Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999)

after reading many of the reviews i want to make the comment that i think movies like jin-roh should be judged as films and not just within the confines of the genre of anime. anime isn't really a genre, it's a type of film, but it's still a film and there's no reason why you wouldn't compare those elements that it shares in common with other films. i watched this film because i read so many excellent reviews for it; however, it's now clear that most of the reviews i read were looking at the film from a very narrow point of view. i'm not saying that i thought jin-roh was bad, it just wasn't very good. i have no problem with slow pacing or oblique narratives, it's just that, in the end, all this needs to add up to something. it wasn't that i was confused as to what was going on or unsure what characters were feeling etc., it's just that i didn't care. although the filmakers successfully engaged my emotions in the beginning, before long i was feeling as numb as the brooding hero, and by the end i was just thinking, "god, just get it over with."

Fmovies: I saw this at the New York Japan Society two and a half years ago. The director was there to take part in a symposium on Anime. For some odd reason this film has not received wide-release even in the major US cities (as far as I know anyway). Having just visited Japan, I found that it is only now being released on DVD but not on VHS; supposedly there are bootlegs videos of it going around New York but with the visuals this film offers to watch a crappy version of it would be a shame. Anyway, the film's a good one, one of the better anime films, up there with "Akira" and the works of Miyazaki; it's much better than the director's previous work "Ghost in the Shell." Similar to "Ghost in the Shell," the plot is confusing but not to the point of causing frustration and/or sleep. It sort of reminds me of the begining of "Akira": an underground movement vs. the government--minus all that sci-fi garbage. The animation's state of the art as you should expect. The animation featured in anime is usually top of the line but it's the stories that tend to disappoint. This film is the exception, its got the animation and the story something only a handful of anime films can claim. If you can find it watch it. Highly recommended.

After seeing this in the stores for a couple months and wondering if it was worth the $$$ i came to find out a friend of mine had bought it so he invited me over to check it out. Man am i ever glad he did because i would have been disappointed had i dropped the cash for it!!!

Jin-Roh is by no means a bad movie in fact it's quite good IF you have the patience it requires. After the opening riot scene things slow down ALOT. It's like 3/4 of the movie is spent building the movie up but it never really delivers in the end. I remember thinking "all that time for THIS ending?!"

As far as the animation, it is top notch. There is definetly an epic feel at work. Sound is also superb.

I think if maybe there had been a bit more action in the middle of this show it would have gone a long way in making this a bit more interesting.

Killer start and then a long middle and finally a pretty unsatisfying ending added up to something i wasn't thrilled about seeing save maybe for the art it'self.

I am pleased to see anime producing more mature adult titles. I am sick of mechs, dbz, and f#*king tentacles. For a welcome change from the above mentioned crap check Jin-Roh out(hey this review was just my opinion, you may love it) or better yet go pick up the far superior Perfect Blue

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade fmovies. Jin-Roh is one of those few animated films that not only transcends the boundaries of it's medium, but also displays more emotion, heart and depth than most live-action dramas. It is a film that destroys any preconceived notions any audience might have about the true power of animation and how much emotion "mere" drawings can convey. Upon viewing this great film one might ask why it was even animated in the first place. It probably would have been cheaper and easier to produce as a live-action feature, but herein lays the beauty of this sublime film: it is the strength and integrity of its animation that emphasize the dark, mysterious and surreal themes of the picture.

Jin-Roh was written by legendary Japanese director/writer/producer/animator Mamoru Oshii and directed by the freshman Hiroyuki Okiura. However, make no mistake about it, Jin-Roh looks, feels and IS an Oshii film, even having its gorgeous score written by long time Oshii partner Kenji Kawai. Jin-Roh explores the themes often touched upon by Oshii. Themes of human beings becoming detached alienated and threatened by the very technologies and societies they themselves have created.

Jin-Roh is, quite loosely, based upon the childhood story of Little Red Riding hood. It is set in an alternate reality where after WWII, Japan is under complete Martial Law becoming little more than a police-society upset by constant social unrest, political terrorism, and near civil war. The government set up the ultimate police force, the Wolf Brigade to combat the thousands of citizens fighting for economic stability, social justice and their identity as a nation ravaged by warfare. The revolutionaries have a special "unit" of terrorists that resemble Little Red Riding Hood. These girls dressed in red cloaks deliver baskets, baskets full of bombs, to their evil wolf-like Grandmother, the Wolf Brigade.

Although this story could have easily set itself up to be a military action-thriller, what transpires is nothing short of a harsh, tragic love story between one of the "hoods" and the very "wolf" she so desperately wants to kill. With that being said, Jin-Roh is, with out doubt, one of the most depressing journeys into the psyche of a soldier blinded by his idealistic, oppressive leaders, and a social revolutionist numb to life after years of civil and social unrest.

While watching live-action films it is easy to forget about all the craftsmanship that went into creating the final picture: it easier to view the film as an entity within itself. This is not the case with well-crafted animation. The viewer is constantly aware of the vast amounts of detail, heart and soul that were poured into each and every frame. Animation should be regarded as the pan-ultimate art form. Animated features are the only form of art to incorporate all of the major media: Film, acting, painting, writing and music. And Jin-Roh is a work of fine art when it comes to all of these aspects. The animation is smooth and natural, almost having a roto-scoped feel to it, the music is as moody, beautiful and moving as any soundtrack ever recorded, the director and layout artists worked together to craft each shot with the utmost care, and the script and it's delivery are near flawless.

If there is anyone out there who doubts the emotional power of mature, adult animation, then I challenge you to view Jin-Roh and not walk away marked by its brilliance. Once again Oshii has proved that animation, when done correctly, is not only beautiful,

I actually found the animation to be lacking. Maybe I am used to the latest Japanese animes that capture everything perfectly from expression to little details. That is not saying that it has bad animation, just that it looks like Akira, even if it is made in '98.

The story is great. I liked both the storytelling as the story itself, with many unexpected twists and (well, it IS Japanese) a very depressing atmosphere. The soundtrack is nice, too, as many people noticed.

What this movie is about is what it is to be human in an inhuman world. I think they specifically chose such a detailed yet alternate world to put the setting in. It is not science-fiction, is ultra-reality. It shows not the beauty of the world, but the place where we all sit to look through the window at a beautiful world that doesn't exist. The worldly waiting room.

It would be pointless to repeat who the characters are and what they do. Enough to say that this is a must see for anime fans as well as any other cinema lovers. If you want something bloody and pointless, watch something else.

I can compare it with Grave of the Fireflies, although it wasn't THAT heartbreaking, or with Akira. It also feels a lot like Natural City.

Whoa. Everything seems to click in the right place with Jin-Rô. Awfully tragic and cold story of a man with the nature of beast trying to interact with an ordinary girl. Of course it's all wrapped around political conspiracy plots and lots of references to fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood", but I think most of the time the movie still works quite nice as it is.

Animation is fluid and smooth, soundtrack is beautiful and the few action sequences the movie provides simply kick ass. But the main thing in Jin-Rô is the impossible and tragic relationship between a beast and a man. This aspect is done extremely well in the movie, thanks to supporting soundtrack, great voice actors and painfully emotional and touching end. I dare not to spoil it, but these kind of endings are rare in the movies, animated or real. Bold move, and it works like a dynamite.

Jin-Rô exceeded all my expectations, although they were quite high before I ever saw it.