Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade Review
Jin-Roh (Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade) Synopsis (Written by My Anime List)
After witnessing the suicide bombing of a terrorist girl, Constable Kazuki Fuse becomes haunted by her image and is forced to undergo retraining for his position in the Capital Police’s Special Unit. However, unknown to him, he becomes a key player in a dispute between Capital and Local Police forces, as he finds himself increasingly involved with the sister of the very girl he saw die.
Sometimes in life, we are faced with a dilemma that forces us to really ponder who we are at the core of our being. The decision we make here can have ripple effects that can be far-reaching. While it’s not as easy to see the effects of the ripple in the real world, anime can offer a parallel view of what the decision process can look like and the aftermath. Jin-Roh is a movie that offers such a window but is it worth watching during these quartine times?
Mental health awareness is a common thing in today’s day and age but it’s a surprise to see that a film from 1999 decides to emphasize an officer going through post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The story ran parallel with what seemed to be a german version of red riding hood which was supposed to reflect the main character. The pacing is slow-paced which is good for this type of story that is trying to really highlight Fuse’s psyche but at times the movie dragged along the way to slow just to try to throw all types of symbolism in your face. This can turn people away because it can make the story more complex than it really needs to be. Luckily, the overall tone of the story doesn’t get dragged down by these problems and it rewards the viewer with a satisfying ending that really brings everything together.
Movies typically tend to get a larger budget than television shows, so it’s to be expected that Jin-Roh would look good. The quality of the artwork looked like it was made in more recent years. I enjoyed the dull colors as they most likely reflected the dire times of the country and the view that Fuse had on the world. The design for the Special Unit was the best part of the movie. The suits looked like human-sized tanks and that seemed to radiate this menacing energy from them. Unfortunately, you don’t see these awsome suits of armor often.
The sound director Kazuhiro Wakabayashi did a great job of using music that brings out the emotion within the scenes. Also, the music never distracted you from the scene as well. The voice acting was dubbed and it was high-quality work from top to bottom. The high-quality voice acting was really surprising since the movie came out during a time when anime was still very niche here in the west.
Fuse does not come off as a character you can relate to and get behind to support. The viewers are strictly there to witness a man struggles with his self-identity and PTSD. Fuse is the type to rarely talk as well which made it so the supporting cast 90% of the talking. That is similar to playing a silent protagonist in a video game. I think the lack of voice you can associate with his character will make it hard to remember him as time goes on. That most likely could have been on purpose because the part the movie was highlighting is the story.
Most importantly, the movie was enjoyable and it’s a shame that it’s not brought up more anime circles. I think the emotion attached to the movie will carry with me a long time. Fans of anime should give this movie a watch at least once because I think you’re doing yourself a disservice by not watching it.
Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Character: 8/10
Enjoyment: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
