Jin-Rou

Now before reviewing this, I remember seeing this movie way back on premium movie channel Encore Action and as of today, I questioned why it was shown there considering the movie isn’t much on action but more focused through the drama and hardships of World War II, or in this case, it’s an alternate version of a post-World War II where Germany has taken over Japan, instead of the United States.



After witnessing the suicide bombing of a terrorist girl, Constable Kazuki Fuse becomes haunted by her image, and is forced to undergo retraining for his position in the Capital Police's Special Unit. However, unknown ... to him, he becomes a key player in a dispute between Capital and Local Police forces, as he finds himself increasingly involved with the sister of the very girl he saw die.


Now I really don’t talk politics much in my reviews mainly because I’m not really much of an expert on that but the movie does have its political references from Japan’s own situation from the 1960s and 1970s where massive student protests for the ANPO Hantai movement and the interesting fact about it is that not only Mamoru Oshii, the writer of the movie, was involved in back in their hayday but so was Studio Ghibli regulars Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies) and Hayao Miyazaki.



Part of the story in Jin-Roh also parallels toward Rotkäppchen (or Little Red Riding Hood / the real Grimm fairytale version) as the girl in the red hood in the beginning as like Red running from the wolves but from what I saw from the movie and saw from other reviews (either professional or amateur), the roles of the that can be switched, making it somewhat more unexpected than the usual story. As for the main character himself, Fuse is that character who may be a constable and associated with the army, but I think some people, especially those who went through what he did, can relate to the guy and the trauma that he is suffering from. On a small note, the movie’s pace can be slow for the majority of the film, so it would be better to watch when there is nothing on and the graphic violence may not be suitable for the squeamish, although it’s shown for the brutality of make a message and not just to show violence for the sake of it.



As for the animation, it is done by the amazing Production I.G., and the animation is dark, broody with muted colors and yes, it is centered more of a realistic Japan rather than the same style that we’re used to. I’m not going to bitch about what style of whatever animation and character design most animators do and for what it’s worth, it did an outstanding job for that.


The music wasn’t that very noticeable as that wasn’t anything that captured any attention to my ears, but the score was decent. The English dub done by The Ocean Group via Bandai Entertainment was actually one of their more well-acted productions considering I didn’t have kind words for them last time (fucking Monster Rancher) but here, I can see why they get work for many anime worth watching.



FINAL VERDICT: Well, I will say that Jin-Roh is worth watching and it is, but sometimes for an hour and 40 minutes, it can feel like 3 hours at a time. The character development was handled extremely great and really dug in deep into knowing them and their emotion but after you watch it (or watch it for reviewing), it isn’t something you would watch again.

The command of the old despotisms was "Thou shalt not". The command of the totalitarians was "Thou shalt". Our command is "Thou art". George Orwell: 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'

"Jin-Roh" is a dark movie, moreover it is rather grotesque as for a claim to realism. The only thing that can justify the gloomy grotesque, is a warning that cannot be conveyed to the audience by other artistic means. Is there such a warning in the "Jin-Roh"? And if so, what is it?

To answer these questions you should find answers to the two "why?" questions posed in the anime. "Why?" - asks Fuse Nanami Agawa, a "Rotkäppchen" who wants ... to blow herself up. "Do you want to leave the pack and go live with humans? But know that even if a wolf in human form lives among humans, he will never become a human. It's like the crime of that girl..." - he is answered when persuaded to kill Kei. So, Fuse suggests that there is no way back, that when you become a wolf, you can only pretend to be a human, but in essence you will remain a wolf. "Why?" - asks Fuse. And the deceased Nanami Agawa, a member of the Sect, replies to him: "I am a wolf, a member of a pack. There is no way for me back to the world of humans. The only way out is death". Therefore, Tobe says / indoctrinates: "Now it is real Fuze before you... We are wolves disguised as human beings." Because their command is: "Thou art".

