Summary
- Japanese animation in the 1990s blended science fiction with the supernatural, influencing global animated entertainment.
- Animated dark fantasy films from Japan aimed at adults often feature dark, strange, or experimental subject matter.
- The Last Unicorn, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind offer unique dark storytelling experiences.
Before the world discovered this niche genre, Japanese animation was experimenting with concepts like cyberpunk and dark fantasy. Science fiction was often blended with the supernatural, perception was a matter of opinion, and the rules of reality would easily bend or break in the digital worlds of the future.
Most animated dark fantasy from Japan is for adults and never made it to theaters because of the dark, strange, or experimental subject matter. The 1990s was an especially prolific time for these kinds of movies, and they influenced the next generation of animated entertainment worldwide.
6 The Last Unicorn
A Twisted Fairy Tale
- Directed By: Arthur Rankin Jr. And Jules Bass
- Adapted From: "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle
- Production Companies: Rankin/Bass Productions and Topcraft
- Release Date: November 19, 1982
A movie by Rankin Bass, with a script adapted from a book by Peter S. Beagle and animated by Topcraft, The Last Unicorn is a classic from a unique era in animation. What makes this movie an anime production, despite the American casting and English-language storyline, is the role of Topcraft in the animation process. This company would go on to form Studio Ghibli not long after The Last Unicorn's completion.
The story begins as one of lighthearted whimsy, featuring a talking butterfly reciting poetry to a unicorn in a magical wood, but a dark shadow hangs over this fairy tale. The Unicorn has realized that it's been a very long time since she's seen anyone else like her, and when she asks the butterfly, he tells her a terrifying story of an evil king, a demon that he keeps in his castle, and the forced bondage inflicted upon every other unicorn in the world.
5 Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Futuristic Gothic Horror
- Directed By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Adapted From: " Vampire Hunter D Volume 3: Demon Deathchase," by Hideyuki Kikuchi
- Production Companies: Madhouse, Filmlink International, BMG Funhouse, Movic, Goodhill Vision, Softcapital
- Release Date: September 23rd, 2001
The sequel to the 1985 hit that combined science fiction, dark fantasy, and Gothic horror, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust leans into the strengths of the first movie, plus is even more beautifully rendered with modern art and graphics. The only character that returns is D himself, the immortal Dhampir. Other characters include a gang of vampire hunters, and their quarry, Baron Meier Link, who has kidnapped Charlotte Elbourne to make her his new bride.
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The twist is that Charlotte is in love with Link, and her kidnapping was staged to explain her absence and hide their real plan to return to the vampire's home planet. The ambiguity of right and wrong is what makes the movie an interesting watch, in addition to the usual vampire-hunting intrigue.
4 Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind
Miyazaki's Dark Vision
- Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
- Adapted From: "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind," by Hayao Miyazaki
- Production Company: Topcraft
- Release Date: March 11th, 1984
Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind is a dark vision of a possible future which also carries a powerful environmental message. This, combined with the female character as a lead, was so subversive at the time that the version of this movie that reached North America originally was edited to a mere shadow of its former self.
The setting is based on a real location in Australia in which the wind is always steadily blowing in from the ocean. These winds keep the poisonous spores from the inland forests from reaching the coastline. The unique environment makes it one of the few places left on Earth that is safe for humans until a plane crash and an invasion bring both war and mutant bugs to Nausicaa's doorstep. Only she and her glider, a simple but sleek contraption named Mehve, can stop them.
3 Perfect Blue
Psychological Horror And Magical Realism
- Directed By: Satoshi Kon
- Adapted From: "Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis," by Yoshikazu Takeuchi
- Production Company: Madhouse
- Release Date: February 28th, 1998
Perfect Blue starts like a typical drama about a youthful pop star making the transition to a serious older performer, which is a common story in Japanese culture. Mima Kirigoe is the protagonist, and she decides to leave the J-Pop life when she's offered a serious acting role. Not all of her fans are impressed though, with one in particular losing their mind over it.
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The psychological trauma that Mima has to deal with in her new dramatic role, along with the danger of being stalked by a potentially dangerous fan, starts to take its toll on her mental state. Hallucinations and other disturbing visions start to invade her waking consciousness, confusing her old pop-star self with her new, more mature persona.
Broken mirrors, bright lights, and other visual tricks give Mima's visions a dark and twisted Through the Looking Glass-esque quality, as things, people, and events from reality become distorted and strange. Then the murders start, and all the evidence seems to point to Mima, but the truth is much more sinister.
2 Princess Mononoke
A Dark And Haunting Legend
- Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
- Written By: Hayao Miyazaki
- Production Companies: Studio Ghibli
- Release Date: July 12, 1997
Princess Mononoke was a massive hit outside of Japan, and anyone who didn't know about Studio Ghibli by at the time of its release heard about it thanks to this film. A movie that adults and older kids can enjoy, the English dub included big-name Hollywood voice actors like Billy Bob Thorton and Claire Danes, and the music and animation were the best Studio Ghibli had to offer.
The story of Japanese myth and legend features the hero, Ahitaka, who is cursed when saving his village from a mysterious and malicious demon in the shape of a boar. He is destined to leave his village, now an outcast, and all he can do is follow the trail of the boar to the west and hopefully find a cure. The movie as a whole is about the struggle between old-fashioned beliefs meeting new ones, but the struggle on the ground is one of gods and magic versus an emperor who believes in eternal life.
1 Ninja Scroll
Demons And Magic In Medieval Japan
- Directed By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Written By: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Production Companies: JVC, Toho, Movic, Madhouse, Animate Film
- Release Date: June 5th, 1993
At the time, Japanese animation had a global reputation for the science fiction aesthetic and futuristic settings. What set Ninja Scroll apart from other anime of the time was its Medieval setting, specifically the Edo Period. The movie's dark fantasy elements were uniquely Japanese.
The main characters are Kagero, a ninja with a mission, and Jubei, a wandering ronin forced to work with a government agent who shares a common goal with Kagero. There's some realistic political intrigue mixed in with the horror and fantasy of fighting demons and black magic, as the heroes use all their skills to survive and find the Shogun of the Dark.
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