Friday, 12 September 2014

Remembering 2013's Gunpla Expo World Tour (Franchising Anime As Figurines Part 2)

After posting about the toy museum in Heyri Art Village and the questions that I asked myself I thought more about it. I especially thought about how there were so many robotic figurines and then I remembered that, last year, I went to an exhibition purely of Gundam figures that was being held in Yongsan station, Seoul. I thought I would show some pictures of the exhibit, talk about it, and pose more questions with more of a discussion around it. 

The entrance.

In the exhibit there were numerous Gundam figures of various sizes and from various series and generations. They were two full walls of cabinets adn then another line in between the two walls (obviously with enough room to walk down each side). There were three notable things about the exhibit that is relevant to my discussion about using toys to franchise anime. First that the exhibit was free and even gave gifts, notable one of which was a catalogue of figures. Second at the end of the exhibit there were huge shelves with many many figures being sold (with the ones that were on exhibit had there model numbers next to them). Last it was notable that there were screens on one wall showing scenes with the Gundams on display (that you could buy). Basically I am pointing out that the exhibit was just a huge advertisement used as a way to sell Gundam figures primarily and the anime was used as a tool to sell the toys. 


The gifts they were giving away, little as they may be, one of which was in fact a catalogue of Gundams.

So where does this leave Gundam? Is Gundam heavily influenced by the sale of their toy figures? Well like I noted in the toy museum post, mecha animes are able to produce and sell lots of figures. Why; how much does anime genre play into it? I mean mecha can definitely make many different figures because of its ability to make many different mechs within the anime. Not only can character have a different mech but each character could have variations on their mech for a different purpose (strength, stealth, speed. Compared to other shounen where characters' looks barely change their looks even between seasons, mecha anmes can change their mechs' looks a number of time within one season. This allows them to create many many different figures (with different armour, colours, weapons etc) to sell. Are more and more mechs created purely to sell more figures? Or what about other anime genres, how much does merchandising play into anime creation?

Many figures looked the same but with slightly different accessories.

I also just wanted to explain my thoughts a bit more. Throughout human history, with some exceptions, art has usually been in opposition to capitalism. This has never been more true than today, with graffiti art etc. However, when I say this I don't just mean that are has been used to condemn greed and dishonesty, values that are rather useful in a capitalist environment. What I mean is that artists will often have to comprimise their true artistic vision due to economic reasons. Artists will often "sell-out" and create something they would not be wholly happy with because they are paid to do so basically. I wonder how much anime as an art form and animators/directors as artists do this. I mean there are numerous rumours about Akira Toriyama wanting to stop DBZ but being forced or persuaded to continue by Toei, his backers. The saying goes "money talks". I just wonder how have other anime artists been persuaded by its sweet words. In terms of wanting to make art for a living I hear there are two important milestones in an artist's career: making money for the first time and then being able to make enough money to support their lifestyle. Thus using art to make money is very important for artists as it allows them to solely do what they love. In order to pay their bills, and have money left over, artists (including animators) often will have to change their original idea and create something that is not absolutely ideal in order to make money. This is obviously not always the case but I just wonder how often this happens in anime.

One of the cooler figure there.

What could be influenced in anime? Plots is one thing. One character could sell more than another character an is thus given more screen-time or a more central role in order to sell even more toys. Character designs might also be changed in order to give toy manufacturers something new to make and sell. We might even wonder if an anime's setting could also be changed or the genre as well. More than anything I think more about the case of how Transformers, the anime, was made to give a narrative and characterisations to toys in order to sell them more effectively. In fact now that I think about it there is another parallel to this nowadays, Lego. Lego has recently branched off into animation. Not just with the recently popular Lego movie but there have been TV series that give a narrative and characterisations to a certain set of Lego, not Lego as a whole. These are the Chima, a Thundercats like set, and Ninjago, the ninja Lego set that also acts as spinning tops. I wonder if Japan and anime will see any of this, where a famous toy company commissions an animated series. I think Kirby, like Pokemon, had his own animated series, so maybe Nintendo could commission more perhaps. 

We can see how the narrative of the anime is used to sell the toys.

At the end of the day I can only speculate answers to many of my questions. People want to make money so obviously toys, if they make money, will always be made. Some toys are made from anime and if so they are not made to keep fans happy, but to make money. Some animations in recent history have even been made purely to sell toys. If the animation studios make money from these toy sales (and the artists that make these animations are paid and rely upon these studios) the surely they would do best, in order to make as much money as possible, to gear the anime towards selling figurines which every way possible. Animes are obviously profitable in themselves but toys can make just as much money probably. How much then does the sales of toys and figurines play into the creation of anime? Maybe we could say very little, maybe we could say a lot. I would not say it plays a huge role but surely it plays some part.

