Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) User Reviews

Not just tentacles and porn.

[Taketsuo · 7/10 · 24 April 2003]

Many people see this as nothing else but another stupid hentai title with cute little girls being raped and killed for no good reason. Well, with such way of thinking, Neon Genesis Evangelion would be nothing more but stupid big robots fighting for entertainment that little boys can watch. Well, that of course isn't the case, is it? Such an opinion is a serious understatement.

First of all unlike other hentai titles I've come across, this series is strongly plot driven. In fact, (almost) all of the sex scenes serve the storyline and drive the story forward in some way, let it be consensual or not.

As for the characters, this movie is unique already in the fact that it's one of the very few films that actually has made me feel something for the characters. Like the character of Niki for instance, or the doomed love of Nagumo and Akemi...I wanted to shed a tear or two for them.

To sum it up simply, Urotsukidoji is very much worth of watching, if you can take the content, that is. If demons with multiple penises raping schoolgirls (which actually happens quite a little, in the first series at least) and the excessive violence doesn't disturb you, I highly recommend this one. As a hentai title, it's 5 out of five. As a movie among others...3 1/2 out of 5.

Nightmarish and bizarre

[MikeK-7 · 7/10 · 26 April 2004]

Wow, if you're reading this review; you've probably heard all the hype and controversy surrounding this movie and to tell the truth it deserves it. From the first 10 minutes of a female teacher turning into a demon and raping a student, to orgies to sodomy to some graphic depictions of violence; this film is an endurance test for a movie-going novice. I enjoyed this first segment in the series, I think the 2nd one (Legend of the Demon Womb) was slightly better, but they are both better than any other in the series including RETURN OF THE OVERFIEND or INFERNO ROAD. The later in the series, the more confusing and stupid it gets. Don't say you weren't warned!

Not "Just Another Hentai"

[dlavizzo · 7/10 · 13 April 2008]

Keeping in mind that this animation was released in 1989, the production values and voice overs are pretty high quality. Having said that, the film itself is rather terrible. The plot is strikingly outlandish and the characters are strikingly undeveloped. I consider this "film" to be basically an animated porn.

While Legend of the Overfiend has a complicated plot, it falls far short of other well known anime such as Akira or Vampire Hunter D. While the violence in either of these animated movies is directly driven by the plot - especially in Akira - the violence in Legend of the Overfiend seems to have little purpose or meaning.

There are some very funny moments in Legend of the Overfiend, but once again, the characters are so cardboard that you get only a chuckle out of them and then forget about it a moment later.

All in all, I would recommend Legend of the Overfiend to anyone that has a deep curiosity about where the current state of Japanese Hentai originated from, but if you really must watch "tentacle porn", try La Blue Girl instead.

YOU CANNOT LOOK AWAY

[jessejace · 30 May 2003]

Possibly the most important Japanese gothic sci-fi tentacle sex horror metamorphosis allegory of our time, Urotsukidouji is poignant love tragedy wrapped in a shroud of horrific telescoping genitals and pink, luminescent semen. This movie is a large part of the reason anime has a negative reputation as porn.

Follow Nagumo as he falls in love, gets killed, comes back to life as a super sex demon and lives happily ever after. His cute, innocent love story with the character Akemi is a grand contrast to his propencity for non-consentual sex with just about everybody he meets. He truly is Everyman. I mean, uh...isn't he?

There is also an incomprehenisble plot about demons and half-humans and the repeated destruction of Osaka, Japan. But you'll have a hard time concentrating on the plot's intricacies, what with all the raping and the killing and the kicking and the hurting.

Part II is also good (maybe better than part I), then the series dissolves into post- apocalyptic gobblediguck. But if you have an insatiable appetite for monster porn, you better watch them all.

Groundbreaking work in the field of lurid sex

[Jerry-93 · 7/10 · 27 January 2000]

I've seen a lot of Japanese movies (anime, as well as live action films), and the one thing that's always fascinated me about Japanese filmmaking is that anything goes; they'll put anything they can imagine into a film. Well, in this fine piece of anime, everything goes. Overfiend is what they call Hentai anime, which roughly translates to Japanese cartoon porn. And this one has the rep of being the most hard-core around.

