robot.

Read More

Read Less

Joey O'Bryan

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 4.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Ard Vijn

ScreenAnarchy

Even more impressive is its depiction of care for the elderly, an issue which hasn't aged one bit. Successful both as cautionary science-fiction and social commentary, Roujin-Z is one of Otomo's most adult endeavors and watching it is highly recommended.

Jan 14, 2020

Full Review

Phil Hall

Wired

A brilliantly demented anime masterpiece.

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Read all reviews

sean l

An odd feature-length anime which haphazardly mashes genres and ideas that, while curious, aren't completely successful together. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a comedy or a straight sci-fi nightmare, but it tries mixing elements of both and their clash hurts the whole. The plot is out-there and interesting, a concerned rumination on the looming near-future in which young are outnumbered by old, their careers hampered by the need to care for aging family. To address this worry, and liberate the fresher generation, a major metro hospital has developed (what else) a fully self-contained cybernetic bed, complete with built-in exercise routines, bathing capabilities and self-defense mechanisms. Katsuhiro Otomo handles the screenplay and many of the mechanical designs, and boy, does it feel a whole lot like Akira in places. Particularly the last hour, when the bed inevitably gains sentience, staggers through the city with a test subject strapped to its chest and swallows up machines in a gale of techno-organic vines and limbs. The crazier bits are nice to look at, detailed and smooth in motion (if not quite to the intricate level of Otomo's masterwork), but the flat character designs and overly simplistic storytelling leave a lot to be desired. Also, not entirely a knock on the film itself, but my copy randomly swapped subtitles for dubs around the halfway mark and the English voice acting is downright unbearable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

todd a

If you thought Akira was a little on the weird side, then you've seen nothing yet. Roujin Z is just as bizarrely entertaining as their last film, even if it doesn't have as interesting characters.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A satirical anime which entertains on many levels.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hilarante, divertida, llena de accion y gags que es una delicia verla. Roujin Z plantea el problema del cuidado de los mayores en un pais cada vez mas obsesionado con la idea de quien cuida de ellos y donde la robotica es una opcion para nada descabellada.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I had my doubts when I saw this but it's actually a really lovable piece of work. Written by the same mind behind Akira, once again, you are witness to his pure originality.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a crazy japanimation anime about mad robot nurse beds. No, reeally it funny and entertaining. Not Akira by light years.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Hiroyuki Kitakubo

Director

Chisa Yokoyama

Haruko

Rica Matsumoto

Tomoe Satô

Shinji Ogawa

Terada

Tamio Ôki

Prof. Tachibana

Chie Satou

Nabuko Ôe

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

An experimental machine designed to care for the elderly transforms itself into an unstoppable robot.

Director: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Screenwriter: Katsuhiro Ohtomo
Production Co: Aniplex
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi, Animation
Original Language: Japanese
Runtime: 1h 20m
Sound Mix: Stereo