Wicked City (1987)

You know there are still some people who think that as soon as a feature is animated, it is for kids?

I guess they've never seen a ton of anime then. Or most of Ralph Bakshi's catalogue.

'Wicked City' is most emphatically not for kids. Heck, this one is probably not even for most adults, considering some of the things that happen in the story. But maybe surprisingly, this is one of those animes that seems rather over the top and exploitative on first viewing, but gets better and better the more you watch it, because the story has a lot more depth than some of the scenes might suggest.

The premisse is that there is a delicate balance between our world and a dark shadow world filled with demons. Every so often, the truce needs to be renewed and to that end, a 200-year old Italian doctor comes to Japan. Naturally, there are those demons that want to see the truce come to and end so he needs protection. Enter Taki Renzaburo, a human bodyguard. He has to team up with Makie, a lady from the other realm as they try to keep Doctor Maiato free from harm. But there is a lot more at play here, as slowly but surely plots within plots unravel and Taki and Makie grow closer to one another.

It's not all as cut-and-dried as I try to present it here, and the story takes quite a few twists and turns along the way, but I won't spoil that. You'll have to discover how it all works for yourself.

The animation is still top notch. Pretty impressive for a film from 1987, you say? Well, considering that anime occasionally gets lambasted for sloppy animation, forgetting that it's usually the series that suffer from this due to their insane production schedule. Actual anime films get a much better treatment. The city is dark and brooding, interspersed with neon. You never quite know if it actually is our world or the dark version. The colour schemes are mostly hues of blue and red, but they add to the sinister atmosphere. Characterwise, Taki is cool and collected but obviously flawed and Makie is a pretty tough cookie, especially considering some of the things she goes through. Maiato is hilarious, an old lecherous and horny man who keeps yapping about the ladies. Reminds you of some other characters in anime and manga? Well, they often have this sort of character, so that makes sense.

But if you've never seen 'Wicked City' but have heard of it, it's probably because of certain scenes of violation and downright rape. That seems gratuitous at first watch, but in truth, it doesn't happen often (a lot less than you might think), and somehow it fits with the story and situations on display. It's hard to explain, but the overtly sexual tone is linked to power and seeing as this is a story essentially about a powerstruggle, it comes together in the end. You may need a second or third viewing to see what I mean, but trust me.

Or just take it for exploitative schlock. Your call.

Still, 'Wicked City' is awesome. Is it for everyone? Hell no. But if you can get past the first scene with the spider-woman (no, not the Marvel kind), you're in for a gruesomely twisted tale that does end with an uplifting feeling. You have to go deep in order to end up high.

That last bit was not a sexual metaphor, by the way. I wouldn't dare do that.

Anyway, not for the faint of heart, but intriguing and darkly unsettling, with cool voicework and gorgeous animation.