12 December 2022

Roujin Z (Japan, 1991)

An old man is being treated specially by the Department of Health under the so-called Project Z, a special nursing bed with a 6th generation computer on board. When the pain and loneliness of the old man reaches his ex-private nurse, she decides to rescue him from the government's experiment. Thus begins a wild chase through the busy streets of Tokyo as the 6th generation computer begins to have the personality of the old man's ex-wife and as the government's secret project unfolds.

What's impressive with Roujin Z is the names behind it; Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira, wrote the story and screenplay, while Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue) served as art director and set designer. How can it go wrong knowing that? Well, it doesn't naturally. Roujin Z is a wild joyride with stunning animation which of course looks like a companion piece to Akira. All the 90's anime aesthetic you could ask for with that special blend of science-fiction technology and early computer tech with chunky monitors and huge mechanical keyboards. The plot doesn't nearly reach the depths of Akira, being a much smaller film but there's still ambition in its satirical view of older generations and handing them over to robot beds. 


Genre: Animation/Comedy/Sci-Fi. 1h 20min.

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