Another one of my favourites.

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

A Toy Museum Weekend For Chuseok #2 (Franchising Anime As Figurines Part 1)

On year ago I started this blog with a visit to an exhibit showing original drawing used for frames in various Ghibli movies. That was during chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, really a traditional harvest holiday. Over this year's chuseok weekend I went to Heyri art village to see the Time and Blade Museum, which has a few interesting things. Whilst at this very artistic town I did visit numerous other places, one of these was a toy museum. Inside there were numerous collections of toys and figures, such as Star Wars and even Coca Cola toys. There were also a large number of anime toys and these got me thinking about the relationship between animes and their toy merchandising.

A map of the village. I think the toy museum was around gate 7. 

The first real anime based exhibit was a place where you could take a picture with Totoro and Mei. There were also a number of figures from Totoro in another cabinet as well as a few from Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo. Notably no figures were from their non-fantasy films and very very few figures were actually the human characters. It once again illustrated what I speculated to be the reason Ghibli has been failing in the box office lately and why they are shutting up shop in terms of producing new films (you can see my ideas here: Snshssjwhwhhshs). It showed how proemient fantasy was to the idea of Ghibli and how beloved these fantasy characters are, and that without more of these ideas they would continue to fail. In particular Totoro is such a iconic character because of how childfriendly he is. It is too late now, but the figures showed me that if Ghibli were to make more childfriendly fantasy films they would do every well, rather than failing. 

Totoro in any mood is marketable, more than human characters.

Also whilst looking at the large Totoro figures I almost immediately noticed their quality (or lack thereof). Basically they looked like knock-off statues, not something that was purchased from Studio Ghibli themselves. Maybe I could be wrong in this assumption (and you can make your own judgement from the picture below) but it really seemed to me like these were not officially produced figures. It was this that also reminded me of how Ghibli are shutting their doors. Studio Ghibli will stop future productions but it will focus on strengthening old and working on new issues of copyright of their existing intellectual properties, such as Totoro. Now I am not saying Ghibli will be able to crack down on every small business, but surely where there is money to be made on their ideas, Ghibli will want a slice of the pie and will try to stop unofficial merchandise etc.  

Do you think these are official?

Then on the second floor there lots of collections boxed off in their own displays. Now there was a variety of displays from a variety of mediums, like Star Wars, but in terms of anime and actually toys in general, mecha anime figures out numbered everything else. There were cabinets and cabinets just full or countless mecha and robot figures. It wasn't just from one franchise either. There were Gundam and Evangelion among others. Now this could just be due to the owner's or maybe, more generally, Korea's tastes and preferences or it could be due to another reason. I also noticed how the Transformers' display was quite full and I remembered how Transformers, before its comics, live action movies, its animated show and previous anime, before anything else Transformers was just one or two transforming robot toys for kids. Nothing more, nothing less. It then was decided to make an animated show in order to market the toys by giving them a back story. And thus the Transformers we know and love today was born. I just wondered about how other animes nowadays are influenced as a way to sell other products. 

Just look at all these toys. One of many cabinets.

I was again confronted by this issue when I saw another notable display, that of Pokemon. Pokemon, as an anime, too was originally made as a way to sell the hugely popular video games by giving the universe a compelling story and character to follow, rather than the speechless protagonist you play in the games. We can tell the anime was conceived of quite early, before the game was actually released, because it includes Ho-oh in the first epsiode, a Pokemon coded into the first generation games but then taken out before the final release, and kept for the second generation. Pokemon sells many toys, as Nintendo actually considers themselves to be a toy manufacturer ahead of a hardcore gaming company (which is how Nintendo consoles got to be sold at toy shops in their early days). I just wonder how much the idea of merchandising comes into Pokemon design. Are early versions made especially cute so they can sell plushies? How much influence does money from figurines have on pokemon and other similar animes? Yu-gi-oh, Beyblades, Duel Masters (etc) raise the same question with merchandise and anime as they sell products using anime. Are any new animes made to sell action figures? 

Many toys, very marketable.

