Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This 1988 OVA reunited author Hideyuki Kikuchi and director Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Wicked City (1987). Ten years after his father Genichirou was killed battling the evil Rebi Ra, teen-aged Kyoya Izayoi is called to stop Rebi from releasing demons from hell onto the Earth. Demon City borrows heavily from Star Wars: Ag'ni Rai, Genichirou's teacher, tells Kyoya that he must learn to harness the web of spiritual energy that flows among living things. This minimal training, plus his father's sword and the love of beautiful Sayaka enable Kyoya to destroy Rebi Ra. The film is oddly paced, with a long build-up to a disappointing climax, problems that are exacerbated by the very stiff vocal performances. Kawajiri uses color with his accustomed skill, especially in the monochromatic opening duel, but Demon City hardly ranks among his important works. (Unrated: suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon
Product Description
In a city beset by demons, Kyoya must avenge his father, a great warrior who died at the hands of a diabolical psychic. Kyoya must discover his latent powers and finish the battle his father started, before humanity is destroyed forever.
By Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA)
As I look at my collection of anime, I now realize, with the purchase of Demon City Shinjuku, I've complete my own personal set of anime, and that is the first ones I ever saw. But Demon City Shinjuku was different because it was the first truly uncut anime I had ever seen and I think the second of any anime, cut or no, after Akira. So therefore it still has a special place for me, and watching it now, almost a decade later, I still remember all those amazing moments that happen in this horror anime. And I still wonder why in the world would the main character use a wooden sword to battle demons and sorcerers... (It's symbolic, I now realize, sort of Tolkien-esque.)
The story of Demon City follows the exploits of a young man named Kyoya as he helps the president's (of Japan) daughter in destroying the threat to all mankind that festers in what has become known as "Monster City Shinjuku" by its few human inhabitants. But Kyoya is an unwilling hero in this tale, forced to follow in his warrior father's footsteps and battle an evil sorcerer bent on world destruction named Rebi Rah. First, though, he must learn all the required skills of his sword technique, and during this quick training he battles demon after demon and begins to learn that he might have what it takes to save mankind, as well as winning over the girl he's falling for.
What I like most about this movie was the fact that it followed all those classic storytelling elements. It uses foreshadowing, it throws complications at the characters, and there is enough character development for a viewer to learn to like them. What I didn't like about this, however, was the horrible voice-acting. Well, maybe not horrible; it wasn't melodramatic and there was emotion, but I don't really remember ever hearing anyone in Japan of having a Mexican, Romanian, or Southern accent. It was just a little over the top, and in many cases it ruined the horror of the moment as they were just too comical to believe. Luckily, there is a subbed track, though I still wish that the dubbed track was remade for the newer DVD release.
However, even with the bad voice-acting, I can't help but recommend this anime to any true anime fan. The action is superb, the animation is excellent even to today's standards, and it is one of the classics in anime, directed by one of the best and most well known anime directors around, Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Ninja Scroll, X).
This 1988 OVA reunited author Hideyuki Kikuchi and director Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Wicked City (1987). Ten years after his father Genichirou was killed battling the evil Rebi Ra, teen-aged Kyoya Izayoi is called to stop Rebi from releasing demons from hell onto the Earth. Demon City borrows heavily from Star Wars: Ag'ni Rai, Genichirou's teacher, tells Kyoya that he must learn to harness the web of spiritual energy that flows among living things. This minimal training, plus his father's sword and the love of beautiful Sayaka enable Kyoya to destroy Rebi Ra. The film is oddly paced, with a long build-up to a disappointing climax, problems that are exacerbated by the very stiff vocal performances. Kawajiri uses color with his accustomed skill, especially in the monochromatic opening duel, but Demon City hardly ranks among his important works. (Unrated: suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon
Product Description
In a city beset by demons, Kyoya must avenge his father, a great warrior who died at the hands of a diabolical psychic. Kyoya must discover his latent powers and finish the battle his father started, before humanity is destroyed forever.
By Antonio D. Paolucci "Collector of Entertainment" (Beaver Falls, PA)
As I look at my collection of anime, I now realize, with the purchase of Demon City Shinjuku, I've complete my own personal set of anime, and that is the first ones I ever saw. But Demon City Shinjuku was different because it was the first truly uncut anime I had ever seen and I think the second of any anime, cut or no, after Akira. So therefore it still has a special place for me, and watching it now, almost a decade later, I still remember all those amazing moments that happen in this horror anime. And I still wonder why in the world would the main character use a wooden sword to battle demons and sorcerers... (It's symbolic, I now realize, sort of Tolkien-esque.)
The story of Demon City follows the exploits of a young man named Kyoya as he helps the president's (of Japan) daughter in destroying the threat to all mankind that festers in what has become known as "Monster City Shinjuku" by its few human inhabitants. But Kyoya is an unwilling hero in this tale, forced to follow in his warrior father's footsteps and battle an evil sorcerer bent on world destruction named Rebi Rah. First, though, he must learn all the required skills of his sword technique, and during this quick training he battles demon after demon and begins to learn that he might have what it takes to save mankind, as well as winning over the girl he's falling for.
What I like most about this movie was the fact that it followed all those classic storytelling elements. It uses foreshadowing, it throws complications at the characters, and there is enough character development for a viewer to learn to like them. What I didn't like about this, however, was the horrible voice-acting. Well, maybe not horrible; it wasn't melodramatic and there was emotion, but I don't really remember ever hearing anyone in Japan of having a Mexican, Romanian, or Southern accent. It was just a little over the top, and in many cases it ruined the horror of the moment as they were just too comical to believe. Luckily, there is a subbed track, though I still wish that the dubbed track was remade for the newer DVD release.
However, even with the bad voice-acting, I can't help but recommend this anime to any true anime fan. The action is superb, the animation is excellent even to today's standards, and it is one of the classics in anime, directed by one of the best and most well known anime directors around, Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Ninja Scroll, X).
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