But is it? So the second "why" is - "why didn't Fuse shoot Nanami Agawa?" If he really could not change, would Fuse have his doubts? Would the werewolves' chief, observing from cover, doubt whether Fuse would kill Kei? Would Tobe convince Fuse that there was no going back? Maybe the wolfskin, the armor worn by the special squad, yet just a mask that the powers (Fuhrer, Vozhd, Duce, Party, ideology, movement) leading wolf packs are trying to impose as "essence" on their pawns? By introducing humans to criminal practices - feeding Rotkäppchens with meat and blood (this is not an invention of the authors of "Jin-Roh", but one of the old folk versions of the "Rotkäppchen") of their own mothers, do they not bring up generations of future obedient werewolves? But the "Rotkäppchen" has many endings, and the one where the wolf wins is only one of many. In fact, the inevitability of this ending is possible only if such inevitability is indoctrinated.

Is this the warning of the gloomy grotesque "Werewolves"? Perhaps the warning that authors didn't saw neither intended. Indeed, in fact, Fuse had the opportunity to escape. There was an opportunity to throw off a wolf's skin and come to another final of the "Rotkäppchen". But conformism, subordination of human nature to the will of the pack, loyalty to a collective, which became second nature, turned Fuse into a wolf, and the "second nature" became the only one. The path to any form of totalitarianism is quite simple and inconspicuous - it is enough to "identify oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognise no other duty than that of advancing its interests". By "dissolving" his human essence in the "pack", Fuse created an idol to warship, and this idol demanded human sacrifices, ultimately devouring the soul of Fuse himself. In essence, any idolatry leads to this, but idolatry, which is projected onto social phenomena (group, ideology, "just" movement or activism), is especially destructive - it leads to totalitarianism.

An allegorical gem with exceptional narration, direction, editing, and cinematography.

The narrative of this film is extraordinarily symbolical and I was only able to understand the implicit meaning and make the connection between the protagonist and the story of the red riding hood until the very end - like a bomb dropped on me, shocking and traumatizing me, making me wonder why I hadn’t noticed it sooner.

***Spoiler Warning***

The direction of this film is magnificent - opening with a documentary style narration and transitioning to a young girl in bright red - inducing a striking contrast to the gloomy background and setting, making this girl mysterious ... and engaging.

One of my favorite elements of this film is the third-person narration of the red riding hood while the director visually guides the audience through the social-political setting and showcasing the society living happily, but inauthentically due to the authoritarian and militaristic government. The political setting results in seemingly prosperous lives for a few and poverty for the rest, just like when the red riding hood arrived at her mother’s house and was unknowingly nourishing herself mother’s flesh and blood. The use of this metaphor in the visual storytelling is truly powerful, admirable, and tragically dark.

The most compelling allegory of this film for me was the plot of how the wolf took another road and arrived at the red hiding hood’s destination before her. This relates back to the head of police’s metaphor of breeding two different dogs and ultimately one will survive. We, as the audience, develop empathy and pity for the protagonist when we realize that he was the subject of political exploitation. I could not make sense as to why the protagonist was the wolf until the very end when I realized that he knowingly lured the red riding hood into a trap, taking the faster route to the destination of political espionage and exploitation, thus devouring and killing her - being the dog that survived the interbreeding. Consequently, the closing scene with the red hiding hood story book is so powerful and impressive.

The excellent direction, editing, cinematography, and unique narration bring so much suspense and mystery to this film. With a story that was not understood by the audience until the very end, the creators of this film were remarkably successful in their storytelling.

pros:

1.shows the moral dilemma of what it means to be a soldier very well
2. it establishes a good world building
3. the story gets a conclusive ending that leaves the audience with complicated emotions
4. art is very good
5.symbolism is used very well
6.it gives a clear and important message
7. I liked how little red riding hood story was used in this movie

... cons:

1.gets interesting only in the end, like in the last 2 minutes or sth
2. the show is very slow paced
3.could've been better if established more political depth and used the world-building better

overall: 8/10

It's hard to write a review for this movie. There's nothing inherently bad about any aspect of it, in fact the concept and studio behind this should've have lead to a masterpiece. But there's something missing. It's hard to point out what that "thing" is that's keeping it from greatness but it's certainly apparent that something isn't right once you finish the movie.

