Shin Kyûseishu densetsu Hokuto no Ken - Yuria den (2007) (V)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Writers:

Buronson (manga "Hokuto no ken")
Tetsuo Hara (manga "Hokuto no ken")

Release Date:

23 February 2007 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation

Cast

Hiroshi Abe	...	Kenshirô
Takashi Ukaji	...	Raô
Yuriko Ishida	...	Yuria
Debitto Itô	...	Jagi
Chikao Ôtsuka	...	Ryûken
Kenyû Horiuchi	...	Toki
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Souther
Shinichirô Miki	...	Rei
Takuya Kirimoto	...	Shin
Unshô Ishizuka	...	Sôga
Yûsaku Yara	...	Darma
Katsuhisa Hôki	...	Rihaku
Daisuke Gôri	...	Fudô
Nobuyuki Hiyama	...	Shuren
Hiroshi Tsuchida	...	Hyûi

Also Known As:

Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Yuria (International: English title) (informal title)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Company:

North Star Pictures

Movie Connections:

Spin off from "Hokuto no Ken" (1984)

The horrors of post-apocalyptic super-powered martial arts warfare seen from the heroine's point of view

Anyone who's ever seen Fist of the North Star will tell you that the female characters were pretty much there solely to be rescued or serve as sacrificial lambs, so this made-for-DVD place holder (until the next theatrical feature) beefs up the role of Yuria — rechristened "Julia" in the English version, presumably to distance her name from sounding like a urinary reference — and adds further details to her covert role as the last general of the Southern Cross Fist (if you aren't well-versed in this series, don't ask; it's a long story). However, while admirably fleshing out Yuria's role the writers have rendered much of the mystery and surprise of the tale's events moot by having her serve as a behind the scenes manipulator whose actions create a whole new level of pointless retroactive continuity.

This is the first truly "girly" Fist of the North Star story, and as a result much of the insane fighting, violence and showering gore is absent, attempting to make the viewer feel guilty for enjoying the carnage that they wanted to see in the first place, and while not boring this is not what a fan of the series would want. And for those who know this stuff, this DVD recounts hero Kenshiro's origin, bits of the Rei storyline, and sets the stage for the next film, Toki's heartbreaking battle with the ruthless Raoh. Now, that's a film I want to see!