Another second floor display was the most popular anime now, One Piece. One piece, due to its wide and wonderful characters had many many figures on display. In fact it seemed that there were 3 types of toys that One Piece merchandising produced. The first are true toys, toys that meant are meant to be handled and played with, plushies or action figures with moveable pieces. These things are targeted to kids to play and have fun with. Second there are the flashy figures, with a stand underneath, rather than moveable parts. These are meant for display at any good otaku's house on a bookshelf or wherever. Last there are these small collectible figurines. These are meant for anyone, kids or collectors, and are purely made for people to spend lots of money without realising. This is because they usually come in sealed boxes that display the whole collection and you don't know what figure you got until you open the box after purchasing. The only reason I categorise them this way is because I would not buy the playable or plushies toys becuase they are too kiddy, nor would I buy the collectibles because I think I would become obsessed, however, I would be inclined to buy the action figures. Also certain animes specialise in a certain type of figure. For example DBZ specialises in action figures but Pokemon has more plushies and toys for play. 

You should be able to see the different between the WhiteBeard figure and the numerous little things in front of him.

Last I saw many figures that were probably sold out of nostalgia or becuase of the status of the anime. Many recognisable or iconic animes also had displays. Most notable or course is the very iconic Astro Boy, or simply Atom, from the 1960s. There was also a small display on Future Boy Conan. Of course as I said there were displays of DBZ and Pokemon. There was a display of this wrestling anime from the seventies called called Tiger Mask as well. However, left to a very small place was Fullmetal Alchemist and Rock Man. Now Rock Man may not be so great of an anime but Fullmetal Alchemist is. However, if I didn't know about either Tiger Mask or FMA I would be more inclined to search it up as it had its own display and many interesting figures. Now I am not saying that people choose what anime to watch based on what they saw in a toy museum but I wonder how much longevity figures add to an anime's life. Would Atom be as iconic as it is now if it weren't for its merchandising? Will animes with great stories like say Mushishi die out of recognition because they are simply not marketable? 

Atom, very iconic, due to a being a good anime or its merchandising?

My visit to the toy museum was very fun and enjoyable but it really got me thinking about the relationship between anime and merchandising. Too bad I can't answer many of my questions. I also hope to visit the 3d model Ghibli exhibit in Seoul soon. 

I have never seen Dr Slump but I want to now for some reason.

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

The Art of Hunting a Wolf – Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

Jin-Roh is definitely a surprising anime. Set in an alternate history where after Hiroshima, Japan enacted a policy focussed on heavy economic re-growth. This drew many out from the countryside and into the city, consequently creating huge slums, crime and even anti-government protestors. To deal against these protestors a special “police” (thus not military) force, called the Capitol Police, was made apart from Local Police. In response the protestors became even more violent and unified, becoming The Sect. This inturn leads to both public outcry and the creation of an elite Special Unit within the Capitol Police, called Kerberos. Jin-Roh thus follows one of the Special Unit (a man named Kazuki Fuse) and his inability to shoot a girl of The Sect before she blows herself up with a satchel bomb. From the first fifteen minutes where we see this whole history set out and a public riot exploited by The Sect, I expected more of an action film where the conflict would be about Fuse’s recovery from his demons (perhaps discovering the motivations of those he fights) and the Special Unit trying to destroy The Sect before the whole Capital Police are disbanded by the government. However, what we really get is a complicated internal conflict between the secretive and unknown “Wolf Brigade” who want to keep the Capital Police running, especially the Special Unit, and the Public Security Division who would rather see it disbanded for a more unified police force. I was looking for something more action based, but what I got was a much deeper and slow paced plot. From the outset the film shows its political sophistication, but this is not the topic of this post. I was definitely not disappointed just surprised, especially with the way the film had a fairly touching (although not entirely unpredictable) plot and character twists and how it achieved this through a very artistic manner.


From the opening I thought the film would be more action, as the armor suggests: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Jin-Roh-57129327