The story itself sounds good on paper, it's a romance political thriller. And none of the plot beats would suede you to believe it would turn out mediocre. But problem comes with our two main characters and their relationship throughout the movie. Fuse ... and Kei and just two sides of the same coin. Fuse is stoic and aloof and Kei is stoic and aloof, just to a lesser extent. This means that they barely interact throughout the entirety of the movie, most conversations have Kei say something wistful and Fuse nod accordingly in agreement (I'm not kidding, you can practically count the number of words Fuse says to Kei on one hand). This led to a feeling of great awkwardness between them, as if nothing was there to tell me that they genuinely wanted to bond. *SPOILERS* This meant that the "emotional payoff" at the end left me feeling more shocked and surprised at such a sudden turn of events than saddened or upset at the death of someone you've grown connected to. I'm not saying you can't have two similar characters form a believable relationship; rather, you should attempt this in something longer like a series where you have the time to believably include both interactions and silent moments.

Another issue is the movies incessant use of "wolves" and "little red riding hood" as a metaphorical device. I'm not saying it was bad because it didn't make sense but rather because the movie decided to cram this symbolism down your throat at every avenue. The fact that every character has to speak in conspicuous allusions and vignettes involving "beasts" even when not referring to the character the metaphor applies to came across as overplayed and in poor taste. For the scenes where it logically made sense, like the hallucination, it was very well implemented.
I also wanted to add something that may be more of a personal nitpick but what is it with anime thinking that linking folklore to the story immediately makes it 100x deeper and more meaningful.

The animation was is this movies strong suit. It's incredibly well done and the art design is amazing, the Panzer suit being a particular highlight. It's all realistically proportioned and almost looks roto-scoped at certain points. Plus theres something about a 90s anime gore-fest like this which really appeals to the eyes. Personally, even if you don't like the story, the movie's worth it on its animation itself.

In conclusion, the faults lie more in wasted potential rather than any obviously poor decisions. It's incredible to look at but lacks the "special sauce" that other classics like Akira or Ghost in Shell have.

Normally, I'm a dead sucker for slow and somber character dramas set in gritty political messes. Jin-Roh captures that atmosphere excellently. We begin with molotovs, riots, and the sense of human beings caught living in unsettling times. Little people in the middle of big troubles, humanity in anarchy, and the interface between brutality and humanity are the order of the day.

The setup was good; the metaphors potent; the music and animation dead on point. Serious anime being serious anime, it uses the lovely and reliable formula of long still shots combined with fluid moving sequences. We follow the drilling, the walks, and the sweat ... of our characters in excellent detail. We dive into dreams, sit with allegorical monologues, and do the other Serious Art tricks that you'll either love or hate. You know who you are and what you like.

Unfortunately, while the journey is good, the destination is subpar. In my eyes, Jin Roh failed as a character drama. I understand the journey of Constable Fuze, but I did not feel or learn from his journey. None of the little quirks, the non-lethal takedowns, the relationships, none of it results in any interesting changes or discussions.

The tagline is: "We are not men disguised as mere dogs. We are wolves disguised as men."

Your out-of-context reaction to that line should dictate to that show. If you buy it immediately, you'll love the movie. Personally, I was not sold on the tagline, but I wanted to be bargained and coaxed through some interesting themes. Personally, I wanted to be sold on it. See a little anguish, struggle, philosophical debate, whatever. It's a serious and dark movie, so I figured we deserved some deep themes to wank ourselves off with. Nah. The Red Riding Hood allegory, the symbolism, it's all shallow water in the end. Nihilism is not a replacement for philosophy.

On the whole I had a good experience, and despite my moaning, I don't really feel that bad about the disappointing end. I had a good enough time on the way there. I'm going to rate by the good I had rather than the good I missed, so it's a 7/10 for me, dog.