The plot revolves around a legend that every 3000 years, the Overfiend appears, and unites the three worlds of man-beasts, demons, and humans. But the plot is irrelevant, because it simply serves as something to do between incredibly gory fights and explicit rape scenes (having watched a lot of Japanese films, I've come to the conclusion that there is no consentual sex in Japan: it's all rape). And what amazes me is that Japan, which has very strict censorship laws, puts out movies this explicit that wouldn't even see the light of day in the US.

Whether you'll like this movie or not depends on your tolerance for brutal cartoon sex and violence. The movie itself is very well drawn, and is quite flashy and exciting (and confusing) at times. Perverts will really dig the sex scenes, which might even be titilating, if they didn't all end with the woman exploding. I also enjoy that **WARNING: Spoiler Ahead!** even though the world is destroyed in the end, it didn't prevent them from turning out a number of equally gut-blowing, clothes-ripping sequels. Even if you don't like anime, you should probably see it, just so you will have seen the worst of the lot.

Tentacle Sex....................&.....................Super Sperm.

[M0KUJIN · 9/10 · 6 February 2006]

This movie is prevalent with scene's of extreme sex and sadistic violence. Women / Girls are repeatedly raped through every orifice by what appear to be huge tentacle penises, causing their body to violently erupt into bloody pieces. Penises that are miles long and fire a constant stream of projectile semen more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Japan during WWII. Creatures with more penises than fingers. Slashing, dicing, ripping, beating, decapitation and raping of women / girls. This is NOT animated afternoon fun for the children, or even adults with any morals. To sit through this amazing animated adventure, and the others in the series, one must throw any sense of morality outta the window....

From the opening credits with the picture of a red-skinned demons, every muscle group shaded, doing what you might imagine demons to do with an ominous narration about the legend of the Overfiend (also known as the CHOJIN) and the collapse of the three worlds in the background, the story is completely entertaining. These opening credits also serve as a good warning as to the adult content of the rest of the movie - if you are already feeling queasy or covering your eyes, I recommend you avoid anything in this genre.

The characters are fully developed throughout the film, changing over time as one might expect with the sudden addition of paranormal forces into their ordinary lives. It is a story of love, war, desperation, misunderstanding and ultimately change, following the lives of children becoming adults in a world where demons, super-humans and gods can interact with humans on a very intimate level.

In the beginning of the actual story, a sharp contrast is drawn between the demon world experienced in the prologue and the brightly lit world of the humans. Nagumo is a silly pubescent Japanese high school kid, whom enjoys peeping into the female locker room, obsessed with the girls in his school and enamored by a beautiful Japanese cheerleader named Akemi. Akemi is a carefree, smiling girl-next-door in these opening scenes, when she is summoned in for a conference with a teacher, the true horror begins. The teacher, a Ms. Togami, turns out to be a Makai, a demon from one of the three realms explained in the opening narrative. This is the audiences first introduction to Amano Jyaku, the 300 year old anti-hero from the world of the Jyujin-kai, or "man-beasts", battling the now demonic - Ms. Togami.

From here the story takes off as Amano Jyaku and his sister Megumi search for the Chojin, each following a different character. Nagumo is Megumi's pick, although he seems a small and weak introvert compared to the star basketball player Ozaki (his complete opposite), whom Amano is convinced is the true Chojin, an thus decides to pursue. The story follows the lives of the characters, and although there are strong scenes of extreme violence and rape, none are excessive or distracting from the plot. The violence that surrounds the characters is what drives them, it is the force that promotes the changes necessary to live in the ever changing world of the story itself. A lot would be lost to this story were the violence to be removed or even toned down. However, keep in mind, that it is strongly present before watching this movie, or showing it to others.

To tell any more of the plot would reveal entirely too much of the story. Much of the enjoyment is following Amano and Megumi on their 300 year closing quest for the all powerful Chojin, a search which leads them to a shockingly unexpected conclusion.

If you can forgive the English dubbing (I recommend watching this with subtitles if you can locate the uncut PERFECT COLLECTION DVD), it's a classic piece of Japanese animation.

Not for the faint hearted or easily offended....or those of a nervous disposition.

Had its moments, mainly of the violent death nature, but I think I saw a cut version of the movie.

