Review - Jin-Rou

 Jin-Rou is probably one of the pinnacles of early 2000s animation. This film has some of the most fantastic animation that I have ever witnessed in almost everything that I have watched. It is so smooth that it almost gives the impression that the characters you see are in fact, real. It's hard to describe beyond saying that the animation takes on a three dimensional form even though it was animated in only two dimensions. Small details such as waving hair, shifts in clothing, the way characters move through the world, are all so meticulously drawn for every frame. It is on a level of animation that one could argue even exceeds a Ghibli film in terms of impressiveness.

In my interpretation of this film, we watch our protagonist Fuse slowly loose their individuality as a cog in the machine of an authoritarian military organization. The plot structure closely mirrors Full Metal Jacket in this sense, and even ends in a similar manner. The film likes to use the symbolism of wolves to describe members of this organization, an indication of how they are predatory and feral. Additionally, the film foreshadows its conclusion using the old fable of "Little Red Riding Hood". Thus, Fuse, is established to ultimately be the tragic hero of the film. By the time he realizes himself well enough to be on the brink between choosing "To attempt to become human" it is too late for him.

I do believe though, this message is inferred on my part. The film does not spell this out for you particularly directly. If someone is just going based on the narrative some of the characters themselves state directly, they could come to the opposite conclusion, that Fuse is merely acting on behalf of his organization which is attempting to maintain stability within a tumultuous society. However I think that only a surface level of viewing the film, and that in reality it isn't ambiguous enough to come to that conclusion rationally. I think my main argument against this is the way the film animates the people that this organization calls 'terrorists'. While it does not go into explicit detail as to the political motivation of said group, the film goes out of its way to animate these people in a distinctly human manner. The fear in their eyes as they are being shot, murdered, by an oppressor. Contrast this with the suits worn by the organization, which obscures the face, not letting us see the nature of the individual behind the mask.

The only reason why I do not give this a 10/10 is because of the soundtrack. While the soundtrack is well made, it relies too much between a neo-classical or neo-romantic style in the first half. This gives the film more of a venire to it as opposed to the bleak imagery you visually see. Thus, it somewhat removes the viewer from being as emotionally engaged as they should be because it is not portraying the correct emotions that one ought to feel. There are times when I wished I had heard dissonances yet I was met with relatively safe, tonal, passages. This is fixed within the second half of the film of course. And that is also not to say the first half of the soundtrack wasn't good.... because it was, I just disagree with the stylistic choices in this case.

Regardless, this is definitely a must watch for anyone interested in animation. I really do wish more films were able to achieve the quality this film achieves since it was aired.

Rating: 9/10