Often at 3AM, I decide to revisit the gems from my childhood and this has become somewhat of a contender for most revisited.
When I first watched this film I was completely blown away. The best aspect of the film is it's visuals. Albeit the low budget, the visual quality of this film is incredible. All you see are beautiful barren landscapes, finely drawn details, and cool characters. The film is centred on the popular Go Nagai inspired plot of save the world, or save some "thing" involving a girl amidst its plot. However unlike Devilman, there is no emotional depth here. The characters are admittedly shallow, but for that to be an issue for the viewer disregards the purpose of this film. This is a pure action film. Each scene feels kinetic and pulsating, like that of Electric Dragon 80,000V or Tetsuo, the action flows seamlessly but is adjusted by small pauses for dialogue.
Often Monster City is compared to Wicked City and Cyber City Oedo 808 but this is criminal. Wicked City is unique and new. Cyber City focuses on a narrative that brings emotional depth not readily available in anime at the time with beautiful animation but it is Monster City that brings the directors vision of pure uncompromising aesthetic amongst a chaotic backdrop of aggressive action and that's why this film will always be a "shallow" but fantasist masterpiece.
Review of Demon City Shinjuku