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 16 January 2010]

The story reminded me of a later film that I saw before this one called "Nightmare Campus" in the United States. It also lived up to its hype in the violence department, but it really lacked in the sex department. Which being the pervert I am was rather disappointing. Seems the version I got was cut to shreds and most of the best sex scenes were cut down to little more than what you would find in your typical Hollywood movie, a thirty second clip that does not really go anywhere. I do not understand why they do not sell this movie uncut, they sell so many other adult anime movies uncut that it makes little sense that the grandfather of them all, I am thinking the first one can only be found in cut form. Well that knocked it down a point or two I really wanted to see the movie in all its glory. Still, it had a somewhat interesting story till near the end where it just went on a bit to long after the one dude went crazy and the world was pretty much in danger. Still, it had some good scenes of demons and such fighting here and there during the trip and the disappointing short sex scenes. The story of the strange being that is destined to unite the three worlds (human, beast, demons) is rather good, but like I said it reminded me a lot of the "Nightmare Campus" movie. The sex in that one was a bit obscured too, and I am betting I watched a cut version of that film as well. The animation is rather good, especially for the time as it is a notch above a couple of other movies during that period though I would still give the edge to "Akira" as far as looks of the film goes. I would also say that one had the better plot too as I did not even care that it had no sex.

Misogynistic fantasies

[Bolo-2 · 3/10 · 17 November 1998]

This is a sick movie, conceived by an impotent schoolboy with some nasty preoccupations with sex and violence towards women.

Though the movie's premise is interesting, its execution is pornographic.

I love manga - but this is vile.

Watch the Japanese version

[prottier · 8/10 · 21 October 2005]

Watch the Japanese version. Avoid the English dubbed version. It has been censored. And the most important clues of the plot happen exactly at those moments that were deemed too graphic for American viewers. As a result, in the English version the story makes much less sense.

Now, about the movie. This is a masterpiece of sick and twisted fantasy, filled with an obscene amount of sex and violence. And usually, the two are combined. It's an epic tale of the fight between good and evil, however, like most anime movies, it's never entirely clear who is good and who is evil. Aside to this, there are several smaller and more personal story lines as well, like the love between two teenagers, a kid and his alcoholic father and a few others.

The quality of animation of anime movies has improved much over the years and this movie is clearly one of the older ones. But it's still unique in its kind. It's one of the great anime classics, together with such movies Akira and Fist of the North Star.

sex and gore, for sure; story? characters? hardly

[enok-4 · 7/10 · 19 January 2001]

Although i did enjoy this movie, it seemed to me like it was created as a simple vehicle for graphic sex and gore. There was some OK art with the demon and demon rape scenes, the characters are contrived and the plot is not much better. I liked the overall story idea of the three worlds and their interaction, the end of the movie is much more interesting than the first half. Anyway i'd say it's definitely worth seeing to make your own opinion, ive only seen it once and now that i own it i might appreciate it more after repeated viewings.E.

Very disturbing

[LarsW-2-2 · 4/10 · 6 July 1999]

This movie has probably done more to tarnish the reputation of the Japanese and Japanese cartoons than any other. Urotsukidoji belongs to the Japanese school of animation known as anime (or manga). There is a special sub-group of manga called Hentai, which refers to erotic material. Some Hentai is humourous or erotic, but some contains bizarre and violent imagery which would have been instantly banned in most countries. Urotsukidoji belongs to the latter category. The world of Urotsukidoji is really three worlds, the world of Humans, the world of Man-Beasts (the Jyujinkai) and the nightmare world of the demons (the Makai). Beings from all these worlds are very sexual creatures. Man-beasts are basically humans with some animal features, supernatural powers, and very few hang-ups about sex. The demons come from a dark world of violent and perverted sexuality. Sex is the driving energy in the world, but it is not the healing life energy Orgone imagined by the idealistic crackpot Wilhelm Reich. Sex in the world of Urotsukidoji is a force that seems to come from women, but ultimately kills them in the most gory ways and transforms men to violent demonic creatures with incredible endowments. Legend has it that every three thousand years comes a god-like being called the Chojin, whose destiny it is to unite the three worlds into the Land of Eternity. The teenage hero Amano of the man-beasts and his sister come to a Tokyo high-school to find the person who is fated to become the Chojin. Unfortunately, several demons have also tracked the Chojin to this school and all hell is about to break lose. The plot after that is just a lot of sex and fighting. The film is pretty well animated, and it is obviously not a low budget project by anime standards. Those who like to be shocked and provoked (liked I used to be when I was younger) might be drawn to this movie, but believe me, the sex and gore is not amusing or exciting and you will feel depressed after seeing it. The plot is very disturbing and you will probably feel rather sick after a while. I lost count of how many attempted rapes there were on the heroine, and women in that world seem to exist literally only to be willing victims, to be raped and ripped apart by demonic lovers. Most of the people who dubbed the voices chose to remain anonymous in the credits. Understandable.

