I have to admit, I am not a big fan of horror films. This might stem from the fact that I wasn't really allowed to watch them while growing up and usually found myself disappointed when I would sneak peaks at them at friends houses. Despite the fact that I have enjoyed quite a few zombie films, I think my horror disillusionment must have leaked into the zombie genre, because even though I have liked a few, I could really care less about most of them. Insert Tadanobu Asano and I pick it up off the shelf without even reading the synopsis, or blinking, for that matter. So, when the film started, as pretty as he is, I thought it was on a downhill slope. The cheap sexual jokes were a bit crude and I couldn't really get past some of the cheese. And then something changed; it got funny.
東京ゾンビ is based on the manga by Yusaku Hanakuma, and it isn't your typical gory zombie movie. In fact, the zombie's are kind of background for Fujio- an afro-ed Tadanobu Asano, and Mitsuo- a bald Sho Aikawa, slackers who live in a fire extinguisher factory where Mitsuo mentors Fujio in jujitsu. In one of the first scenes we find them on the floor of the fire extinguisher factory, locked together in a jujitsu embrace. They take turns humorously switching up their positions until Mitsuo's boss comes in to yell at him. He pushes Mitsuo onto a carpet, rolls him up in it and starts slapping him on his bald head, degrading him. Fujio quietly picks up a fire extinguisher and smashes the man on the head with it, killing him. The pair react with surprise -not horror- and Fujio exclaims that he didn't mean to kill him. Oh well, they decide to bury him on Black Fuji -a mountain of toxic waste and trash where many an accidental death are laid to rest, though they actually turn into zombies. Fujio and Mitsuo are unaware that they are actually dealing with zombie's at first, and we watch them come to realize what is happening to them and then decide to head north, to Russia, and become real men. Except, they actually end up driving in circles and encountering more zombie's.
The pair are hilarious together; their relationship touches on love, companionship, teacher student, father son. I thought that the part where Mitsuo sings a poem about his health problems to Fujio was absolutely adorable- when he finishes, he explains that he wrote a poem because it would be too embarrassing to just talk about -it reveals just how close they are, even though this is already kind of obvious because they are often found locked together on the floor; they do bicker like an old married couple. As the story progresses Fujio and Mitsuo are separated; we watch Fujio 'become a man,' worship a Mitsuo shrine, and continue dreaming about going Russia where his jujitsu will truly be appreciated -all while fighting zombie's for a living. I thought this movie was funny, adorable, heartwarming, disturbing, and totally worth staring at Tadanobu Asano for. I anticipate a sequel might tie up what is left open at the end.
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