Because Jin-Roh is such a deep film I feel the need to briefly summarise it here, so hopefully you have watched the film first. As I said the film starts out with The Sect taking advantage a public riot but as the extremists escape in the sewers they are tracked by the Special Unit of the Capital Police. One girl, who is a courier for The Sect (nicknamed a Red Riding Hood), breaks off from the group and as they are killed she looks to escape. However, she runs into a member of the Special Unit, Kazuki Fuse, who doesn’t shoot her and she is left to determinedly pull the cord on her satchel bomb, killing herself but not him. Kazuki is sent back to military training for his hesitation to carry out orders. After talking to his now politically involved friend (Atsushi Henmi), he goes to the grave of the girl (Nanami Agawa) where he meets her older sister and they become romantically involved. The sister gives Kazuki a book of Red Riding Hood and takes him to a fairground to reveal she wants to run away. They date more and more, during this time Kazuki has a nightmare about her being eaten by wolves in the sewers. At the same as this, higher powers than Kazuki talk about a plan to combine all policing units and dissemble the Special Unit and thus to destroy the secretive Wolf Brigade who are all part of Special Kerberos Unit because they are ruthlessly doing whatever they want. It is thus revealed by Henmi that Fuse’s love interest is not Agawa’s sister, but is in fact a former Sect courier (named Kei Amemiya) now being used by Henmi, and the Public Security Division to help destroy the Kerberos Unit. Kazuki then gets a picture of this conversation. Kei then calls Fuse asking him to come to their meeting spot, but this is really a trap for him set up by Henmi and the Public Security Division. However, he realises this and is able to disarm the Public Security Division agents and escape with Kei to their rooftop amusement park. Kazuki then leads her to the sewers from the start of the film where they meet the other members of the Wolf Brigade. The leader of the brigade, Hachiro Tohbe the instructor of the academy, then explains how he knew Kei had a tracker in her bag and this will lead Henmi and the Public Security Division to the sewers and their demise. Kei breaks down thinking she had found her love and asks Kazuki not to kill them but he puts on his Capital Police armor and kills all the Public Security Division Agents and Henmi. Afterwards Kazuki is given a pistol and told to dispose of his lover Kei for the sake of the Wolf Brigade. After she tearfully quotes the ending of the Red Cap story Fuse shots her. Then a sniper looking to shoot both of them un-cocks his gun and Hachiro Tohbe then quotes the last line “… and then the wolf ate Red Riding Hood.”


The relationship between Kei and Kazuke ends up being a main focus of the film, not just action:  http://www.zerochan.net/1599409 

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade had a very complicated plot and was in fact much more artistic and complex than it would first seem. This is because Jin-Roh’s very intricate and deliberate plot is set against that of Red Riding Hood. What is used is an alternate and early version of Red Riding Hood, or rather Rotkäppchen ('Red Cap'), which is narrated by various characters throughout the film. Red Riding Hood is put in metal clothing by her mother and said once she has worn out her clothing she can come visit mother in her cottage in the forest. Once Red Riding Hood has worn out her clothing by rubbing them against the wall she makes some food as a gift for her mother and goes off to visit her mother. On the way she meets a wolf who asks her what she is doing and which path to the cottage she will take: the path of pins or the path of needles. Red Riding Hood answers the path of pins so the wolf quickly goes down the path of needles, gets to the cottage before the girl, eats her mother and disguises itself as its victim. When Red Riding Hood gets there she is told to just come in, and even though the door won’t open she comes in through a hole in the wall. Red Riding Hood then says she is hungry and thirsty and is told by the wolf in the mother’s guise, to eat the meat in the cupboard and the wine in the pot. Although the girl is warned by a cat and a bird that she is eating her mother’s flesh and drinking her blood she ignores them after advice from “her mother”. Red Riding Hood then says she is sleepy so the wolf says to come and lie in the bed with it. After Red Riding Hood notices the wolf’s large ears, eyes, claws and teeth, the wolf proceeds to eat her.


A picture inspired by the film and its adaption of Red Cap: http://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Girl-and-the-Wolf-24196034

So now that we have gone through the two stories, Jin-Roh’s creators used the Red Cap story for many great purposes. They played upon was the idea of being a wolf and the characteristics of a wolf and who was the Red Riding Hood, the victim of the vicious wolf. A wolf will eat up one’s trapped victims, despite their connection to you, just as the wolf in the story of Red-Cap eats the girl without caring about her despite the love she shows for her mother. The wolf is seen as something that is a villain, despicable and ruthless; something that is a beast and not human; something that will do whatever it needs to do for its own sake; and something that is emotionless in achieving its goals. The start of the film says if something is like a wolf it is to be cast out, basically that it cannot be human. The very secretive Wolf Brigade will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. The Red Riding Hood character is the one that falls into the trap of the wolf after talking and providing information for the wolf, just as Red-Cap befriends the wolf and tells it about her mother’s house but is then trapped. These characterisations from the original Red Cap story enhance THREE connected aspects of the film: the twists of the story, the internal conflict within Kazuki and the emotion that we feel for Kei. 


