If you are a fan of action anime, you should be well aware of the works of Yoshiaki Kawajiri; with the likes of Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust to his name, he has crafted many of the genre's most memorable efforts. Naturally, I am a big fan of Kawajiri's movies- his sleek and attractive character designs are a world apart from today's more plastic aesthetics and he knows how to make fun action movies; stories filled with disgusting demons, stylish blood shed and noble heroes, he rarely bogs himself down in philosophy or overly complex narratives and simply delivers short, sharp bursts of exciting anime.
Kawajiri's 1989 movie Wicked City was one of his first directorial efforts but with his unique artistic vision already coming to the fore; this was a breathless and raw horror story.

Unknown to most, salary man Genzaburo Taki is a devoted member of the Black Guard organisation. He is a modern day gun-slinger who has sworn to protect human life from the blood-thirsty demons of the Black World (a parallel dimension to the human world, teeming with horrific monsters). Mankind and demons have been fighting a bloody war for what looks like thousands of years but finally, after months of negotiation, peace could be on the horizon.

While the peace treaty is being prepared, Taki has been ordered to protect Guiseppe Maiyart- a perverted old demon whose appearance at the negotiations is vital to their success. And unfortunately for them, it seems that not everyone wants peace.
Joining Taki on this mission is the beautiful Makie, a strong female member of the Black Guard from the demon dimension. Together they must put aside their racial differences and get the job done; protect Maiyart with their lives.

80 minutes later, you will be reflecting on the extremes of horror, sex and violence. No doubt, this is a movie intended for adults and if you are a little squeamish about rape and sexual violence, steer well clear of Wicked City. Although Kawajiri has since toned down the eroticism often found in his earlier movies, here he pulls no punches when it comes to sex; the opening five minutes of this movie are alone enough to leave any man with a distinct impression of true horror- mid-intercourse, Taki's latest female admirer transforms into a spider like demon, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. There is something utterly terrifying about this scene, it works perfectly as a surreal moment of authentic horror and sets the vivid tone for the rest of the movie.

So by now, it should be clear that if you love the gruesome body horror of classic movies like John Carpenter's The Thing, you will probably enjoy the strange delights of Wicked City. But that said, can it stand outside of this specific genre? I doubt it, characters like the noir-inflicted Taki and Makie are likable but hardly compelling and the story is little more than an excuse to move us from one stylish action scene to the next- not to mention the heavy sexual violence which at times borders on being uncomfortable and exploitive.
However, what does make this movie worth watching over a decade since its creation is the stylish animation and surreal aesthetic vision. Kawajiri and Madhouse Studios have gone to great lengths to create a dark atmosphere, leaving the viewer feeling uneasy and disturbed, while the character designs are sleek and at times beautiful; the modern background art is moody and authentic. Wicked City is a dark movie, stalking us with its nightmarish visuals.

In Summary

Wicked City is hardly a classic example of superior Japanese animation but on stylish visuals alone, there is a lot to admire here. Famed action director Yoshiaki (Ninja Scroll) Kawajiri brings his trademark no-holds barred story telling to the movie, and while the sexual violence will leave many people with a bad taste; this is a surreal slice of 1980s horror that contains more than enough disturbing moments to satisfy horror fans the world over.