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Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade Director: Hiroyuki Okiura Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Running Time: 102 minutes Studio: Bandai Entertainment Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2002-03-05 Buy from Amazon |
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From Amazon.com Written by Mamoru Oshii (the director of the cult favorite Ghost in the Shell) and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (a key animator on Akira), Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade offers a violent but compelling vision in animation. The story is set in a fictionalized version of the recent past, when a repressive Japanese government is battling the Sect, a violent revolutionary organization that uses adolescent girls they call "Red Riding Hoods" as couriers. During a raid, Capitol Police Constable Kazuki Fuse (pronounced "foo-seh," voice by Michael Dobson) balks at killing Nanami Agawa (Maggie Blue O'Hare), one of the Red Riding Hoods. She commits suicide with a powerful bomb. While Fuse undergoes retraining, he meets Nanami's older sister, Kei (Moneca Stori), and initiates an odd romance. Soon both characters are caught in a web of plots and counterplots that center on the possibility that Fuse may be a "wolf," a member of a secret cabal within the Capitol Police. Jin-Roh is drawn in a comic book style that recalls the work of the popular graphic novelist and film designer Jean "Moebius" Giraud; Okiura's skillful cutting and striking imagery transcend the limited animation. Although anime continues to grow in popularity in America, it's rare for a Japanese feature to receive even a limited theatrical release, as this one did: a dark, brooding film of exceptional power, Jin-Roh deserves to be seen by a large audience. Suitable for ages 18 and up: considerable violence, profanity, and tobacco use. --Charles Solomon |
 "DVD Review"I bought this DVD knowing it was an old title. However, I am a fan of GIS and so I figured Jin-Roh would be as graphically enticing. For the most part it was. However, I was completely dissappointed by the video to digital transfer. Being a Bandai DVD I would have hoped for a little bit better quality. For the most part Anime distribution in Japan is monopolistic to Bandai Visual / Emotion. So when I pleasingly saw the Bandai/Emotion symbol on the cover, I figured the quality of the DVD to be similar to other region 2 dvds they carry. It was just a video transfer. The only other DVD I have purchased that is similar in quality would be the Macross Plus Movie Edition. Although Jin-Roh does have dual language tracks and subtitle options, I was still hoping it to be more like GIS. But either way, being an anime fan, I will proudly add this movie feature to my collection.  "the special edition kind of missed it up"After wittness a suicide bombing of a terrorist girl, Constable Kazuki Fuse becomes haunted by her image, and is forced to undergo retrained for his position in the Capital Police's Special Unit. However, unknown to him, he becomes a key player as a dispute between Capital of Local Police forces.  "COMPLEX AND BORING"This whole film is way too complicated with its storyline. Besides that, the cover illustration is very misleading--it shows a soldier from the wolf brigade standing atop a hill, suggesting an action-oriented plot, however the actual movie is far from that. It only shows repetitive scenes of mundane, meaningless dialogue spoken by the film's rather glum characters. Personally, I didn't like the character illustrations nor the story itself--they were all just too hard to digest. If you're looking for a post-apocalyptic film of discovery and intense action, then by all means turn away from this one. Trust me! "Sedate and joyless mystery"Wednesday, June 22, 2005 / 3 of 5 / Sedate and joyless mystery A mostly joyless and sedate anime, it plays like a morality theatre piece. In an alternate future a member of a special forces unit confronts a young girl terrorist who kills herself in front of him. He proceeds to soul search while the girls sister shows up and they develop a strange pragmatic relationship. Is everything as it seems however as political forces maneuver in and around the situation making one question motives for all the players. It's introverted and serious in tone and probably wouldn't hold up well to repeated viewings. The artwork heads towards the realism side of the anime spectrum. An interesting introspective story that eventually comes to a head.  "Dark and Compelling- Not Your Typical Anime"If you have any interest in politics this movie is for you. Even though the movie takes place in a fictional Japan where the Nazis won WWII, it is very rooted in the real world. The movie has a real, live action feel, and the tone is dark and somber, yet the animation is jaw-dropping. It is very fluid and realistic. Some have said the plot is too slow and the movie is lacking in the action department, but these are just people with no attention span. The characters are real and complex, they are fleshed out beautifully and we really care what happens to them. The story is complex and disturbing, abounding with insane, unpredictable plot-twists. All in all, this is a cinematic treasure that should have found a wider audience. |
