Demon City Shinjuku
| Demon City Shinjuku | |
|
Cover art for the novel | |
| 魔界都市 (新宿) (Makai Toshi: Shinjuku) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror, Action |
| Novel | |
| Written by | Hideyuki Kikuchi |
| Published by | Asahi Sonorama |
| Published | 1982 |
| Original video animation | |
| Directed by | Yoshiaki Kawajiri |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Licensed by | |
| Released | October 25, 1988 |
| Runtime | 80 minutes |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Hideyuki Kikuchi |
| Illustrated by | Shinichi Hosama |
| Published by | Akita Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Original run | June 27, 2002 – September 26, 2002 |
| Volumes | 2 |
Demon City Shinjuku (Japanese: 魔界都市 (新宿) Hepburn: Makai Toshi: Shinjuku) is a novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi that was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) in 1988, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The title has also been translated as Hell City Shinjuku and Monster City. It was also released as two manga by ADV Manga in 2003 and 2004. The novel was also released in English in 2011, compiled with its sequel Demon Palace Babylon.
The film was released in North America by Central Park Media in 1994. Portions of the opening fight scene were featured in the 1995 cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic.
Plot
The movie begins with a battle between former friends, the evil Rebi Ra (also pronounced Levi Ra) versus the short-lived hero Genichirou. Rebi Ra has allowed himself to be possessed in order to gain the incredible powers of evil and plans to summon demons to conquer the world. Defeating Genichirou and destroying Shinjuku, a part of Tokyo, with a devastating earthquake, the area becomes a demon-haunted wilderness. The novel doesn't have a fight scene between Genichirou and Rebi Ra. It opens with a quiet time in Shinjuku and then in a sudden change the Demon Quake hits only Shinjuku.
Ten years later, the World President, put in place to uphold world peace, is attacked by Rebi Ra with cursed plants indirectly to keep his old master, Aguni Rai, as the protector of the president, occupied. However, Rebi Ra did not know that Genichirou had a son who inherited his powers and more. After an emotional plea from the president's daughter, Sayaka Rama, the unlikely hero Kyoya Izayoi follows her deep into the heart of the evil city, finding new allies and terrifying enemies along the way. In the novel Aguni Rai asks the Information Bureau Japan Section Chief to look for Kyoya as the only one who could stop Rebi Ra. The Section Chief tests Kyoya with a commando cyborg and then relates to Kyoya that the president is in a life-threatening curse and only has three days to defeat Rebi Ra before the president is killed as the ritual sacrifice to bring the Demon Realm to Earth, which he failed to do years prior, causing the Demon Quake. During the course of explanation Aguni Rai uses a doppelganger to communicate to Kyoya from New York in hopes of convincing him to save the world. Sayaka soon enters and pleads with him to do so as well. Kyoya finally decides to help because of Sayaka's pleas.
Characters
((in order of appearance))
Genichirou Izayoi – the father of Kyoya Izayoi, the first to face Rebi Ra – getting himself killed in the process. In the novel he didn't fight Rebi Ra, but trained his son and ended up dying of a fever.
Rebi Ra – the dark lord who desires to gain power and conquer the world; destroys Shinjuku
Kyoya Izayoi – the hotheaded hero and a big flirt and pervert at times; Genichirou's son; studies the art of Nempo
President Kozumi Rama – the World President, in charge of world peace; father of Sayaka Rama
Sayaka Rama – the daughter of the World President; pleas with Kyoya to save the world
Aguni Rai – the Nempo sensei to both Genichirou and Rebi Ra; protector of the World President
Old Woman – sells information in Shinjuku for high prices. She is later devoured by the spider demon
Spider Demon – one of three major demons summoned by Rebi Ra; uses raw physical force
Young Man – a young ally that aids the main characters on their journey
Mephisto – a strange, cloaked man of unknown power who sits idly by to watch fate unfold
Kuro – a mutated, two-headed dog belonging to the young man
Illusory Demon – one of three major demons summoned by Rebi Ra; uses illusions and water
Lady Demon – one of three major demons summoned by Rebi Ra; uses acid and strangulation
Reception
Hyper's Daniel Wilks criticises the film for having "only vaguely interconnected action scenes punctuated by some rather dull talkiness marred by horrible accents (the heroine is unconvincingly British and the childish sidekick speaks with a mangled Mexican drawl)".[1]
Related works
Demon Palace Babylon is the direct sequel to Demon City Shinjuku written six years later in 1988 and follows Kyoya, Sayaka, and Mephisto as they battle against King Nebachanezzar and his four knights. This was released in the United States in a complete edition with Demon City in 2011. It was also released as two manga by ADV Manga back in 2003 and 2004.
Demon City Hunter is a series of 17 manga released in Japan that follows Kyoya, Mephisto, and Sayaka after the events of Demon City Shinjuku. ADV Manga published 2 of these in English but did not finish them.
Yashakiden: The Demon Princess is a set of five novels that is based in the Demon City universe and has Mephisto reappearing but with a new hero, Setsura Aki. Setsura is a P.I. specializing in missing persons, but now he and Mephisto must go up against a group of vampires led by "Princess" who plan on making Shinjuku a vampire metropolis. the last novel will be released in English in March.
The Demon City Shinjuku Role-Playing Game was published by Guardians of Order in 2000.
References
- ↑ Wilks, Daniel (December 2006). "Demon City Shinjuku". Hyper (Next Media) (158): 85. ISSN 1320-7458.
External links
- Demon City Shinjuku (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Makaitoshi Shinjuku at the Internet Movie Database