This movie was a breath of fresh air!

I enjoyed everything about Jin Roh. The movie does a really good of capturing emotion and storytelling. I really like how throughout the film, you really get a feel of the atmosphere and world of Jin Roh. Examples like the time period of WW2, seeing old school volkswagens, the type of clothes people are wearing roaming through the streets and feeling the animosity between the two parties fighting.

Not much bad things I can say about this film as I mentioned before that I enjoyed everything. Characters, Music, Animation, and Plot were all top-notch imo. I will say, that ... this is not a happy-go lucky story as it does touch on some serious topics throughout human history like war, social radical change and terrorism. Additionally, I love how you can see the MC, Fuse, trying to break free from his hardcore soldier lifestyle to something more unknown to him like having a normal life but it doesn't last too long. The story and animation does a good job distinguishing those type of elements to help the viewer understand him more.

To conclude, I do highly recommend this film to anyone who hasn't seen this masterpiece yet!

Jin rou review

I personally will not be shelving Jin-Rou as one of the best films ever, but it is one of those I shelf on my "Dad's favorite movies - do not touch". That being said:

This movie is a very strong 7.5 for me but there are few things that disrupted my overall enjoyment as the audience that i cannot overlook (because i REALLY liked the idea of this movie and wish I could give it a 9). I think the biggest issue I have with Jin-Rou is the Plot quickly holding your hand and leaving breadcrumbs as big as dinner rolls. I do ... personally like the idea of a darker story paralleled with an age old fable we all learn at childhood. But due to the motifs, current environment and art style, there is no breathing room in symbolism, visual or dialogue, and this can be undermining to your intelligence and patience. Especially if the movie is 'mature', ...it is similar to meeting someone attractive at a bar and they do not appreciate the ebb and flow of conversation.

The art was very.. well.. 'cool'. The design of the special units soldiers represents the governing ideals perfectly. The faces of each character seemed well thought out as well, so distinguishing was not of issue, as some anime tend to revisit as an obvious afterthought. The environments of each scene were solid and too be commended as well. However the clothes and colors somewhat fell flat which knocked it down to again a 7.5/10.

Sound is not really something I pay attention to, I have nice speakers, but it's only something I recognize if the audio is REALLY bad, relative to production release. Not all viewers are blessed with good audio equipment, but it is thorough, from splashing of water to realistic explosions. 8/10

TL;DR -
Watch if:
-You are a fan of militant movies
-Symbolism
-Surprise Endings

Dealbreaker if:
-You are not a fan of realistic violence
-You are not a fan of dialogue
-Movies where you must pay attention or you are easily distracted

Jin-Roh isn't your typical dystopian movie, you won't find any all-encompassing analysis about the authoritarian society of this alternative Japan, you won't find tales of rebel heroes fighting against the system nor brutal wars between countries; instead, focused on the protagonist Kazuki Fuse and the microcosm of the Special Unit he is part of, it flows at a slow, pensive pace. Silence and stillness dominate the scenes except for slashes of clamor, action and violence that last only for a brief moment and show how much disquiet and unsettled was that uneasy peace.

Jin-Roh is built around, parallel and at the same time against the symbolical ... meaning of “Little Red Riding Hood”, crafting a deep, meaningful reflection about the roles of victim and perpetrator, with an almost meta-ethical flavor to it.

Aestethically speaking there's not much to say, and in a good way: consistent and fluid high-quality animation dyed in colours reflecting the atmosphere, from a grey, clouded calmness to a thick darkness with red flashes mixed in, plus a good amount of weapon and action fanservice when needed.

This masterpiece paints a visually stunning picture of a dystopian world, framed not with front shot but from the side, where realism, sad contemplation and meditation replace epic fast-paced action, giving an original, honestly harsh, meaningful twist to the political-thriller genre.

This anime film has been on my watchlist for so long and the fact that I just finished my college exams, made me just want to watch it for some reason lol. It's grand that I did but honestly, this film was rather strange in a sense and it was confusing in some parts.