Erotic horror done right.

[Ky-D · 9/10 · 1 August 2005]

One of the earliest 'hentais' to make it state side, this helped spark the uber obsession America's geeks have with anime. Featuring graphic violence, explicit sex and an adult-themed apocalypse story, this is one of anime's best offerings.

The world, it seems, is divided in to 3 parts. The human world, the beast world and the demon world. Demons being evil, beast being good, and humans caught in the middle. An ancient prophecy speaks of a creature, called the Overfiend, which will be born of man and will bring either peace or destruction to the three realms. The race is on to find it's vessel on Earth and harness it's potential power.

The story has more than it's fare share of fantasy and horror, it seeks to balance the two elements and does a nice job of it. But the main reason most people will watch this is the same reason I did: anime-sex. For inexplicable reasons that stuff is just plain hot, probably because they do things in the medium one would never see in a live action film.

The sored acts include all manners of regular sexual activity all the way up to tentacle rape. Yes, I said tentacle rape. However, unlike most other products of it's kind the sex doesn't feel like cheap excess nor does it come off as the only viewing point. Graphic (often fully explicit) though it may be, it serves a purpose with in the larger story. Rather than a stopping point it furthers the action.

Horror purists will be happy to know that mixed in with the sex and fantasy elements is a healthy dose of horror, J-pop style. Dr. Suess-inspired underworlds, great creature designs, and gobs of spilt hemoglobin. The ultimate conclusion is a little hard to get past at first (as with many J-horror films), but it still wraps up nicely.

Anime fans, horror geeks, and the rain-coat crowd should definitely seeks this one out.

9/10

demons sex and gore ya !!!

[nickiemo · 6/10 · 18 June 2009]

3 worlds must unite but will it be a good thing ?, every 3000 years a demon is found inhibiting a human , its up to man-beasts (half human ) to find this demon know en as the chojin , this chojin is very powerful the man beasts consist of ammino and megumi and a small little black character of another species , also there is an unpopular kid named Nicky who love'mekami but she loves the main guy ... ...... now what do i think?? gory and sexual hell yeah!! watch if you love twisted but quality movies some may be repulsed by the blood and boobs , not me! i think its got a good story also check out the equally inane 3quals!! i think this movie rules the animation is great because its from the 80's ....

Thanks, but no.

[a05102267 · 1/10 · 24 July 2008]

Just like "Violence Jack" all the hype surrounding this movie is about the shock value, but deep inside this movie isn't very good or interesting. It is the kind of movie that wants to be "edgy" or "extreme" but fails in the characterization, uses a muddled and incoherent plot and one-dimensional characters.(All the women are defenseless victims or sex-starved harpies and things like that.) Now you could say that " it is a porn movie, who cares about character development", maybe, but I think that "Urostsokidoji" is just the example of why people that hates anime says things like the fans are going to love anything that came form Japan if it have lots of mindless violence, naked girls with big breasts being raped and whining . I only have seen the edited version, so I guess that the original would be less confusing and muddled (or maybe not)As movies go, the art of this one isn't the best. It would have been acceptable as an OAV (which originally was before editing) since the art and animation is decent, if not great. It's an old title, and it shows. Tentacle rape? No thanks.

AN EPIC

[Ketil-Iversen · 10/10 · 9 October 2001]

This is the best anime I have ever seen, a modern classic. The story, characters and animation is just great. However it is not for all people, full of violence, blood and sex as it is. Yet thru the bloodshed it is a story, and I feel that the sex and violent that are present in this movie is necessary to see the whole picture. So if you like Japanese animation films, a solid dose of sex and violence you should check this one out.

Repulsive but Incredible!

