BIG ASS WARNING As per Ard's subtle suggestion we should warn you that while lofty in price and loaded with nummy bits this version DOES NOT have English subtitles. This aritcle was presented as such solely because we have heard good things about the film, there are some of you out there who speak Japanese, and we hope, more than likely, that the HK discs will have English subtitles. This BIG ASS WARNING has been presented to you by ScreenAnarchy.com.
Takeshi Kaneshiro stars as an accidental caped crusader in the delightful fantasy action-adventure K-20! Based on a Kitamura So novel which is itself based on characters created by legendary writer Edogawa Rampo, K-20: Legend of the Mask gives a fanciful spin on the storied rivalry between master detective Akechi Kogoro and phantom thief "The Fiend with 20 Faces", or K-20. Co-starring Nakamura Toru (Shaolin Girl) as Detective Akechi plus top actress Matsu Takako (Hero) and rising star Hongo Kanata (The Blue Bird), K-20 offers a fun time at the movies full of quirky characters, rooftop escapades, mind-twisting mysteries, and good old swashbuckling action.Directed by Sato Shimako (Wizard of Darkness), K-20: Legend of the Mask is set in an alternate 1949 Japan still under imperial rule, and rife with class conflict. In these chaotic times, K-20, a masked thief who steals from the rich, is both villain and hero, and a perpetual thorn in the side for crime-busting detective Akechi (Nakamura Toru) and his assistant Kobayashi (Hongo Kanata). With the city of Teitu buzzing over Akechi's engagement with duchess Yoko (Matsu Takako), poor circus acrobat Heikichi (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is hired to take photos at their engagement, but he gets mistaken for K-20 and arrested. Realizing he's been set up, Heikichi manages to escape, but there's only one way to clear his name: to capture the real K-20. YesAsia
I thought for sure someone here had seen and reviewed this film. Maybe I remember Todd had seen it at HKFilmart and recall that he liked what he saw. But Yikes. At a whopping $68.49 US for this Japanese Deluxe Edition I don't imagine we're going to be hearing the Velcro ripping on everyone's old school transformers wallets. But it comes with a 64-page thief training booklet [64 pages!!], a bookmark [for books!!], and a Fiend of 20 Faces replica warning letter [which you can photocopy over and over and give to friends to which they'll reply WTF?], plus making of, trailer, and other extras.