This is definitely an anime film based on what people describe it as = Little Red Riding Hood in reverse. I get that Fuse is meant to be the "big bad wolf" whilst Kei is meant to be the "other Red Riding Hood". It kinda had an interesting take in that sense ... but at the same time, I would have rathered if the ending wasn't that abrupt but that's all I'm going to say.

If you like your suspense and very serious type of crime drama, this is for you dudes!

Jin-Roh has some of the most gorgeous hand-drawn animation ever created, with an art style I absolutely adore. It has an interesting alternate reality storyline that seems a realistic depiction of political strife and government crackdown. The characters are realistic as well, with no over-exaggeration. While this lends to the realism and serious tone of the story, it also means that there is little in the way of character development. It is difficult to get characters to change believably and seriously in 100 minutes in a story of this type. This leaves a me somewhat unsatisfied with the whole storyline, as there also isn't a ... hero's ending to make the whole thing feel meaningful. This movie overall feels more like an artistic expression of themes drawn from the world and set up by the circumstances rather than a purposeful story about characters and decisions. I think some people will love this movie while others will think its a little dry, either way its an appreciable and beautiful depiction of alternate reality japan.

NO SPOILER 9/10
Jin-Rou is one of the best anime films out there, especially if you enjoy serious topics. I watched it with friends (3 of wich hated anime) and all of them were surprised by the:

Story: The setting is interesting and theres a good twist in the end, and the ending itself really captivates the story. Wolves shouldnt mix with men.

Art / Characters / Sound: The art is magnificent. Especially in detailed and moving scenes of a city, theres plenty of details to enjoy. Its one of the best part of the film.
The audio is very satisfying and well done, everything has a good ... sound effect added to it.
The characters are few, but they are all important in their own way. The film makes it clear that there are bad sides to the rebels as much as the shock troops.
Overall, we had a lot of fun and it really got us captivated and in the setting.

SHORT REVIEW

Story: The story isn't at all complex and the movie is divided between moments between Kei and Kazuki and the big wigs in the local force that seeks to demolish the capital forces and but honestly a lot of what makes the movie great is the quietness of the film and the psychological tolls on Kazuki after killing a terrorist I'd go as far to say the movie feels almost documentary like mostly due to the setting and themes which gives it this arthouse vibe that probably causes it to go unnoticed. overall the story was good but I'd say its not the strongest ... aspect of the film and says in comparison to its other areas. 7/10

Art: Not much to say on animation its very fluid especially when it comes to the gunfire I haven't watched much anime with guns but this feels by far the most powerful and terrifyingly accurate display of weapons that reduce people to Swiss cheese and by conveying so much force and motion with the bullets impacting bodies 10/10

Sound: like I said about the guns before except this time for sound design the sound design for the guns was on point and actually exceeded what I expected and it honestly felt like each sound they used for the movie was created specifically for one usage 9/10

Character: Kazuki feels very real and a lot of it comes from how he carries himself and the other characters really add to the feel of the "eat or be eaten world" that Jin-Rou presents but I think Kazuki really feels like Guts from berserk either from appearance or how they carry themselves silently but inside is an introspective mess of a person they aren't great but they feel. realistic in the setting they're portrayed into 7/10

Enjoyment: It was such a nice film to watch just laying down on a rainy day 9/10

Overall the other great aspects of the film make up for the simple story

A peculiar but very good film, I thought. For most of it's run time I was worried it might cop out and end up settling on a wishy washy humanistic pandering, ultimately trying to redeem the fascistic mindset it focuses on, but the ending resolutely dispels any such feelings. This is a psychological portrait of the mindset of the lapdogs of Control, and how such an apparatus can recapture any piece beneath it that shows even the slightest hint of straying loose. It's bleak, it's cynical, and it doesn't fall into the cliché trap of offering something so simple as "movie love" as the universal ... panacea to the repressive cop mindset. This is brute conservative power and the people drawn to exercising it, with the spectre of negation ever, it turns out by the end, pre-negated.

