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Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004 Dark Sabre Publishing
Group.
All rights reserved. |
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Ichi The Killer
Episode Zero |
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Title:
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Ichi The Killer Episode Zero |
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Publisher:
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CPM |
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Price:
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$24.99 |
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Length:
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47 Min |
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Release Date:
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09/21/04 |
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DVD Region:
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1 |
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Genre:
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Action |
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Description |
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The
mind-shattering prequel to the hit cult thriller Ichi the
Killer
A masochistic mobster meets his match in the dark streets of
Tokyo. His nemesis, Ichi, is a psychopathic killer with an
unrelenting thirst for bloodshed. A horrifying secret burns in his
mind, and his hands deal death without mercy. At last, the shrouds
of mystery are parted to reveal the origin of the monster. The
city will know its greatest fear at the unveiling of Ichi the
Killer!
Warning: Ichi The Killer: Episode Zero is suggested for viewers 16
and older. Contains scenes of graphic violence and occasional
nudity that may not be suitable to those who find such content
objectionable. Viewer discretion advised. |
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The Review! |
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I’d be the
first to admit I’m a gore hound. I enjoy the macabre, disturbing
anime most people would shy away from. Those anime where they let
their hair down and say “hey, lets see some body parts explode”.
There’s the good (Fist of the North Star, Devilman) and the bad
(Battle Royale High School) but Ichi is one of those middle of the
road types, it’s disgusting and disturbing, but you can only go so
far with that, thankfully it’s backed by the psychological theme
of one screwed up kid with a killer drop-kick.
As the title suggests, this is a prequel
to the bloody live action film, which itself is based on the
original manga (still as of yet not picked up for the American
market). It starts with the final fight between the crying
assassin known as Koroshiya Ichi and Kakihara while Ichi’s
“creator” Tanabe watches on with glee, finally having Ichi take
down the man he wanted dead for so long. As soon as your thrust
into the slightly altered ending (I think the anime was going for
how it went down in the manga, the live action film still had
Kakihara with his limbs intact) you’re taken back before the first
“gomen“, before the yellow 1 embossed combat suit, before Ichi’s
first drop-kick.
Ichi is one of the most pathetic
characters, ever. Yet for all his lameness, he hides a deadly
power. Think Shinji Ikari if he actually had the strength to beat
the crap out of anyone by himself. His life is a continuation of
getting beat up, being extorted by his only friend, and having to
listen to his parents
midnight S &
M sexfests. It’s only a matter of time before someone in Ichi’s
position would snap and kill all of them in a bloody rampage.
Since he’s put into a situation that would make any one sympathize
with him, you can’t help but do just that, even when he’s
administering a bloody stomp down on his friend who’s been
blackmailing him ever since he got excited and killed the school’s
rabbits. If there’s a protagonist to be found in this, it would be
Tanabe, mostly since his scheme to “activate” Ichi by use of his
numbered agents to see if he really is the “one” to kill Kakihara.
His theory is Ichi is the perfect for the job seeing as he gets
sexual pleasure in killing, something Ichi denies, but it’s there.
Dub wise, it’s good for what it’s worth,
nothing spectacular, so I’d suggest you’d put it on the Japanese
track, which has a guest appearance in the beginning by Ichi
director Takashi Miike as the voice of Kakihara. Extras are
virtually nonexistent on this DVD, you don’t even get the original
film’s trailer or the behind the scenes work on the anime like the
Japanese copy has. All you get are a scant few trailers for U.S.
Manga Corps Anime and Manga. The only surprising thing is that
they’d make a trailer FOR Manga at all, very uncommon these days.
The whole OVA is a series of odd
disturbing shots and sexual overtones, I mean this is the story of
a boy who can only get an erection by killing. I’d recommend this
to Ichi fans only, since it really only serves one purpose in
giving more back story to why Ichi is so screwed up to begin with.
The animation itself is lacking, and could have been better, but
I’m guessing it was rushed to get anything Ichi out on the market
anyways. For insane anime gore lovers there’s barely much to go
around anyways, so you’re out of luck there. It’s kinda a copout
that the anime can’t even match the live action films surreal
violent tendencies, but then again, it wasn’t created for that,
it‘s simply just a short prequel to that will happen in the film.
For the rest of you gore hounds, I’d stick
with the film version. |
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Bottom Line |
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Version 2.0