Another piece of fanart showing appreciation of the adaption: http://www.deviantart.com/art/A-cruel-fairy-tale-17754857

First of all, the twists of the story are based on who can truly put their emotions aside and actually who is really involved in the Wolf Brigade. Is the emotionally prone Kazuki really part of this division; or is it his friend Henmi, who is willing to let his friend Fuse take the fall to destroy the Special Unit; or is it some other higher ranking official like Muroto who has their hands in multiple pots at once. We have Kazuki who is the main suspect of course. Others talk about him like he is part of the Wolf Brigade, mainly Henmi, and the imagery around him, such as where he chooses to meet Henmi to get information, is all about wolves. So too the imagery of his dream shows he is part of a pack, a brigade, of wolves. However Kazuki is first hesitant to shoot the protestor, then continues this hesitancy during his training, and also seemingly shows sympathy towards the members and family of The Sect. However, as the hints and imagery suggest it is Kazuki is the wolf and not Menmi who in fact becomes the Red Riding Hood, coming into the drawn into sewers following the “insurance” homing chip he put into the girls satchel bag, and subsequently being shot by the wolf. Interestingly in the sewers it is like Henmi is saved to last, just as Red Hiding Hood is saved by the wolf until he has eaten the mother. It is thus revealed Kazuki is part of the Wolf Brigade and his trainer Tohbe is the leader of Jin-Roh, despite providing information to Henmi previously. Tohbe mentions how the Wolf Brigade are not humans disguised as wolves but really wolves in human disguises. All the roles of this Red-Cap reenacting become truly apparent in the last part of this film.


Who part of the Kerberos Unit was in the Wolf Brigade is a bit of a twist, or who is the wolf is a twist: http://www.zerochan.net/920998

Thus the characterisation of the wolf and Red Riding Hood plays a large part of the twists of the plot and what make the film very interesting to watch. In fact it is also notable that there is no huntsman in the Red Cap story they tell. It makes us wonder whether the Wolf Brigade will win in the end, even if they eat their Red Riding Hood. Tohbe even plays on this saying we only have stories of humans beating wolves because there would be no one alive to tell the tale if the wolf won. Thus the story of the Red Cap also gives us a twist of who will win.


Fanart inspired by Tohbe’s line about the Wolf Brigade and their disguise as men: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Jin-Roh-204421134

Who is part of the Wolf Brigade is not the only twist but, simultaneous to the struggle between the Wolf Brigade and the Public Security Division, is Kazuki’s inner conflict. Thus at the same time to this plot of who is the wolf is whether or not Kazuki can suppress his wolf urges and be a human. Does he have human emotions and feelings or is he really just a ruthless wolf-like killer. The beginning of the film says how the wolf is different to the human and the two cannot coexist and Tohbe reminds us of this when talking to Kei in the sewer. However, this question is raised of Kazuki’s characteristics right from the off. It starts when he doesn't shoot the girl in the sewer and then cannot explain why in his trial. As I noted above he is reluctant to shoot others  in training exercises, and he shows a concern for others of the opposite side. He looks to almost empathise with his victims, namely the fake older sister, and The Sect generally. He asks several others, such as Henmi and Kei, whether he is to blame for the girl’s death, implying he has feelings of remorse and guilt. The only reason he joined the Kerberos Unit was because he felt like he belonged, and now he almost looks to understand where the Sect are coming from and their views on society. Most importantly this whole inner conflict is all alluded to with Kazuki’s dream practically at the half way the film. As he gets closer and closer with Kei, the fake older sister, he dreams of following her into a sewer. We notice her face changes from her “sister’s” back into hers but she remains in the same red cloak that her “sister” wore when she died. As he follows and chases her a group of wolves, representations of the other members of Jin-Roh, joins him. Throughout this chase we get glimpses of wolves eating her and her being shot by some member of the Capital Police. As this chase goes on Kazuki and his wolf companions are blocked by a gate, where Kei, on the other side, says you know you cannot come with me. This represents how she wants to run away but how Kazuki cannot. Finally the wolves catch her and eat her, as Kazuki tries to stop them. We have one final shot of Kazuki on a snowy mountain surrounded by wolves, which then turns to a solitary wolf in the same spot as Kazuki was, with the full moon behind it. The imagery is powerful to suggest, with some hindsight of course, that Kazuki is definitely part of the Wolf Brigade but that the real conflict of the movie will be whether he truly feels if he is a wolf.


