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Library Wars
InBad, Movie Reviews

Library Wars

August 5, 2013By

Library Wars

aka 図書館戦争 aka Toshokan Senso
Library Wars
2013
Written by Akiko Nogi
Based on the novel by Hiro Arikawa
Directed by Shinsuke Sato
Library Wars
In a near-future, the battle between censorship and free speech has become a literal war, with bullets flying and blood being shed. As a news stories montage in the beginning explains, censorship laws were passed that became more and more expanded (the Media Betterment Act), with a government agency called the Media Betterment Committee set up to enforce the laws. They begin raiding bookstores and burning books, censoring the internet, and the list of forbidden books balloons and balloons. Eventually, local governments form a Library Defense Force to protect libraries, who are able to keep the forbidden books thanks to other laws. Over time, the two sides grow more militarized and come into violent conflict.
Library Wars
This is the world of Library Wars. Just think of Fahrenheit 451, except this time everyone has lots of guns. But it’s more than just a parable about censorship, Library Wars weaves its way through several genres, even becoming a comedic romance! The Library Defense Force is a true defense force. They do not fire first, and they do not shoot to kill. As you can imagine, the Media Betterment Force does not abide by the same rules (though they do manage to not kill anyone on camera in the course of the film, deaths being shown are provided by “unaffiliated groups” that Media Betterment leaders just happen to have on speed dial!)
Library Wars
The opening sequence of a library being shot up by masked goons and then torched sets the stage for the stakes in the brutal censorship battle. Both sides are empowered by the various national and local laws, and follow them to the letter. This leads to absurd situations like the leaders of the two sides meeting to discuss terms and quote passages, then setting the time and length of the battle.
Library Wars

Battle League Horumo
InMovie Reviews, Ugly

Battle League Horumo (Review)

August 31, 2010By

Battle League Horumo

aka Kamogawa Horumo

2009
Directed by Katsuhide Motoki
Based on the novel by Manabu Makime

All of us who have been to college know the excitement of the day where all the clubs get to set up tables and try to convince people to join up. Chess Club, Young Democrats, Free Tibet, that club that build a solar car, and the club where you command armies of demons to battle other demons. What, your school didn’t have a Horumo Club? They’re the greatest thing ever if you like CGI demon sprites (called Oni) beating each other with clubs while the human controllers make weird gestures commanding the troops. I commanded a Horumo squad back in my days at Mizzou and we won all sorts of battles: the Battle of the University Bookstore, the Battle of the 7-11 near campus, the Battle of Jesse Hall, the Battle of Stop Raising Our Damn Tuition, the last one being more of a riot than a battle and demons in riot gear had to be bussed in from East Hades.

But, still, Horumo battling was the fourth best time of my life, behind only my marriage, writing for this site, and the time I found a green ring and became a lantern or something.

Battle League Horumo is from Japan, because Japan specializes in stories about humans controlling various tiny things in battle with each other. That and cartoon seizure robots. BLH (as I’ll call it from now on because laziness rules) is based on a book by Manabu Makime that I haven’t read because I can only read Japanese children’s books.

BLH suffers from one major flaw – it is totally slow. The plot drags on and on. I am not sure how they got it to drag so slowly as Japan seems to specialize in films clocking in at barely over an hour. But BLH manages to be two hours long! Looks like Korea is influencing cinema again. So if you got a movie where people control CGI demon sprites, shouldn’t you show the freaking sprites before 50 minutes into the movie? But don’t let me complaining in the intro satisfy your urge, let’s complain as the movie unfolds!

Akira Abe (Takayuki Yamada) – Akira Abe is just a college freshman who gets dragged into the world of Horumo due to his stomach and his wang. And while his stomach gets full, his wang never gets the satisfaction of being inside Kyoko Sawara like it wants to. But as he ends up with Chiaki Kuriyama, he can’t complain. SPOILERS!
Fumi Kusunoki (Chiaki Kuriyama) – I find Chiaki Kuriyama more fitting for the hot babe role played by Sei Ashina, even with the glasses and wig, but Japan seems to be suffering from “girl with glasses = ugly” syndrome so popular in the US. They explain her look as that of some 80’s comedienne referred to as the “licking lady.” I have no idea if this is a real person or just a joke from the book that made it into the movie. It probably doesn’t really matter, but maybe at some point five years from now someone will read this review and leave a comment with the answer. And minds will be blown. In any event, if you don’t know who Chiaki Kuriyama is, then you probably don’t belong on the internet because this is nerd knowledge of the most basic degree.
Koichi Takamura (Gaku Hamada) – Akira’s buddy from America who gets dragged into this Horumo business despite being the kind of person who cracks under pressure. Getting punished by the gods is just another Thursday for Takamura.
Kyoko Sawara (Sei Ashina) – Kyoko Sawara is the hot babe of the group. She’s Akira’s crush, but then he finds out her terrifying secret – she’s dating a jerk. Maybe he should have asked her out in the year or so he had where they were just friends. You might have seen Sei Ashina in the movie Silk, but then again, no one saw that movie.
Mitsuru Ashiya (Takuya Ishida) – The bad boy of the group because he is angry. I didn’t even know he was supposed to be a main character until 2/3rds of the way into the film. And thats with all the extra padding they put in that was supposed to add flavor and characterization.
Makoto Sugawara (YosiYosi Arakawa) – The current head of the club, 499th president. He takes charge of everything and is in a lot of the movie, but we don’t really get a feel for just who Makoto Sugawara is. Someone who writes songs about rainbows? A lover? A dreamer? Me?