Product Description

Studio: Adv Films Release Date: 09/30/2003 Run time: 175 minutes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100890 in DVD
• Brand: ADV Films
• Released on: 2003-09-30
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, DVD, Special Edition, NTSC
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 135 minutes

Amazon.com
The four-part OAV Doomed Megalopolis (1991) is more notable for its misogynistic violence than for its coherent storytelling or skillful animation. In 1908 the ghost-demon-sorcerer Kato tries to resurrect Masakado, a historical figure who has become the unofficial guardian deity of Tokyo, by offering Yukari as a human sacrifice. Masakado rejects Kato's offering, but the evil sorcerer keeps trying, tormenting Yukari and her daughter, Yukiko (whose father is Yukari's brother Tatsumi). Kato causes the devastating 1923 Tokyo earthquake at the end of episode 2, after which the plot simply collapses. Violent imagery--collapsing buildings, the repeated rape and torture of Yukari--alternate with stretches of leaden dialogue, long Morris-the-Explainer scenes, and pretentious narration. The animation is crude at best: the characters change appearance from scene to scene, and the artists try unsuccessfully to draw the human figure from weird angles. The most striking feature of this jejune gorefest is designer Masayuki's flamboyantly bizarre use of color. (Rated 17 and older, but unsuitable for viewers under 18: graphic violence, violence against women, rape, incest, nudity, grotesque imagery, profanity, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Tokyo under Siege
This is a four part series, originally created in 1992, that tells the story of an evil necromancer dead set on the destruction of Tokyo and the small group of people who desperately try to stop him. Kato Yasinori is the magician whose plan is to raise the spirit of Taira No Masikado a 10th Century samurai rebel. If woken, Masikado's anger will trigger the end of Tokyo.

Caught up in the opening stanzas of Kato's plot are Yukari Tatsumi and her brother, Yukari's daughter Yukiko and Naritake a close friend. The mage intends to use Yukari as a vessel for the re-incarnated samurai. When this fails he turns to Yukiko, but she is unsuitable because she is the result of Yukari's rape by her brother. Although unsuccessful at awakening the spirit, Kato manages to disturb the dragon of the earth sufficiently to trigger the devastating earthquakes of 1923, where over 74,000 died and millions left homeless.

In the last two episodes, Kato plans to renew his efforts at the destruction of Tokyo but taking advantage of the reconstruction effort. Secretly he works to draw down the moon, using a slingshot effect to ruin the city, and possible, the earth. This time, however, Tatsumi has married Keiko, a priestess of Masakado. With the help of a psychic, Kureda, she wages the battle with the necromancer, but it appears to be a hopeless struggle in the face of overwhelming magical powers. In its final form, it becomes a struggle between the Goddess of Mercy and the Spirit of the Dead.

Director Rin Taro based this screenplay on an original story by Hiroshi Aramato, oulling no punches in the process. This is a violent film - not do to a lot of killing, but due to an undercurrent of sexual sadism that periodically breaks loose, leaving the viewer more than a little unnerved. While the plot does stay within certain limits, it is decidedly and adult story, more properly a horror film than a fantasy story. It combines just enough of real history and common legend to make the tale compelling, but occasionally prone to unexplained events.

The basic art work is good, evoking the Japanese equivalent of gothic atmosphere. But the animation uses to many short cuts and lacks fluidity. Even so it has an atmospheric strength that is the perfect counterpoint to the rough edges of the story line. If your taste runs to noir horror make a point of seeking this out.

A WTF Movie
What is a WTF Movie you ask? A WTF movie is a What the (Fill in the blank) movie. Doomed MEgallopolis is a Mid 90's sci fi anime involving Sorcerors, Dragons, and gods. The story revolves around a sorceror named Kako who wishes to destroy tokyo. This two DVD set expands upon this story starting with Kako going after a young women in order to use her to resurect a god, after realizing that she is two weak he impreginates her and 11 years later he uses the daughter to destroy tokyo. However Tokyo is not so easily vanquished as a few years later Tokyo is rebuilt and he realizes that the spirit is to weak. So he goes for the dragon sleeping underneath to destroy tokyo for good. At this point the Goddess of Mercy shows up to stop him ending in a fairly bloody battle.

The reason this a WTF movie is the small things that catch your attention, and or disgust you. For example in episode one the woman about halfway through ends up vomiting out a demon that has a penis for a tounge. That is only in the first episode. There are other moments to include the bizzare ending which does not needed interpreted but is strange none the less.

The Relic is Reborn
Back in the early nineties, Streamline Entertainment seemed to be going after some of the explicit work from Japan. Most of them were very successful and lead to other series, but Doomed Megalopolis seemed to not have gotten the attention it so deserved. I mean it was directed by the famous Rintaro (Metropolis, Galaxy Express 999).

Doomed Megalopolis obviously takes place in Tokyo. The story occurs during the early 1990's when Japan was just starting to modernize. However, evil is afoot as an ancient ghost from China's army called Kato seeks revenge on Tokyo. He tries to summon the soul of Masakado to aid him, but to no prevail. Thus, Kato starts to manipulate certain people in order to get his revenge.

DM contains lots of Japanese mythology references such as the belief of the Earth is a dragon with arteries underground. Another element that is present is actual events like the 1923 earthquake in Japan. When you can successfully mix actual events with mythology, you have a great story. I've heard many people call DM a horror anime, but it doesn't seem to be setup like a horror movie. There is very little death, if any, of the main characters. There are some moments that will remind you of Nightmare on 34th Street, but the similarities end there.

Thats not to say there isn't any action. There are some strange, but quite pleasing battles of spiritual war. To put it simply, it's a good-vs-evil war. The characters all have good qualities and some seem pretty realistic. Actually, character development seems to be driving this anime. And, yes, there is some sex, but not much. There is are some tentacles in the first episode and there is a rape scene, but it's not explicit. However, with an exception for nudity during the last couple of episodes, DM is pretty clean.

I am proud ADV finally picked up this title, but they could have done a lot better. First off, they didn't include the Japanese track. I am happy that now I don't have to worry about wearing out those old DM tapes from Streamline, but the purpose of anime on DVD is to get both tracks. The dub is fine and all, but I wouldn't mind to hear the original track. Moreover, there is some kanji in DM that I really think they should have translated. Soft subtitles could have done the job, but all ADV did was just rip the original prints from Streamline and slap them on a disc.

Overall, DM is a good value considering you get all four 50-minute episodes in one convient package. Doomed Megalopolis is a great anime title that I think every anime fan should atleast try.