The all important opening scene, that starts Kazuki’s inner conflict reenacted with Team Fortress Two models: http://www.deviantart.com/art/SFM-The-Terrorist-399954125

This inner conflict continues after his dream. Whilst he dates Kei he shows emotional detachment often, but this also seems just like reluctance to embrace her because he killed her sister. Also when breaks through Henmi’s honey trap to rescue Kei he shows all the cunning and instinct of a wolf but at the same time he never shoots or kills anyone. After they run away they go back to the rooftop amusement park where Kazuki admits his love for Kei, gives her his jacket and kisses her (but at the same time says they can’t run away). This emotion within him all seems to be faked when he emotionlessly suits up to kill the Public Security Division, whilst Kei crying confesses her love for him, and then Kazuki ruthlessly shoots his supposed friend Henmi. However, it all comes to a head when he is asked to shoot his lover. He argues that Kei is potentially valuable for the conflict with the Public Security Division, but Tohbe, Jin-Roh’s leader, throws this argument out the window saying she is better off dead. Tohbe leaves Kazuki with a pistol to shoot Kei. Kei, again crying, recites the ending of the Red Cap story, and Kazuki yells out as if to release all his feelings and pressure he has on him from the Wolf Brigade and his lover. At this moment is the true climax and twist of the story. Will Kazuki turn into a wolf like in his dream? Can Kazuki run away with Kei and is he really sympathetic to others from The Sect? As he yells his face seemingly turns into the snout of a wolf and he then shoots Kei. This inner conflict also beckons the main question asked throughout the film, why did Kazuki not shoot Asami in the first place? Was he really a wolf throughout and was doing it as a way to destroy the Public Security Division, was he really becoming human, or is it a bit of both? The ending to this conflict is so uncertain that the leader of the Wolf Brigade had even order a sniper to make sure he shot her.


This inner conflict culminates when Kazuki must shoot his lover: http://randomcase.deviantart.com/art/And-then-the-Wolf-330923583

Anyway, this inner conflict is also a part of the most emotional part of the film, Kei as an innocent victim within the conflict between Menmi and Kazuki, or rather the Public Security Division and the Wolf Brigade. Kei is the true Red Riding Hood in the story, the truly innocent victim in it. She is used by both sides of the conflict for information, just as the wolf uses Red Riding Hood for information about her mother. She is used by Henmi and his higher-ups to get Kazuki in hot water and then destroy the Special Unit (and the Wolf Brigade at the same time). Simultaneously she is more emotionally used by Kazuki and his higher ups as a fake mole which means she leads Henmi and his unit to the Wolf Brigade and ultimately their death. It is how she is used by Kazuki that gets her the most sympathy and creates the most emotion in the film. We are led to believe Kazuki is not a wolf because he shows such care for his victim’s sister and continues to question his role in the Special Unit. It seems like he falls in love with her as they run away to the amusement park on the roof, but she was using him for Menmi’s purposes. However, the harsh reality was that he was really using her and she truly loves him. She reveals this as he suits up to kill Menmi and how all she wanted to just run away with him or at least die together. She just wanted to feel loved but all this is gone, as Kazuki ignores her only putting on his impassive mask, further alienating her. She realises now she will never be loved by him. She reveals her fear that she will be forgotten, like the destroyed building they saw at the playground on one of their past dates, and that this fear has now come true. Although the real question of whether she will be killed is not answered until the end, we feel the greatest sympathy in the sewers as her she is really in tears, she must face her fears and she realises she has never really been loved. Although the art and entwining of two stories is the best part of this film for me, it is Kei’s story that has the most feeling with it and it is because of the characterisations that the Red Cap provides is why it has such pathos.


This is where Kei earned the most sympathy in the film: http://www.zerochan.net/921162#full

I feel like Jin-Roh as a film is a rather underrated masterpiece. It creates such an emotional and twisting story with a deep internal conflict for the protagonist. However, one piece of it stands above and helps all the other dimensions of the film. This is how the main narrative is intertwined with the narrative of the Red Cap story. It is notable which Red Cap story is used of course too. There is no huntsman to save the day. This double narrative and they way they play off of each other allows the film to be truly great in many narrative aspects. Thus the creators use the characterisation of the Red Riding Hood character, namely Kei, to create a truly emotional piece of cinema. At the same time the wolf character is used for twists, both for who is really the wolf and for whether or not the main character is a wolf or human.


The relationship and its adaption is really great: http://www.zerochan.net/921003