Anime Detail

This is a database of older and less well known anime and manga \| Menu \|
		Anime Detail -Help-

Back | Anime titles | anime in romaji order | Shoujo | W.M.T | Old Anime | Manga titles | Blog Home

Information

Title (English) Legend of the Overfiend

Title (Japanese) Urotsuki Doji

Advertising
Fantasy Novel

Notes Not suitable for juveniles.UROTSUKI DOJI-Legend of the Overfiend ( 3 OVAs, JAVN, 1987). A product of the Japanese pornography idustry.
English markets as movie version. Also known as "Wandering Kid". See also RETURN OF THE OVERFIEND, Legend of the Demon Womb.

Classification -

Synopsis

Review UROTSUKI DOJI (a.k.a. Legend of the Overfiend a.k.a
Wandering Kid),(Manga Video), 106 mins, cert 18,
｣12.99
"Legend has it that every three thousand years the
Superfiend CHOJIN attempts to unite the three worlds of
Humans, Man-Beasts and Monster Demons into the Land
of Eternity. But this legendary land turns out to be a
sickening place of horrendous violence, uncontrollable
lusts and supernatural forces beyond the imagination."
So says the publicity blurb. This is not the easiest film to
review. UROTSUKI DOJI was notorious in anime
fandom as ultra-porn, and before release here the film
was investigated by the Obscene Publications squad,
trimmed by its UK licencees, and censored by the BBFC.
Yet UROTSUKI DOJI is a valid work of art; when it's
as safe for young girls to walk alone at night in Britain as
it is in Japan, we'll be entitled to castigate its Japanese
creators. And not before.

In fact, in its UK censored form, the film is not more explicit than other Cert. 18 horror movies of the type much favoured by the British under-class. Nevertheless, for fans of explicit horror, the movie offers plenty of grue and sexual tittilation. The monsters are astonishing, and look decidedly more convincing than those usually seen in live action horror. The action is fast-paced and brutal, and the dubbed dialogue has been peppered with four letter words.
The human characters are sufficiently interesting to
attract our sympathy. The heroine, a university student,
suffers much humiliation at the hands of the more
demonic characters. Interest flags in the latter part of the
movie where the human characters feature less, and the
'ending' of the story is very weak.
If this was just another nasty film, it would not have
attracted so much attention. Perhaps surprisingly,
UROTSUKI DOJI is good enough to merit some serious
attention. This is an gripping and well-made piece of
animation. Though unpleasant, the film is astonishing,
disturbing and well enough scripted to engender a certain
suspension of disbelief and an unnerving descent into
nightmare and darkly beautiful visions. For the more
thoughtful viewer, viewing this is not necessarily a
particularly enjoyable experience, but, like a visit to a war
zone, it's not necessarily an experience one would wish to
forego. The experience of shock can be profound. Made
with disregard for any restriction on what may be shown
in a piece of art, the film exploits its theme of largely
sexual violence to the full and will challenge many
viewers in terms of what he or she feels comfortable
watching. The line artwork is particularly fine, with
figures and faces drawn with greater realism than is
customary in anime, and the visual effects amaze.
UROTSUKI DOJI has evoked mixed responses, even
among anime fans. Some people found it unwatchable,
but it did quite well in the shops at the beginning of 1993
and, evidently favoured by fans of horror and gross-out,
it sold 10,000 in the first two weeks and got into the
video Top 10.
Some, like TIME OUT, think it's "the kind of Japanese
import we can do without". The release, though very
successful for IWC is in one sense regrettable as
UROTSUKI DOJI is not typical of most anime. That said, Japanese
culture is NOT the same as ours, and this movie lifts the
lid on a Japanese sub-culture of violent and sexual
material that very few Westerners are equipped to
understand. Hence we unavoidably judge this alien art
through Western eyes. An unsettling film then, which
balances art with extremes we can hardly dare imagine.
In this case the cert. 18 really means what it says. This
movie is entirely unsuitable for juveniles. If you are not
sure of your response to UROTSUKI DOJI, you may be
well advised not to watch it. On the other hand, if you
are a fan of such material, you're probably on your way
to the video shop already.