Honestly, this could easily be a 10/10 on a rewatch, because the only real thing irking me whilst viewing was my, ultimately unfounded, lack of faith that the movie could follow through on the above without capitulating to the normal narratives around such things. But this is a film that does deserve your faith -- it knows what it's doing, it isn't stupid.

This is a great film. One that keeps you engaged throughout. It has everyone you need for a good solid film. Its not perfect by any means but looks, sounds and is worth your time.

Firstly the animation is lovely. I'm a sucker for 90s animation so maybe I am a little biased here, but nevertheless, it's stunning. The characters all look great and you can tell significant attention was paid to all of them. In scenes with many characters, even thr characters in the background have been realistically animation, not just the ones in the forefront. No more is this on display that the opening ... scene. The characters look fluid and, as much as animation can be, look realistic. This is something I feel is missing from modern animation. In the 90s, there was a realism to the characters, nowadays, the animation is incredible yes, but the realism element is sacrificed. Here, the realism is on full display.

The music here is properly cinematic. Its not outstanding so still does a solid job. The particular high point for me, which is most certainly not normally the case, is the closing credits. What plays after the rather sad ending is absolutely perfect for summing up the emotions on display. Throughout the film, the music does what it needs to do. It is a proper film score, rather than a selection of songs, and it give great service to the story being told and the atmosphere the film carries.

The story is great. Makes a refreshing change for me to watch something that could happen in real life. Recently I have been watching a lot of sci-fi stuff so a touch of realism helped here. However, I can't use this biased to up my rating. Setting aside this, there is a riveting story here. It has it moments of losing momentum towards to middle but still grabs yours attention for the moments that count. I often find love depicted in a little bit of a cliché way in anime, but it's delivered in a sort of believable way here, though still not realistic. Despite this, the culmination of this story, is satisfactory due to the love formed between two characters thus showing I could feel it meant something.

This is definitely a story worth investing time in. It has it's ups and downs but does a great job at keeping your attention just enough, and delivers a satisfying conclusion, that you won't feel like you wasted your time at all.

Basically this is little red riding hood told from the perspective of a beast. I'm not a fan of Dementia/Psychological anime at all, but I somehow sat here for almost 2 hours in the middle of the night genuinely enjoying this while developing mixed thoughts about it, as you're supposed to with psychological type anime. At the start of the story I was a little confused but I quite enjoyed how chill it was, until Fuse started having PTSD about the red riding hood who died; Once she was killed the plot really started boiling up and showed how twisted it really ... was. "A wolf can disguise itself as human, and live among them, but it can never become human. Wolves can never become human."
Go watch this movie right now... And when you come back, don't you dare tell me wolves can ever be human.

Jin-Rou is the perfect example of what war, propaganda, struggle and the after effects of it can be beautifully told in a movie that could never be appreciated if it were to come out today.

The story itself deals with one man fighting along with the Capital Police Organziation who has to eradicate and destroy a vigilante group from within that is attempting to overthrow the organization that they think is destroying the lives of ordinary Japanese living in a police state. Most of Fuse Kusuki’s thoughts on the war, as well as meeting the secondary characters that come along with it, seem to change his ... mindset as he starts to realize that the vigilante group are trying to have a purpose on wanting to make the world of living in a police state overthrown for peace. Much of the enjoyment comes with both the external and internal struggles that the main character sees through flashbacks and the after effects of what real war and torn damage can do to you.

For a film made in 2000, it says a lot that after 21 years, most of the film’s topics regarding military, conspiracy theories and law and order seem to be the most talked about topics in today’s current events (that is, if you choose to pay attention to what goes on in the news).

Overall, there’s so much more to say that I wish I could give this a 10, but the ending was the biggest shocker as to what happens to the woman whom Fuse tried to save from the vigilante group, while he tried to save himself from the CAPO who were merely just trying to follow orders to simply enact, law and order.