[JimT10 · 26 January 2002]

This is rightly considered the greatest of all Hentai movies. Even anti-hentai Anime fans have praised it as revolutionary. But there are some elements of Urotsukidoji should have been dropped altogether. The pointless scenes of rape for one thing. And that schmaltzy scene at the end is badly done. But for all it's extremities, this has the kind of mind-blowing action, plot and animation which could have put it up there with Akira. Behind the sex and violence, director Hideki Takayama and writer Toshio Maeda have nonetheless managed to give us an acute observation of teenage sexual anxiety which has wrongly been interpreted as violent porn. Let's face it, we've all been like Nagumo at some point, hopelessly in love with Akemi but without a chance of catching her. It's both intelligent, observational, with touches of humour and outbursts of outrageousness. In short, it's anime fantasy at it's most humanist level. Very well done.

Craptacular!

[benoitlelievre · 3/10 · 1 May 2005]

Wow! That was bad....and long.People here says that there is a few sequels, but i'll rate what I saw...and what I saw was sh*t. Believe me people, i'm no stranger to Japanese contemporary film, anime or violence in cinema. But, I know where to draw the line between funny and boring violence.

This anime is the constant repeat of a sex scene, of somebody morphing into a demon and the apocalypse-over-Tokyo scene. Sex,morphing, apocalypse, peppered with some pseudo-philosophical cheesy scenes. Serious, i'm not joking here, I went to see this movie to a midnight presentation with friends and we caught two weirdos wanking off between the rows (Believe me people I'm still under complete shock).

I might have understood more if I seen the sequel, but from what I've seen of this movie, you can't really be a sane person and enjoy it.

Violence and gore to a certain amount are fun, past that...it's boring, like alchool

Tentacles, anyone?

[Bataeu · 10/10 · 27 June 2005]

Now, this anime is not for people who like anime such as Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other harmless films/series. As it states on the cover, this anime is "absolutely not for children". The first time I saw Urotsukidoji: Legend Of The Overfiend I was not prepared to see the mix of tentacles and schoolgirls. I was pretty shocked, and turned it off after the opening sequence. But curiosity lured me back, and I watched the film after figuring, 'hell, it's only a cartoon'. What I saw was like no other anime I had seen before. OK, there's plenty of tentacles to be seen in this film, but plot-wise it's a pretty good horror anime (with lots of nudity and sexual situations). This anime is well worth a watch to the more mature anime viewer.

Nagumo, tell me it was just a bad dream.

[film-critic · 2/10 · 15 November 2005]

This is the perfect example of an animated series that begins with 100% full force, but somehow forgets its footing, its actual roots, or plain disregards the foundation it was built and quickly destroys from within. I began watching "Legend of the Overfiend" with some hesitancy. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but I knew that it was going to be both violent and sexual. Boy, I wasn't wrong, but what made this first film stand above was the story itself. "Legend of the Overfiend" may have quite a bit of rape, violence, and nudity, but the science-fiction story behind these actions is incredible. It reminded me of the first time that I watched the film Ghost in the Shell, it broke some boundaries, but the story was incredible. Sadly, that is what hurt the other three films. While I was watching these series, I made a note, if I could take the sex, nudity, and rape, put it all to the side, and still enjoy the story, then the animators and storytellers were doing a great job. With "Legend of the Overfiend" I was successful. "Legend of the Demon Womb" was slim, and it failed with "Return of the Overfiend". By the last of this series, the animators had grown too big for their britches, the story was completely destroyed, and our familiar faces seemed like strangers by the end. Everything that you never wanted to see happen to a series happened with Chôjin densetsu Urotsukidôji.

I must admit, this was a shocking series. It is impressive to see the leaps and bounds that Japanese animation is taking, and how they are bringing adults into a very child infested market. I have always thought that is what American animation needs to do, but alas, we just haven't caught on. Here we have amazing stories coming from overseas that are not afraid to push the sexual envelope and instead of embracing them, we shun them as pornographic and dismiss them as garbage. While I agree that half of the second film and all of the third could literally be labeled as garbage, you have to give some credit to the creative mind behind this series. This is not an easy storyline. It is deeply embedded in science-fiction themes, strong folklore characters, and imagination. It was like reading Dune and watching Akira simultaneously. It would be difficult, but once you got fully immersed in the stories, you would be lost in the sheer beauty of the world. That is exactly what happened here. It is a beautiful story of survival, of humanity, of heroism, but because of the graphic nature of the sexual scenes, it is not regarded as important outside of cult circles. We could argue all day behind the power of the sexual scenes, but again, if you look back to the story … if the story is what draws you back to the remaining films, then you know that you have found a winner.

