Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989)

If sacred ground had an opposite

By: JWBM

The uncut version of this is one of the most over-the-top animes I've laid eyes on. It's one of those films that you have to double check not only who's in the room, but who will potentially come home and accidentally walk in on some of the scenes shamelessly displayed. Not only is it incredibly dark and violent, it's also perverted to another level beyond innocent fantasies: being at the far back of the mind of even the most demented person's imagination. Films such as "Violence Jack," and "Wicked City," set this up to knock it out of the park and run the bases two times over just because. One doesn't know whether to stick around, keep one eye open, or run for cover.

A large focus of this tale is of a foretold legend and what's to come from it for the three species of worlds: will better times be ahead, or will darker times swallow up any shred of light? Maybe a mix of both. There's a pull and tug between demons and humans, with the half-breeds to bring together a balance of sorts. Demons bring senseless destruction and chaos: from murder, and rape, to any other form of the heinous acts that go along with it. As far as they are concerned, things are just fine and dandy just the way they are. The more reserved half-breeds—while perverted, and just as capable of danger—are hanging on to a dream that the legendary Chojin will end up stopping the madness.

This is part fantasy, action, erotic, post-apocalyptic, coming of age, and also part horror. The tone shifts are sometimes at complete opposite ends of the spectrum: going from utter carnage and perversion, to light and fluffy teenager stuff. You'll witness scenes that will potentially leave scars for how utterly far they're taken, to then in the next breath have a kind of innocent high school love angle with sparks in the air. But, then again, that's what makes this work: if everything were painted black and red, the contrast would become monotonous despite its rugged edge. Needless to say, this is not for someone with a strict moral code. Take the scene with the nurse, turned demon, turned penis-arms taking every bit of advantage of a poor, innocent student behind closed doors. You'll never look at a nurse's office or even a predatory octopus the same again.

While the experience is one bounds-pushing sensation after the next, the underlying direction is not as linear as one would hope for. In some ways, it's a great collection of some memorably creative, perverse, and horrific ideas stirred up and let loose into the air. Some of the story—as simple as it is—does get a tad muddled at points with everything going on.  Also, a few of the character representations and voice-overs are somewhat awkward and silly, such as the two henchmen from the Makai world. Or the somewhat misplaced, cute, and perverted looking monkey thing that follows around Megumi: a half human, half demon with no sense of how a lady wears a skirt. Though, the first time I saw this, I walked away wide-eyed and with a few more check marks shy from my imaginary list of things I can say I've seen in the world. That seems to be the ultimate point here: to serve up a movie watching experience like no other you can escape into. "Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend" is what you get.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Hideki Takayama (Captain Future, Gu-Gu Ganmo)
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link