SYPNOSIS
The live action version of the hugely popular 70s anime "Devilman" is set to take the world by storm. There has been advance interest in the movie from about 40 countries, a number expected to reach about 50 and far more than the previous record for a Toei movie of 30, set by "Battle Royale 2". The extremely violent manga version by Nagai Go, which has sold over 8 million copies, originally appeared in 1972 in "Shukan Shonen Magajin" and the anime first aired on TV Asahi in July of that year. The story tells of a world where demons wreak havoc and only through being possessed by the demon Amon, Lord of War, can the hero take them on. The dark hero role of Fudo Akira/Devilman is played by Izaki Hisato (20) while his twin brother Yusuke plays his friend Asuka Ryo, who later becomes his arch-enemy. Both are members of the pop group Flame. Also appearing are supermodel Tominaga Ai (22) as the female demon Siren and Sakai Ayana 819) as the heroine. The movie, which cost \1 billion and was directed by Nasu Hiroyuki (52), is set for domestic release on October 9.
Even after 30 years, the original Devilman manga has the ability to shock readers with it's apocalyptic imagery and sharp deviation from the storytelling cliches of good triumphing over evil. It's no doubt surprising that such a work is being made into a live-action film.
Director Hiroyuki Nasu has made movies based on manga before, including Bebop High School, and he's now shouldering the difficult task of directing the Devilman movie without diminishing the shock value of the original. He says, "I have to express many different concepts. Devilman is like balava - it's composed of multiple layers but you taste it all at once. It's a very complex work... Devilman isn't a simple hero. The story questions the very origins of time and space. In this world there is no order, only ever-expanding chaos. Can a hero really exist in a place like that? I think we can succeed in providing such sharp-edged entertainment."
Devilman will be played by the promising first-time actor Hisato Izaki, who got his start in the JUNON Super Boy Contest. He says, "Inside, Akira [the main character] has very firm principles. No matter how much he's hit, he'll never hit back. But when he becomes Devilman, he does things he wouldn't do normally. That conflict is interesting."
Akira Fudo is wedged between humanity and demonkind in search of salvation. Keep an eye out for his dark shadow in the sky.
STORY: Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka have been best friends since childhood. Ryo's father, Professor Asuka, drills into an underground lake at the South Pole, seeking a new type of energy. But that "new energy" turns out to be demons, intelligent life forms that evolve by taking over the bodies of other species.
A Mix of Digital and Traditional Effects
Top notch staff members who have worked both inside and outside of Japan have joined up to make this live action movie. They are trying to create a radically new kind of visual approach. Hiroshi Butsuta, famous for his work on Makai Tensho, is the special effects director; Takeshi Himi of the Digimon movie is the CG producer; and the CG animation director is Naoki Miyahara, who was both art production director and a key animator for Dragon Ball Z. From the fierce aerial battle between Devilman and Siren to the shocking last scene, the spectacular imagery of Devilman will make the world take notice.
A new, big budget adaptation of the long running, hugely popular horror/action anime created in 1972 by Go Nagai. A sprawling, apocalyptic and violent tale of battling demons that has a considerable cult following, any attempt to transfer "Devilman" to the live action medium was always going to be an uphill struggle. It involves the accidental release of a demonic species from Antarctica, whose numbers spread via an infection, which corrupts and transforms normal people. This leads to an apocalyptic war, in which humanity only hope is Akira (Hisato Izaki, from Japanese boy band "Flame"), a weedy teen who merges with a demonic entity to become Devilman, a powerful, yet conscientious beast that fights both monsters and the fascist and brutal human forces trying to wipe out the new species. Akira is opposed by his former best friend, the somewhat psychotic Ryo (Yusuke Izaki, twin brother of Hisato, and fellow "Flame" member), who becomes an equally powerful demon, and a host of other creatures that pop in and out of the story before it all conveniently finishes up with a climatic showdown.
Directed:Hiroyuki Nasu
Genre: Action / Fantasy / Horror / Thriller
Cast: Hisato Izaki, Yusuke Izaki
Runtime:112 min
Also Known As: Debiruman
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
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