The first thing that my astute readers may notice is that this isn't the Ranma Ichiinobuno review that I promised. Way to go, wiseass. Okay, that's a little harsh, and I apologize. But you're still a wiseass.

Actually, the Ranma review is dragging because of a problem I had in writing it. I started to recap EVERY episode, and there's over 100 episodes, including a full season that hasn't even been released in the US. So I put that on the back burner so I could give it my full attention this coming week and decided to write a review on a movie that I owned.

The first DVD case I grabbed was Wicked City, a fast-paced tale of intrigue between a supernatural world and our world. Only in Japan can a movie like this be made, because the sexuality in the movie is very strong. How strong? Read on, gentle reader…

Renzaburo Taki is a man who leads a secret double life. His life as a limo-riding, Lear jet flying playboy is a cover for his secret profession: a member of the Black Guard, a person who protects our world from the creatures of the Black World.

The Black World is another dimension, filled with nightmarish creatures, beasts, and demons. Humans and Blackworlders have co-existed in almost complete harmony for the past 500 years, however the secret treaty between the two worlds is about to expire, and thus Taki is given a task: along with another member of the Black Guard, protect Guiseppe Maiyart. Maiyart has to be present at the signing of the new treaty for it to take effect, otherwise a war will break out, and the Earth might.

This task is made very difficult when a group of radical militants from the Black World make it clear that they have no intention of co-existing peacefully with humans. They believe that their kind should rule over humans, and as such they decide to keep the treaty from being signed. Since Maiyart has to attend the treaty signing, they decide stop the signing by eliminating Maiyart!

Taki is jumped at the airport by two militants and is about to be killed by them when his partner for the mission intercedes: Makie, a female from the Black World. She uses her psychic powers to help Taki eliminate the militants, and they wait for Maiyart's plane to land… but it explodes in a ball of fire when it touches the landing strip!

And the movie ends…

Ok, no it doesn't. I'm a wiseass, too.

Maiyart actually flew in early, to avoid such possible hits. The three of them hit the road to a sanctuary with anti-Blackworlder protections built in. That doesn't matter as another militant nearly kills Taki and almost rapes Makie without finding out that they stashed Maiyart in the bathroom. Taki saves his partner before the sex scene gets TOO out of hand, and they discover that Maiyart has flown the coop to go to a "massage parlor", against Taki and Makie's distinct orders.

There, another militant makes another attempt on Maiyart's life… the one "massaging" him. Taki and Makie save him, but he is rendered catatonic by the attack.

As they speed away, Maiyart pitches a fit and spits out a parasitic worm… which proceeds to grow to gigantic proportions and attack the three of them! Makie, of course, is the one who gets singled out by the giant worm, and a very brief quasi-tentacle scene follows. However, Makie then sacrifices herself to save Taki and Maiyart from the parasite… and thank goodness for that! If I had to watch Guiseppe Maiyart have tentacle rudeness performed on him, I'd probably throw my DVD remote at my TV.

Maiyart and Taki reach a psychic hospital, where Taki learns that Maiyart will survive his attack. Then Taki receives some disturbing news: Makie is alive, a captive of the militants, and since she has been branded by them to be a traitor to their cause, she's being tortured by having her chained and bound body used as a sex toy for a small group of men from the Black World.

Seeing Makie abused in this way angries up Taki's blood. He accepts the challenge from the leader of the militants and goes to save Makie, despite the very virulent protests from Maiyart.

Taki makes it to the hideout, saves Makie, and seemingly slays the leader of the militants. However, the leader regenerates his body, and suddenly the two Black Guards are being chased by the spiderwoman (you have to see this character to believe it) and the leader of the militants. Will they survive long enough to protect Maiyart and get the treaty signed and ratified? Will they be act upon the feelings that they've developed for each other? Are there any more tentacle scenes?

This movie is damn good, I believe. The plot is pretty good, for what it is. The fight scenes are pretty good, and the animation is well done. Both the sub and dub are passable… this movie is better with the subtitles, in my opinion.

This movie is directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, the man who directed the critically acclaimed Ninja Scroll. He also directed Demon City Shinjuku and the second Vampire Hunter D movie (which I have not been able to see, at this time… *sob*).

The movie is rated NC-17. Reasons: lots of graphic violence, lots of gore, and LOTS and LOTS of graphic sexual content. Don't ask about the Black World female that attempts to get information from Taki by "absorbing" him into her. That scene shocked the hell out of me and my friends… and I've watched some pretty nasty stuff with them before. Therefore, I believe that it takes quite a bit to shock them. This movie did that on several occasions.

Taki's character is built pretty well, however his female counterpart is there for one reason. She's the means to the end. She's also there to suffer unspeakable acts from giant worms, rape from supernatural men, demeaning comments and sexual harassment from that pervert Maiyart, and to try to shield Taki and Maiyart from attacks.

Maiyart is a type of character that is seen in many other anime titles: the short old lecher. However, Maiyart is given a little more leeway than others in his actions: he swears and bitches at Taki and Makie constantly when they don't give him what he wants, he hits on Makie endlessly (I have no doubt that he would be brought up on charges if she pressed them), he tries to get the two agents who are protecting him to take him to a whorehouse.

He is an X-rated Happosai, without the nasty habit of collecting women's unmentionables.

Does the story fail because of the sex, as some have claimed? I don't believe so. I don't think it helps it any, really, but it doesn't drop this story into the overdone hentai department. The action and horror elements help keep the story moving well, and the plot swerves keep the viewer on their toes.

The movie is a combination of a gritty film noir and a horror gore-fest. This movie is NOT hentai, however, it's not for children. And if you can stomach the violence and the sexuality, this is a movie that you should see, in my opinion.

RATED: 9 out of 10.

Just remember: if this movie disgusts you, don't get angry at me. However, I believe that most of the people who read this would probably have no problem with it.

That does it for this review. Hopefully I'll get my Ranma review capped this week. If not, I'll throw another stop-gap column together.

Until next time, I'm Nate, Cthulhu help me.

(Originally posted on ohemgee.com (wouldn't go "voom" if you put 500 volts through it); reprinted by permission of the author.)