With those good remarks said, it is now time to shred the rest of this to pieces. "Legend of the Demon Womb" bordered on idiotic. The entire beginning references to Hitler and the door to Hell nearly made me laugh. It did not seem to follow the groundwork that "Legend of the Overfiend" seemed to have laid. While the segments concerning Nagumo's cousin's disaster were intense (as well as secret form), the story began to fault when the focus fell less on the imagination of the world, but instead on the scenes of rape. You could see a distinct difference between these two. Then, there is the third installment, which is just disastrous. I could not watch it all, but instead continued to fast forward through the ¾'s scenes of rape just to find any remnants of the story. Sadly, there wasn't any. Again, all of our characters seemed to be forgotten, the original story was completely shelved, and we were left with nothing creative, nothing original, and nothing enjoyable … just random sex with overly clichéd beasts. It just wasn't worth the time. With that said, this final installment ruined the whole series for me. If a team cannot follow the beginnings of their story throughout the course of their characters, then what is the point of continuing? By the end of "Return of the Overfiend" I felt tired, apathetic, and bored.

Overall, I wasn't happy with this series. Again, the beginning installment, "Legend of the Overfiend" was my definite favorite (if I had to name one) which boasted a great story and original characters. After that, it just quickly fell downhill. The inability to continue a story that remained true to itself hugely disappointed me and irritated me. Urg. I started with curiosity and ended with aggravation. For those looking to start this series, watch "Legend of the Overfiend" and end, if you watch either "Legend of the Demon Womb" or "Return of the Overfiend" you will only find chaos, disappointment, and a complete lack of respect. BLAH!

Grade: ** out of *****

An epic masterpiece of death, destruction & rebirth

[DrDSmooth · 10/10 · 13 March 2001]

An erotic story of a young man coming to terms with his destiny. To become the Overfiend, a being of mass proportions and mass destruction with side of uncontrollable lust. The imagery is astounding and shocking at first, once that has subsided the beauty of this epic tale penetrates your very soul. Story wicked, Animation Shocking, this movie rocks I recommend that you should attempt to see it. Not for the faint of heart.

Would squick even the Marquis de Sade

[etg1701 · 2/10 · 5 October 2006]

If ever there were a case where the use of the admittedly repugnant term "degenerate art" is justified, this is probably it. Guaranteed to put anyone's faith in freedom of expression to the test, this movie has it all: demons, violence, rape, and of course tentacles. You know you're in for something truly terrifying when even the heavily censored version released in the US is rated NC-17 is banned outright in several nations. To be fair, underneath the endless sex scenes and gruesome violence, there is an interesting, though hardly sublime, plot, apparently a hentai/horror take on the Nietzschean übermensch.

Those with weak stomachs will definitely want to give this one a pass. Those with strong stomachs will want to bring a vomit bowl before starting. Even de Sade would feel a little sick in places...

All time best anime porn!! Watch it to believe it!!!

[Justice_Rater · 10/10 · 21 November 2006]

First of all if you are a person against porn it will be intensely hard.. I mean "HARD" to sit through it. But importantly this movie is one of the founding fathers of anime porn tied in with Sci-Fi,complex storyline, action packed, and when I say action I mean intense fights against each other, intense hot sex one scenes on top of another--raping of beautiful women crying rampantly with alien tentacles malfunctioning in all the wrong places where all your wildest and twisted dreams comes true in satisfaction....and I'll leave the rest to your imagination but I bet it will be too difficult to even try to think in the middle of it. I enjoy watching it and highly recommend watching this over your usual everyday same boring porn.

Sickening

[Phyton · 1 April 1999]

This manga film is a sick movie! Women are getting raped by monsters. At one point sperm is being licked off the face of a woman by a monster. There is a lot of slash and gore. The story is very simple and yet they manage to tell it in a confusing way.

I think I just don't get Japanese animation.

Sex, Violence, Sexual Violence galore, Urotsukidoji is Anime At Its Most Hardcore

[wchngliu · 2/10 · 24 August 2007]

I don't wish to sound like some moral, right-wing conservative, social commentator but Legend Of the Overfiend is the most disturbing and shocking thing I have ever witnessed. The Japanese animation team, Manga with their Anime efforts have produced some of the most groundbreaking- yet violent cartoons of the 20th century: from Fist of the North Star to the excellent video game adaptation of Streetfighter, the Ghost In The Shell series to the wonderful Akira and Tokyo Babylon.

