Wicked City

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steve d One of my favorites. I think it's more of a 4 star but giving it 5 to counter some of these low-ball scores. Lol. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/01/24 Full Review Lucifer M For anime fans that have a special interest in neo-noir and aren’t easily offended by sexual/violent content, this one definitely goes on the list for must-see 80s anime films for sure. It’s not as clever or philosophical as Akira (possibly THE greatest anime film EVER) but it’s definitely not subpar or mediocre by any means. There’s something undoubtedly niche and unique about anime from the 80s. The aesthetic of the times just oozes from its morbidly grotesque scenes and sequences. Anime has always had some of the best animation and illustrations ever made in animated films/shows and this one is no exception. I love how anime has these beautiful scenes where they seem like they’re paintings with extremely detailed landscapes/cityscapes that are just breathtaking. Fair warning though to those that are underage and/or put off by graphic material; this isn’t for everyone. This is for nature audiences only! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/10/24 Full Review Matthew D A gritty neo-noir anime adult picture only for mature audiences that can handle dark material. Japanese director Yoshiaki Kawajiri's dark fantasy erotic horror adult anime art film Wicked City (1987) is like artful animated pornography to be honest. I have to make that clear. Wicked City delivers a neo-noir atmosphere, vicious violence, as well as seedy sexual encounters. Kawajiri's animation is honestly amazing for 1987 with creative character designs, stunning cityscapes, and brutal violent action. It has erotic violence and graphic action that imagine a dystopian sci-fi scenario of humans living among demons. There are alluring sex scenes, but Wicked City feels closer to an adult movie rather than a regular anime film. I appreciate his grim tone and serious consideration of sexual violence against women as a sinister and irredeemable crime. It deals in hard morality in an explicitly immoral and sexist world. If you are able to stomach disturbing demonic sexual assaults, then maybe you can take Wicked City's gothic cold world. Writer Norio Osada adapts author Hideyuki Kikuchi's grim tale of demons and humans trying to renew a peace treaty in a bleak sci-fi future Japan. Essentially, a human Black Guard must defend a sleazy diplomat to restore peace between Earth and the demonic Black World. There's an insane opening with a seductive demon spider woman, who lures unsuspecting horny men to their grisly deaths. There are crazy events every scene with chaotic demon appearances and ruthless attacks. The demons keep trying to rape the woman Black Guard, but the film's sympathies lay exclusively with the woman. Wicked City shows her cold emotionlessness as bravery in the face of sexist and abusive men everywhere in Japan, but you could easily argue the treatment of her is sexist anyways. There are crazy plot twists among all the darkness. It gets so dark. Cinematographer Kinichi Ishikawa captures shadows and city dreariness with intriguing framing. The smooth zoom ins and panning shots are masterfully done with really breathtaking perspectives as battles and sex ensue. The editing is excellent with tasteful cuts and a quick pace for a fast 82 minutes. Production designer Kazuo Oga's gritty and grim cityscapes reflect the changing industrialization of Japan in the 80's. It's very striking with amazing city backdrop art in every scene. Art director Kazuo Oga crafts dark moody lighting that looks so 80's for the animation. The cool blue lighting illuminates characters in the dark. The demons' designs are so creepy. Special effects artist Kaoru Tanifuji's transformation effects for the demons are amazing with fluid movements and intense style. The laser beam attacks are pretty cool. The explosions are shocking like the airport view of the plane blast. Composer Osamu Shooji's mesmerizing film score is fantastic. I love the forlorn jazz passages, soaring symphonic music, and pulsing 80's synth pop. Sound designer Yukio Fukushima puts clinking bottles and moaning women for the great sonic palette. In short, Wicked City is only for mature audiences that love film noir, dark storytelling, and explicit encounters. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Some cool action shots contained within an incredibly annoying and boring narrative structure. And Giuseppi Mayart can fuck off and die. What a horrible character. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The treaty with the demon world is going to expire so two detectives, one from each side, must guard a man that is hundreds of years old. Great setup! The opening scene should have clued me in, but there's quite a bit of hentai. A horny yoda character? It's definitely not Akira, but it has some amazing stuff. The animation quality is porr, but I was impressed with the shocking images. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member anime from the 80's /90s is way better than today's anime. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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