Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

christopher-underwood I realise Ichi hardcore fans were disappointed with this short animated feature that depicts the killer's early years, but I rather enjoyed it. Purists are unhappy with the dollops of SM orientated sex that peppers the film and whilst I can understand that I rather liked the links made with the sex and violence. It may come over a little pat here but it is rare enough that the link is even touched on in most mafia/yakuza movies, when the link is surely undeniable. Some have also criticised the muddy and occasionally ugly animation, but again all seemed well suited to the subject matter. I liked the domestic scenes and the inevitable references to school qualifications and bullying and overall thought that a very decent job had been done. I see no sign of a sequel that would take us into the same time frame as the original live action film and this presumably reflects that not everyone felt as well disposed to this as I.

MisterWhiplash Keep this in mind: this isn't some of the slightly more sanitized Adult Swim material on Cartoon Network. Ichi the Killer Episode 0 is hardcore anime, meant for probably some of the sickest f****s digging around for whatever they can in the most gritty video bins in some dump of a store. In its 40 minute running time the filmmakers backtrack into the life of Ichi, the memorable sadist from Takashi Miike's film. It's basically all about Ichi coming back from repressed teenage years where he's got the mind of a six year old trapped in a body that's half psycho-libido, and half just psycho killer, the two merging most of the time. Ichi is, of course, trained this way, or rather controlled by forces that use him as a killing machine. But we also see a side to an anti-hero that we might never ever see, which makes him so much of a crazy bird that we almost try and move away from the screen as killings go on, loaded with harsh sexual connotations that would probably scar for life some small children if seen.It's a violent, insane spectacle, filled with the kind of imagery that only comes out of a comic book that has the reputation to still shock in the 21st century. Lots of sick martial arts moments tinged with just that extra over-the-top belt of surreal mania, as Ichi cries and cries and grows aroused all the more from one killing to the next. I recommend it probably more to those who would already be seeking out anime that's a little more than what would usually be used to seeing; the drawbacks are kinda glaring for most though, including an overbearing soundtrack (sometimes used would have been alright, but this constant starts to take a toll on the narrative, and such awful techno-pop carp), and an ending that seems to cut short just as a whole other narrative seems to start up. It goes without saying I can't see why a show like this wouldn't be picked up - you'd need an exec with the guts of a Tarantino or, for that matter Miike, to see it through without damning the creators to hell and starting a religion to repress this trash. But as trash it is, there's some art stuck in the middle: abstractions done and fashioned as if out of the most deranged fever dream ever conceived in anime.

maxyg18 Do not be confused because ICHI THE KILLER: THE ANIMATION EPISODE 0 is not the prequel to Takashi Miike's 'live-action' version of Hideo Yamamoto's infamous manga, it is the prequel to Hideo Yamamoto's infamous manga.It's about Ichi when he was a student in high school and how he was bullied, what he was like when he was with his family and friends and how he became a twisted and sadistic assassin.This prequel is really cool: good animation, a well-written script and a hardcore soundtrack make this film worth a watch. Although some people may find this film too short or too much like a big music video. Other than that, it's worth watching, but read the comic book before watching it.

jsangspar Koroshiya-1, Ichi the Killer, is a great movie; probably among the best, most vibrant and entertaining movies ever made. It's serious, and takes itself seriously- as it should.This terrible release does not. It takes Ichi's story and essentially adds parts that don't exist in either the manga or the film for entertainment value- there are several pointless sex scenes (such as Ichi's parents engaging in S&M), and the entire thing is melodramatic and absolutely horrible. This is amateur writing at best- it's like something a high-school student would write in an attempt to shock; the cause-and-effect relationships are basic and tenuous at best.Technically, the animation and art is among the worst I've ever seen; ugly characters with absolutely broken anatomy and about three frames of movement each. I watch a lot of anime; the problem is not the style, but this release in particular. The music is perhaps suitable, but still dull; nothing like the film's wonderful primal sounds.As it's mostly unwatchable and physically painful to sit through, I gave it a 2- some very minor redeeming values (like the novelty of Miike being Kakihara's voice- pretty neat), but as a whole, completely worthless.