But with Legend of the Overfiend,it is a animated film which has very graphic- and when I say graphic i mean explicit- pornographic and violent scenes which most people will be easily offended by. What I dislike in particular about Legend of the Overfiend is the women characters are portrayed as weak, naive, easily led types who fall victim to incessant acts of rape, sexual torture and manipulation on the man's part. The sexual acts are of a lurid, decrepit and almost freakish nature, the use of the male penis as a tool of control and empowerment over women, and the fact the film has scene after scene with humans and creatures doing it with each other and with one another, with such devastating consequences. LoTO is cartoon porn of the extreme, and yet for all the mindless acts of violent rape and sex alike, it seems as if the writers of this Anime film were probably unaware of the massive Aids and HIV epidemic which was spreading in numerous parts of the world, during the 1980s.

Amazingly, whilst this cartoon would've warranted an outright ban in a number of foreign countries, LoTO is sold in various music and DVD retailers across Britain, for instance. I was browsing in the DVD section of a music and entertainment chain- I won't disclose the name of it though- and I saw a few copies of Urotsukidoji available in store.

Anyhoo, this was just an excuse for the creators to shock, upset and infuriate people, as well as to further excite fans of hardcore Anime. Whatever intentions the writers had in regards to the narrative and plot and the mindset of the characters, this is all completely forgotten by the time the over-the-top violent and excessive rape, sex and general violence overshadows everything in sight. Though often it is done in a way that fails to establish any kind of reasoning, understanding and clear motive as to why certain characters behave in the(obnoxious)manner that they do.

Women having large tentacle penises inserted inside their vaginas, fights, beatings, beheadings, lesbian sex, blood, gore, rapes this is all hardcore stuff indeed.

In truth and not to sound like some bloody pervert, I don't mind love scenes in a movie, or be it an adult cartoon- just as long as it is done tastefully, that it is carried out for a good reason, and that good reason does not provoke or hurt other people along the way. But with Urotsukidoji, the sexual acts are carried out in a manner which does hurt other people- both psychologically and emotionally that no wonder the characters- good and bad are all screwed up, sick and demented. Although with the antics of the good characters, it makes you wonder how evil and low that they can become alongside the bad guys, because of their selfish and narcissistic intentions that they too are just as detestable and so dislikable to a certain degree.

Because this is animated therefore, people can get away with doing things like this seeing as the main people involved are the voice-over actors. If this was a feature length film though, then Legend Of the Overfiend would have to get past film censors and be given the green light by the likes of the British Board of Film Classification. But that will never happen and the BBFC will not allow the producers and the director to screen a film as excessively violent and hardcore as this is.

I mentioned before that this was the most shocking thing I have witnessed and whilst in some movies the sex and gore is used to titillate and entice viewers, you may in the end feel nauseous, appalled and after watching Legend Of The Overfiend, offended afterwards. Therefore, if you are easily offended by violent or sexual acts, particularly violent sexual acts such as rape, then I would urge you to stay away from this. If this was supposed to be marketed as some underground sci-fi, horror porn movie, then it has succeeded I guess in that attempt. If you're into this sort of thing, then be my guest go and take a look at this, if you want. But if like me and thousands of other people, you find this type of stuff repulsive, gory and hideous then avoid this at ALL times

The power of legend:: also for "some" women.

[vajrasoiree · 8/10 · 12 March 2005]

What I've always loved so much about this first series is that it's more then just gore and extreme sensuality. That only empowers the effect it has on the mind. It's the power of the legend, the primordial story of love, lust, desire and power that makes this film worth seeing. Not only for adolescent, oversexed/gore loving boys, but for some women also. If you can stomach it of course. Cause Urotsukidoji is simply not for the weak hearted. It is Japanese: the sharp Christian line between good and evil (is the Chojin good? Is Kyo-O evil?), sugarcoated with a Hollywood-sause is simply not to be seen here. Thank God! Cause thats what makes it so interesting. The graphics are great, the storyline complex, the images highly erotic, dark and will not leave your mind easily.

A must for all anime/hentai/horror/cult-lovers!!!