A young man yearns for the peace of mind and purpose of asceticism through Buddhist monkhood. Unfortunately for Ninko, he is inexplicably irresistible to women, making his attempt to leave behind Earthly desire and pleasure all but impossible. They harass him in the street, literally flinging themselves at him, heaving bosoms exposed when he appears. His popularity vexes him and breeds an uncharacteristic envy in his monk companions.
One day, upon venturing into the woods, he comes across a kind of female sexual demon who seeks to overpower him with her own wanton desire. Ninko resists, but soon finds that his demon may be closer to destroying him than he thinks.
Director Niwatsukino Norihiro's directorial debut, Suffering of Ninko, is a unique exploration of the nature of desire, the challenge of fighting nature, and a downright bizarre tale of sex demons that captures the imagination quickly and, at 70 minutes, tells its story succinctly and effectively. It's a weird film filled with stylistic filigree and the occasional psychedelic interlude, but its otherwise relatively straight-forward in its narrative. Most importantly, it's a lot of fun, and the kind of bold and unusual filmmaking that will appeal to fans of Japanese exploitation as well as those more steeped in traditional period films. Definitely worth checking out.
The Disc:
Third Window Films Dual Format (Blu-ray/DVD) release is exceptional looking. It's a new film, so the digital-to-digital transfer is great and the original lossless stereo soundtrack is very effective. It's also worth noting that though the film got a US release, that disc is only DVD, and the film really benefits from this Blu-ray upgrade if you are Region B compatible.
The disc comes with two significant bonus features that are unique to this release. First up is a 45 minute interview with the director in which he discusses his influences, and impetus to make the film at length. Niwatsukino is an eloquent speaker whose insights add a lot to the audiences understanding of the film. Also included is his short film Strawberry Jam in which young love is expressed through the an obsession with the titular spread.
This is a great disc and Suffering of Ninko is a really interesting little film that is sure to make fans of anyone who gives it a chance.
Miike Takashi is one of our favorite directors at Screen Anarchy. You kind find detailed reviews of his work going back to the very early days of the site over 14 years ago, so when a new work appears, we always jump on it. One of the latest films to hit US home video is his recent manga adaptation, As the Gods Will, a super gory, bizarro, FX laden teen survival adventure.
One day a traditional Japanese doll head called a Daruma appears in a high school classroom and appears to play a game with the students. These games are all traditional children's games, but the stakes are far more deadly than anyone ever expected. Heads explode, some children are eaten, others are smashed; before long there are only a few remaining and the only thing they have left to survive is each other.
Ard Vijn reviewed the film at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2015 and had this to say:
[W]hile it is nowhere near Miike's best, it is a very entertaining slice of "gory and batshit crazy" indeed.
Those looking for social commentary or a satire about economic Darwinism will have to look elsewhere, or at least wait for the next film: in this one, Miike is clearly just out to entertain us with some thrilling, flashy, un-clean fun.
I tend to agree. There's nothing groundbreaking about As the Gods Will, but it is among Miike's better recent attempts at gonzo cinema. I liked it more than Yakuza Apocalypse and thought it certainly moved along better than Blade of the Immortal, but your mileage may vary.
The Disc:
As the Gods Will looks great on Blu-ray from FUNimation. Unfortunately for fans, the disc is bare bones apart from a few Japanese and US market trailers. I recommend the film, for sure, but most places I've seen have priced it a bit higher than I'd find appropriate for such a slim package.
