Jin-Rou

In an alternate history, following World War II, civil unrest and terrorism run rampant in a devastated Japan under foreign occupation. During a botched interception of underground munitions being transferred by a terrorist organization, Constable Kazuki Fuse, a soldier in an elite counter-terrorism unit, witnesses the true terror of human nature. He fails to prevent a teenage girl from carrying out a desperate suicide bombing that subsequently causes immense destruction to Tokyo. With mental scars and his competence under question, Fuse is sent back to the military academy for re-evaluation. Unbeknownst to him, he will soon be caught up in a web of government conspiracies that have the power to determine the future of all of Japan.

As Fuse treads the fine line between human and beast, he ultimately discovers to which side he truly belongs.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Fuse, Kazuki Main

Fujiki, Yoshikatsu Japanese

Amemiya, Kei Main

Mutou, Sumi Japanese

Henmi, Atsuhi Main

Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Japanese

Tohbe, Hachiroh Supporting

Sakaguchi, Yoshisada Japanese

Agawa, Nanami Supporting

Sendai, Eri Japanese

Aniya, Isao Supporting

Handa, Hajime Supporting

Muroto, Bunmei Supporting

Hirota, Kousei Japanese

Tatsumi, Shiro Supporting

Horibe, Ryuuichi Japanese

Sugita, Tsutomu Producer

Terakawa, Hidekazu Producer

Okiura, Hiroyuki Director, Storyboard, Character Design, Layout, Key Animation

Wakabayashi, Kazuhiro Sound Director

Reviews

Oct 6, 2024

Licht_Eish

Recommended

Tl-Dr:
Jin-Rou: The Wolf Brigade is a devastatingly gorgeous film, while beyond stellar visually, it is a very nihilistic narrative statement on political power, while it maintains order, it destroys the individuals who are that cog in the machine. Proposing that where there exists order, exists chaos.
Story: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Sound 8/10
Art: 10/10
Overall:10

Real review:
From the very beginning to the very end, Jin-Rou kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a beautifully animated, gripping political thriller with a dark and cynical view of the world. One of the most interesting aspects of Jin-Rou is the philosophical exploration of political power and its consequences. The main ... character, Kazuki Fuse, is torn between his loyalty and his humanity. A wolf cannot choose its path, and Fuse is faced with this conflict as he is forced into difficult situations over and over. This is one of the strongest themes of Jin-Rou, the loss of individuality in the face of the organization. The characters, especially Fuse, are constantly reminded of their insignificance in the grand scheme of things and the sacrifices they are expected to make for the greater good. This proposes a problem with humanity as a greater being, and while hoping that we've moved past it, it absolutely knows that we have not.

The supporting characters are all well-developed and add depth to the story. Every character has his or her own agenda and it becomes a game of cat and mouse to see who will ultimately come out on top. The political climate and history of this militarized Japan is expertly woven into the plot, while not necessarily "real", it is a form of exaggerated reality, which soon enough becomes unquestionable to the parallel.

The animation in Jin-Rou is breathtaking. Studio Production I.G. is already well known for their artistic talents, but they have truly outdone themselves, creating a timeless classic. The visuals are haunting and full of symbolism, the sense of danger and unease is present throughout. The soundtrack, while not the best sound you've heard, is also well done, working well with it's somber tone.

An absolute gem which will stick with you long after the credits have rolled. Highly recommend.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Sep 1, 2024

Wyatt

Mixed Feelings

Okiura makes naturalistic animation seamless in a way never seen before or since. He breaks through the potential uncanny valley of total animated realism and finds empathy and pleasure. It almost distracts us from the film's utter hopelessness. The script has no belief in good cheer or hope. It seems a fairy tale written by the wolf. The film ends with a whimper, fitting of its passive view of fascism as a dry, logistical, inevitability. Okiura, one of the world's greatest animators, is also unable to bring the piercing close ups and hefty perspective shots that a realist animated film like this would need to ... make up for its lack of splendor. The movement of the characters stuns, but the compositions, color choices and editing are too subdued to leave the same impact. The political premise of in-fighting between different military arms of the government is thrilling on paper, but is bogged down by complexity in practice. Most scenes in the film are enjoyable on the grounds of the animation and atmosphere alone, but when the characters start expressing emotions, the emptiness of the film's perspective and characters becomes too heavy for it to bear.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 1, 2022

Spencerio

Not Recommended

Funny

I don't really know where to start with this one, but I guess the first thing I will say is that I've noticed that outside of Ghost in the Shell, I have not really cared much for Mamoru Oshii projects: I've started (and in these cases dropped) both The Sky Crawlers and Angel's Egg. It's nothing against him, and I recognize that he is a talented filmmaker, but there's just something about his minimalist storytelling that I just really do not enjoy most of the time.

Talking specifically about Jin-Rou, though, I will start with the good.

The animation quality, especially with facial expressions, is insanely good, ... almost scarily so. The first act of the plot is compelling and paced extremely well. But that's about it.

The bad is almost entirely plot and character based. The main issue with Jin-Rou is that our main character, Fuse, has absolutely no character arc; the vast majority of the movie focuses on his feelings or lack of feelings of guilt after a certain event in the first act, but after what feels like a bunch of filler, he ends up making a decision at the climax that just leaves everything unresolved. While it is probably a valid argument that this is one of the main points of the movie, I can't accept that in good conscience when the story itself is ultimately a very generic dystopian world, insurgency-fights-it deal. If Fuse has to be a statue of a character, then there MUST be a compelling plot past the exposition and a great climax so that my time isn't wasted.

So essentially, what Jin-Rou provides us with is a rehashed, almost creepily mediocre story everyone knows and no characters worth any emotional investment in. The artwork, sound design, and first act are all very well designed, but all that is dragged down by a pitifully forgettable (and I have done my best to forget it) plot and cast.

How this is almost an 8/10 average is eons beyond me. I would only recommend this to aspiring animators as a case study in how to effectively animate facial expressions and small movements, and to aspiring editors/directors as a case study of exactly how NOT to make a compelling story that can express an idea/theme.

For me, I give it a 4/10. It's not worthless, but it tries its best to be.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Veethorn - Jul 14, 2010	95 replies	by NikolaM25 »» Jul 16, 8:15 AM
	Satoshi Kon got nothing to do with the script Vanhibiki - Mar 21	3 replies	by Theo1899 »» Mar 22, 8:14 AM
	Tatsuki Fujimoto just recommended this!!! Chirag_the_Neko - Dec 17, 2023	5 replies	by Steez76 »» Dec 18, 2023 3:22 PM
	Kei Amemiya from "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade" (1999) RJDA - Feb 21, 2023	0 replies	by RJDA »» Feb 21, 2023 6:50 PM
	Do I need to watch any other movies in the "Kerberos saga" before I watch "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade"? BearfootTruck - Dec 28, 2020	2 replies	by St0rmblade »» Dec 26, 2022 4:05 AM

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