20th Century Boys - Complete Saga

Directed by: Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Starring: Toshiaki Karasawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Takako Tokiwa, Airi Taira

Synopsis:

The 20TH CENTURY BOYS saga begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write The Book of Prophecy. In the book, they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to take over the world and bringing about Doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being lead by a man only known as “Friend” has emerged and gained a strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur, mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji. The greatest fear is that the climax of The Book of Prophecy will become a reality: on December 31st, 2000, a terrifying giant virus-spreading robot will attack the entire city of Tokyo, leading to the end of mankind. The only people who know aboutThe Book are Kenji and his childhood friends. Who is Friend? Will Kenji and his friends be able to save mankind and live to see the 21st Century?

These three movies give new meaning to word “epic”. Based upon the best selling manga series by Naoki Urasawa, it tells a story spanning 50 years. A huge budget of six billion yen was spent to get this trilogy on to the screen, and it shows. The set piece that comes as the climax of the first part alone compares to most big budget Western movies.

Initially, I think you’ll find the first hour of the first movie demands the most attention as it introduces the characters and their backgrounds. This hour demands much from the viewer but it is well worth it as the movie engages and draws the viewer into its world. I’ll admit to finding the pace a little slow but just as I felt my interest wane the movie picked up and my patience was rewarded. Looking back, I’m glad I stuck with it. Too many pictures sacrifice character development and this take was refreshing; also to skim over the surface of these characters would betray the fans of the manga books who must be very familiar with how important the interplay between characters affects the story.

Like classic works of genre fiction, this interplay of characters both drives and serves the overall story. I was reminded of Stephen King’s It where adults had to account for and deal with decisions that they had made when they were children. The flashbacks are consistent with this. Each past relationship impacts on the present and future situations that occur in the story, and the Director, Tsutsumi, effortlessly switches back and forth. The story is an intriguing mystery: Why are 9 children shaping the future and how are their actions as adults bringing prophecy to fruition?

Tsutsumi is well aware of manga conventions and uses them without distracting the viewer from the movie. Far too often I find manga adaptations or movies inspired by manga end up garish and ridiculous, particularly to a Western audience not used to the source material. This trilogy stands to maintain the references but appeal to movie goers of all ages.

There is a sweetness and humour to the trilogy that sometimes gets lost in manga; a genre that tends to deal with the dark side of life. The acting is neither over the top or understated and works through the trilogy very well with mostly convincing performances.

Summary:

Whilst a little overlong, this movie series adapted from 24 volumes is a rewarding set of films to enjoy and watch again. I thoroughly recommend this to fans of Japanese cinema, manga and sci-fi fans who are fed up with the endless recycled dross that Hollywood is churning out. It may not be quite as slick as the Watchmen adaptation but it’s not far from it. If I had a favourite movie from the trilogy, it would be the second movie. It’s far more unpredictable.

8 out of 10 (Wayfarer)

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