Detroit Metal City (2008)

After watching half of the first episode of the anime, I had to use this movie as a back up from the atrocious drawing the anime involved. You know, I really thought this movie was going to be absouletly depressing because we get to meet a guy called Soichi and I swear to god, he's an absolute annoying wimp I've ever came across. Although I have to say Ken'ichi Matsuyama's singing voice sounded like he was in the Beatles era where it's all poppy and happy which was good to bob around to!Then we get to see Soichi as his death metal self and like you literally will dance around violently with the beat haha! I was shocked when Gene Simmons appeared on this and was doing a face off to Soichis metal self. Man he really crashed the house down here, it was just really well done! I may not mind any genre but the rape mentions were really uncomfortable to listen to. I wouldn't suggest watching this film if you are highly sensitive towards rape mentions especially in most of the rock hard-core songs thats played in this film. Regardless of that, I did find the movie enjoyable including the music. Especially if it was stupid and had serious mentionings on this. I'll give it a 8/10

Bad clichés, misogynist beyond anything that could be considered as humour or hidden statement. I've seen scat-vomit midget porn movies that were less insulting to human intelligence or film-making.Stick to the manga, not a masterpiece but much less of an embarrassment...It's not just so bad that it's good, its 'star wars Christmas special' bad...(spoilers warning, because just reporting how crippled this movie is can be considered as revealing most of its core).The kind of jokes, homophobic clichés, patronizing attitude, might have been all the rage... somewhere on this planet... certainly long enough ago to have been forgotten. But nowadays. It's borderline on criminal.My comment refers to the original Japanese version, and not to any enhanced/censored translated version. I've seen more than often rapes jokes being totally erased in English version, because you know... only Japanese people can understand how funny gangraping can be... (in case you are thick headed, I was being cynical)

In order to accomplish his dream, to become a fashionable pop music singer, Soichi Negishi leaves his hometown and in Tokyo he studies Music while he makes also friendships with other people of his music delight.Though after his graduation he finds himself as the vocalist of a widely known demonic metal band,called Detroit Metal City. While he tries to find out where he made it all wrong,he learns what it really is to be a musician. This movie is a very good example of Japanese humour based on conflicts. I must confess that to me the story was not that attractive at first but after watching it I saw that I was totally wrong. The story contained a balanced amount of romance,humour and a very good catchword. Not only the shot but also the music was pretty good, and the acting of Ken'ichi Matsuyama was eye catching. I have seen other movies of him and I think that this one is of one his best performances,since he acted such different characters from before. The costumes and stages were pretty successful as well. I am neither a pop lover nor am I a heavy metal fan but I have to admit that I sometimes mutter the main song of the band...

Noticing that the only two comments on IMDb are from users who have watched DMC at the TIFF's Midnight Madness, I can't help but regret that I didn't go for it then and there. The sheer atmosphere in the cinema would have multiplied the enjoyment manifold.Both meanings of the word simple are intended in my summary line. First, the plot line is reduced to bare necessities. An innocent country boy Soichi Negichi goes to Tokyo for university ends up being the lead singer of a heavy metal death band. The irony is that his passion is for saccharin-sweet love ballads, which he writes and sings at street corners, very often to a lone audience of a little dog, that is, when he is not in his alter ego Johannes Krauser II, garbed in grotesque costume, complete with long wig and a face painted death-white. Secondly, this Jekyll-and-Hyde protagonist is portrayed by Keniche Matsuyama with exaggerated idiocy (facial expression as well as body language), and it works. Negichi becomes instantly lovable and that goes a long way in gaining the audience's acceptance of the movie, even those not in the targeted age group, as one comment points out.The identity charade is exploited to the fullest in this movie, and successfully so. Those who have read the immensely popular manga also vouch for the movie's authenticity. You just can't praise enough Matsuyama's superb performance. And one does not have to be a heavy metal fan to be swept along by the exciting finale of a musical duel between Soichi and the reigning global heavy metal king Jack II Dark (played lovingly by Gene Simmons of KISS, after which DMC is modelled).There is no need to philosophize the purported probe into the duality human nature or the universality of music. DMC is a movie to be enjoyed, and simple does it.