Yatterman

The first thing to know about trying to get "into" Anime is that unless you're ALSO going to try and absorb every single facet of Japanese popular fiction from about the end of WWII on, you're NEVER going to know "enough."

Case in point: Up until about fifteen minutes ago, I was unaware of the existance of something called "Yatterman" - though it's apparently HUGE in it's native country. I'm aware of it as of now because it turns out that batshit-insane Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Miike ("Audition" would be his best-known work over here) has turned in a big-budget (for Japan) live-action adaptation. One of the most interesting developments in genre film in recent years has been the revelation that Miike's gonzo stylings - previously used exclusively in service of just about the most violent, surreal, graphic, horrifying and yet brilliant/frequently-hysterical movies you'll ever see - are a near-perfect fit for children's films; first-evidenced in "The Great Yokai War." This film looks for continue the trend.

Here's the trailer:


Anyway, as if a new Miike film wasn't a mandatory must-see ANYWAY, a quick jaunt to Wikipedia informs me that "Yatterman" is apparently about a boy/girl duo of globe-trotting inventor/heroes who's primarily transport/weapon is a giant robot dog that transforms into an all-terrain rescue vehicle. Their enemies are a Boris & Natasha-style trio of heavies led by a femme fatale who dresses like an even-more-fetishized "Batgirl."

Yeah. Seeing this as soon as possible.