Every once in a while, an anime movie comes along that really impresses me. King of Thorn was one of those movies. Probably the last anime film to really impress me before King of Thorn was Paprika which I wrote about in my Top 10 Strange Japanese Films You Need to Watch post and King of Thorn is right up there with it as far as enjoyability goes (Paprika takes the cake for weirdness though). I’d known about King of Thorn for a good long while, but I just recently got around to watching it. I don’t know why I waited so long.
The Premise
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The year is 2015 and the world has been struggling with an epidemic known as Acquired Cellular Induration Syndrome (ACIS) for the past 3 years. The disease is more commonly known as the Medusa plague though as it quickly petrifies the subject after incubating for a period of 30-60 days.
The disease has a 100% fatality rate and no known cure. A company known as Venus Gate comes up with a temporary solution for 160 random infected individuals. They are to be put into cold sleep in the Venus Gate facility until a cure can be found.
The main character Kasumi has already lost both of her parents to ACIS and is one of the 160 lucky individuals chosen. He twin sister, Shizuku, is not.
After being put into cold sleep, Kasumi and the other 159 people awake to a strange and confusing reality. Thorns cover the facility, monsters are everywhere, and they have no idea how long they’ve been asleep. The Venus Gate staff is nowhere to be found. The group of survivors must figure out what’s going on, avoid the horrors of this strange new reality, and attempt to escape with their lives.
Exceeded Expectations
I don’t really remember how I first heard of/came across this movie but I feel like I was looking for good horror/sci-fi themed anime movies. While the main premise of King of Thorn sounds pretty intriguing (and it is), so much happens in this movie that was totally unexpected. My expectations were exceeded at every turn and I was pleasantly surprised on more than one occasion.
King of Thorn is one of those movies that you can watch through once, be like “Holy crap that was awesome,” and then watch it again knowing what you know from the first viewing and enjoy it in a totally new way the second time. I’ve only seen it once so far, but I plan on showing it to some of my friends and I am looking forward to watching things unfold knowing what I know from having already seen the film once.
There are constant references to fairy tales and myths throughout the film such as Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and Medusa. The references are not hidden at all, and for those familiar with the stories, it gives the viewer another layer of possibilities to ponder as the film’s plot unfolds. It’s awesome.
I really can’t say much more than what’s already been said above without giving too much away or ruining any of the many surprises that arise in the film. Once things start going, man do they get going and they keep going all the way until the end.
Everything moves at a breakneck pace and while there’s tons of crazy action for you to feast your eyes on, your mind will be actively trying to figure out what’s going on and what will happen next. There aren’t too many movies that can so actively engage your mind while at the same time providing you with tons of incredible action.
Technical Aspects and Praise
The animation in the film is top-notch. Some of the CGI really looks like CGI, but this film was made three years ago and it really doesn’t detract from the film so it didn’t bother me much. Other than that, everything looks great. The characters, the action, and the special effects are all fluid, well animated, and a pleasure to view. Watching this on a projector screen was fantastic.
The music is also superb. When watching the trailer above for this post, I got chills all over again listening to the music and recalling events from the film. I really like the soundtrack. It’s one of those few films where you really appreciate the excellent efforts put into enhancing the viewing experience with a great musical score.
Another thing I didn’t know when I watched the movie is that it’s actually based on a manga. They somehow condensed six bound volumes of manga into just over 100 minutes of film. Of course, some things were altered and tweaked, but it seems like the consensus online was that most of these changes were for the better. Since they’re cramming so much activity into one movie, everything moves pretty fast.
That being said, I didn’t really have too much trouble keeping up with the film and I didn’t think it moved too fast or anything either. The pacing was just right for me and every plot twist and reveal was a joy to behold. Things got pretty insane near the end of the film but I feel like every great cerebral anime usually ends up that way and I wasn’t disappointed by any of it.
Bottom Line
This movie is wonderful. If any of the above sounds remotely interesting or you have even a passing interest in anime, horror, sci-fi, or action – you should really watch this movie. If you have a buddy with a nice TV/projector and a sound system, you should really get them to let you watch this movie there. You won’t regret it. The movie will be great no matter how you watch it, but seeing it on a big screen with surround sound really brings the movie alive.
It’s not too often that I run across a movie that I would recommend to everyone across the board regardless of their preferences (especially when it’s an anime), but King of Thorn is one of those movies. The next time you and your pals have a free evening, watch this movie and experience a truly delightful film plus all the discussions you’ll inevitably have with your friends immediately after it’s over.
So tell me, have you seen/heard of King of Thorn? What do you think of it? Think you’ll watch it? (You should!) Share your thoughts in the comments below!