Jun-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, is an excellent anime gem. Recommended to me after seeing Ghost in the Shell and Akira, this film certainly holds its own. The movies style is cyberpunk and futuristic, a style I very much enjoyed. The story revolves around a political struggle between three competing factions in a futuristic Tokyo. The Police get along tepidly with a newer militarized faction of heavily armed soldiers called the Capital Police. These two groups compete to tamp down a revolutionary movement using violence to try and achieve their aims. This film is ultimately a political thriller, as factions within these groups compete, scheme and spy for control. We follow one particular member of the Capital Police, placed in training after he refused to shoot a revolutionary, who subsequently blew herself up. This scandal causes a rift in the Capital Police, and one faction begins to scheme with the police forces to take control of the capital. A counter group, called the Wolf Brigade, rails against them. Intrigue between these two groups pits our soldier in the middle, as the two sides seek too use him against the other side to achieve their aims.
This film is gorgeous and well detailed. The scenes here are dark and brooding, and the attention to detail, from the damp sewers, to the bustling city - both futuristic and antiquated in some ways, are stellar. One of my favourite parts of this movie was the intrigue; the spying and planning and subsequent political competition is very interesting. This was, on the whole, a very enjoyable movie with a lot going for it. Some minor detractions, involving the cliched Red Riding Hood allusions and some kinda corny Anime moments. This aside, I really enjoyed this film, and particularly liked the dark tone of the ending, which caught me by surprise. My first viewing is a 7/10, but I will certainly enjoy seeing this film again, and it continues to grow on me in some ways.
This film is gorgeous and well detailed. The scenes here are dark and brooding, and the attention to detail, from the damp sewers, to the bustling city - both futuristic and antiquated in some ways, are stellar. One of my favourite parts of this movie was the intrigue; the spying and planning and subsequent political competition is very interesting. This was, on the whole, a very enjoyable movie with a lot going for it. Some minor detractions, involving the cliched Red Riding Hood allusions and some kinda corny Anime moments. This aside, I really enjoyed this film, and particularly liked the dark tone of the ending, which caught me by surprise. My first viewing is a 7/10, but I will certainly enjoy seeing this film again, and it continues to grow on me in some ways.