Credits Dir: Hideki Takayama
Oroginal Story: Toshio Maeda

Episodes

Release UK:VHS, US:VHS, US:LD

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 1987

Production JAVN, Angel

Broadcaster

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

Back

Skin design by DivxDB

Information
Title (English)	Legend of the Overfiend
Title (Japanese)	Urotsuki Doji
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	Not suitable for juveniles.UROTSUKI DOJI-Legend of the Overfiend ( 3 OVAs, JAVN, 1987). A product of the Japanese pornography idustry. English markets as movie version. Also known as "Wandering Kid". See also RETURN OF THE OVERFIEND, Legend of the Demon Womb.
Classification	-
Synopsis
Review	UROTSUKI DOJI (a.k.a. Legend of the Overfiend a.k.a Wandering Kid),(Manga Video), 106 mins, cert 18, ｣12.99 "Legend has it that every three thousand years the Superfiend CHOJIN attempts to unite the three worlds of Humans, Man-Beasts and Monster Demons into the Land of Eternity. But this legendary land turns out to be a sickening place of horrendous violence, uncontrollable lusts and supernatural forces beyond the imagination." So says the publicity blurb. This is not the easiest film to review. UROTSUKI DOJI was notorious in anime fandom as ultra-porn, and before release here the film was investigated by the Obscene Publications squad, trimmed by its UK licencees, and censored by the BBFC. Yet UROTSUKI DOJI is a valid work of art; when it's as safe for young girls to walk alone at night in Britain as it is in Japan, we'll be entitled to castigate its Japanese creators. And not before. In fact, in its UK censored form, the film is not more explicit than other Cert. 18 horror movies of the type much favoured by the British under-class. Nevertheless, for fans of explicit horror, the movie offers plenty of grue and sexual tittilation. The monsters are astonishing, and look decidedly more convincing than those usually seen in live action horror. The action is fast-paced and brutal, and the dubbed dialogue has been peppered with four letter words. The human characters are sufficiently interesting to attract our sympathy. The heroine, a university student, suffers much humiliation at the hands of the more demonic characters. Interest flags in the latter part of the movie where the human characters feature less, and the 'ending' of the story is very weak. If this was just another nasty film, it would not have attracted so much attention. Perhaps surprisingly, UROTSUKI DOJI is good enough to merit some serious attention. This is an gripping and well-made piece of animation. Though unpleasant, the film is astonishing, disturbing and well enough scripted to engender a certain suspension of disbelief and an unnerving descent into nightmare and darkly beautiful visions. For the more thoughtful viewer, viewing this is not necessarily a particularly enjoyable experience, but, like a visit to a war zone, it's not necessarily an experience one would wish to forego. The experience of shock can be profound. Made with disregard for any restriction on what may be shown in a piece of art, the film exploits its theme of largely sexual violence to the full and will challenge many viewers in terms of what he or she feels comfortable watching. The line artwork is particularly fine, with figures and faces drawn with greater realism than is customary in anime, and the visual effects amaze. UROTSUKI DOJI has evoked mixed responses, even among anime fans. Some people found it unwatchable, but it did quite well in the shops at the beginning of 1993 and, evidently favoured by fans of horror and gross-out, it sold 10,000 in the first two weeks and got into the video Top 10. Some, like TIME OUT, think it's "the kind of Japanese import we can do without". The release, though very successful for IWC is in one sense regrettable as UROTSUKI DOJI is not typical of most anime. That said, Japanese culture is NOT the same as ours, and this movie lifts the lid on a Japanese sub-culture of violent and sexual material that very few Westerners are equipped to understand. Hence we unavoidably judge this alien art through Western eyes. An unsettling film then, which balances art with extremes we can hardly dare imagine. In this case the cert. 18 really means what it says. This movie is entirely unsuitable for juveniles. If you are not sure of your response to UROTSUKI DOJI, you may be well advised not to watch it. On the other hand, if you are a fan of such material, you're probably on your way to the video shop already.
Credits	Dir: Hideki Takayama Oroginal Story: Toshio Maeda
Episodes
Release	UK:VHS, US:VHS, US:LD
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	1987
Production	JAVN, Angel
Broadcaster
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.