Ôkami no monshô (1973)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Masashi Matsumoto

Writers:

Jun Fukuda (writer)
Kazumasa Hirai (story)

Release Date:

9 March 1973 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A wolf finds himself transformed into a teenage boy. |

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf

Cast

Taro Shigaki	...	Akira Inugami / Wolfguy
Makoto Fujita
Michiko Honda
Yusaku Matsuda	...	Haguro
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Toshio Kurosawa

Also Known As:

Coat of Arms of the Wolf (literal English title)
Crest of the Wolf (USA) (bootleg title)
Horror of the Wolf
Mark of the Wolf

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Toho Company

Movie Connections:

Followed by Wolfguy: Moero ôkami-otoko (1975)

Novel Ookamino Emblem made into movie

This is a movie that's loosely based on Kazumasa Hirai's novel the Wolf Guy series. Actually this is the Young Wolf Guy series which the original story takes place in a high school. The movie does not follow the original plot, but borrows the the elements to create its own plot. Akira Inugami is an outcast because - he's different. He's a wolf guy. His super human power waxes as the moon reaches the full phase and he is invincible. Even bullets can't hurt him. But when the moon wains to new moon, his power goes back down to an ordinary human. So this is not your usual "warewolf" story, but the wolf guy is a new kind of a super hero. Combine that with the fact that he's a teenager in high school, and you have one explosive plot. Akira Inugami gets bullied in school because he's "different". Physically, he's got nothing to worry about, because he can beat the crap out of any bully when the moon is full. The real issue is that he's a lonely teenager with no one to confide his secret except for a young school teacher Akiko Aoshika. They are actually two of a kind. Hirai calls transformation of humans into animals "Zooantlophy". Aoshika is latent zooantlophy who haven't discovered that she can actually transform into a deer. CIA is out to capture Akira to dissect him and learn about the secret of his super human physique. Akiko is captured and Akira goes to rescue her at his weakest when the moon is new. Will he succeed ? Kazumasa Hirai is one Science Fiction writer who's works should be translated into English. His ideas are unique, exciting, and fresh. The original novel of this movie "The emblem of the Wolf" would make a great Hollywood movie, and his other Wolf Guy series novels (Such as the "Adult Wolf Guy series") are equally unique. Someone really should put a good subtitle to this movie.