I said there`s going to be a part 2. Here it is! Here we're covering actual horror BL movies. In each movie the relationship between men is the centerpiece. As always, I'll try to make the list spoiler free. If there is a spoiler, I'll mark it. But unlike my other posts this one is a top: I`ll start with the movie I liked the least. Of course, the rating is based solely on my personal opinion and I'm no film critic. If you have a different opinion, let me know in the comments.
Double Mints \ Daburu Mintsu
Writer: Asumiko Nakamura, Eiji Uchida
There are two Mitsuos. One Mitsuo is a normal office worker and another one is a thug and a crazy man. The crazy Mitsuo kills a woman and calls the other Mitsuo for help. Even though they haven't seen each other since school, even though their relationship was far from great back then, Mitsuo agrees to help.
The reason “Double Mints” is so high up – I didn't like it at all.
When I watch a horror movie, I want to be scared or at least a little anxious. But here I actually laughed most of the time. The movie takes itself very serious and it makes the characters look stupid at times. And sometimes characters just act this way and I really don't understand why they are doing this or that. The only scenes that felt fitting for a horror movie were the ones where Mitsuo 1 gets bullied at school by Mitsuo 2. It was violent, systematic, and I was really sorry Mitsuo had to go through all of this. But next thing you see these two grown up and making out and you are like “what?”:)
On one hand, we can call it a typical toxic relationship story, but on the other it's hard to understand what's going on between the Mitsuos. Does even one of them care for the other one bit or are they just two crazy individuals? Sometimes they act kind of romantic, but these moments are outweighted by the moments they're acting outright strange. All I said might sound rude, but I finished the movie feeling like it's wasted potencial. It has an interesting start, but then goes downhill. And the relationship too. It feels unfinished, all over the place, I can't see the changes clearly. In the end I still didn't get how Mitsuo 1 feels for Mitsuo 2.
On the positive side, the movie is beautiful. It is done in dark tones with a lot of blue. I like the style a lot. Some of the moments are still stuck in my memory like pictures. It's not experimental or unusual, but it is memorable nontheless. The actors also done a pretty decent job, especially the ones who played in the school flashbacks. They were the most belivable in the whole movie.
All night long 2: Atrocity
Director: Katsyua Matsumura
Writer: Katsyua Matsumura
Shunichi (Masashi Endo) is a nerd guy who likes dolls and chatting on his computer. He is stalked by a group of delinquents. They demand he pays a lot of money to them, otherwise they kill him. But the mysterious guy in white, who seems like the leader of the group, has other plans for Shinichi.
Probably the best “horror” on the list, as it is the most violent and has an atmosphere of these old unpopular flicks you watch with your friends to see who can stand until the end. The style of filming of such movies hits different now, especially if you're used to modern style. The camera movements and sound design in “All Night Long 2” add to the horror. And the overall story is actually scary too.
The reason it is only in fourth place – it's more of a horror, than a BL movie. It may be hard to watch to some because of the extreme violence and gore. The practical effects are pretty realistic, believe me. And you probably won't be pleased with the way the relationship between guy in white and Shunichi end.
“All Night Long 2” is definetly a movie about toxic relationship and stalking. Guy in white is clearly obsessed with Shunichi, even claiming “I'm only interested in you”. He is a dangerous man with a tendency to do violent things for fun. And he tries to turn Shunichi into someone like him, and Shunichi plays along most of the time for his own safety. And towards the end guy in white finally makes a move on his obsessions. You can watch the movie to see how it turned out, but be prepared for the amount of violence.
Big Bang Love, Juvenile A \ 46-okunen no Koi
Writers: Ikki Kajiwara, Hisao Maki, Masa Nakamura
One of the prisoners – Shiro – is strangled in his cell. The problem is, he was concidered the strongest and the others feared him. Who could possibly kill him? The suspicion falls on Jun, who might or might not had an affair with Shiro.
It terms of horror the movie's main advantage is the mysteriousness. Every character seems to have a dark secret, which leaves you on the edge of your seat. And the prison setting itself is dark and unnerving. You don't really know what these criminals will do next. The story is a little hard to follow because of the visuals and overall style, but it all unravels in the end in a way you can understand.
And about the style. The movie is like a kaleidoscope of vivid images. The visual style is stunning and the prison looks futuristic and unreal, just like the other locations. The filming is also unusual. It mixes elements of documentary (interview segments) from the point of view of the detective working on Shiro's case, the scenes from prison life and characters' colorful fairytale-like flashbacks.
Moving on to the relationship between Jun and Shiro. Jun is played by Ryuhei Matsuda, who played a beautiful samurai I mentioned in part 1, and Shiro is played by an equally talented Masanobu Ando. Can't call it a healthy one (well, these boys are traumatized), but it's the most natural and romantic so far. These two men share similar problems, which sets the ground for their mutual bond. At one point it seems they truly understand each other. However, the mysterious nature of the film makes us always think: is it real? We are pushed to separate the real events from the ones happening in the character's head. For me, it only adds some playfulness to an already interesting relationship. But the ending, again, might be unpleasant for some, as we learn in the begging of the movie – Shiro is dead.
Lichi Hikari Club \ Raichi Hikari Kurabu
Writers: Usamaru Furuya, Keisuke Tominaga, Eisuke Naito
A boy reseives a fortune telling. “You have a big black star over his head, a star not even Hitler had. You're either gonna rule the world at 30 or die at 14”. He doesn't want to be an ugly adult, so he becomes obsessed with staying young forever and adopts a name Zera. 8 boys join him to form “Lichi Hikari Club”. They live by the rules of faschist Germany, worship Zera as a leader and God. To achieve their goal they build a robot who will catch a beautiful girl to be their sacrifice.
Sounds crazy, right? Because it is. This movie will be the second most violent on the list, it is pretty brutal, but sometimes cartoonishly unrealistic. Still may be too much for some viewers, so keep that in mind before watching. The story is elaborate, unusual and thrilling. It surprises you with twists and delivers a great ending. Don't want to spoil much, but it's going to be a crazy ride:)
The movie is an adaptaion of the manga of the same name bu Usamaru Furuya. I've read the manga first and liked it so much I wanted to watch the adaptation. Comparing the visuals, it's a perfect match for me. The colors, locations, costumes and the robot looked really cool. Some scenes are even one to one recreations from manga frames, which is always nice to see if you're a fan. Before watching the cast surprised me a bit, but now I think all the actors match their roles. In terms of the story, it is not one to one. Some characters are given more screen time and there are some original scenes, but all in all it's pretty accurate. I still felt like the manga is better, but it's my opinion.
The relationship focus here is Zera und Jyaibo. Zera is portrayed by Yuki Furukawa and Jyaibo by Shotaro Mamiya. Zera is a fan of Elagabalus, a Roman emperor famous for being gay. In his twisted mind copying the emperor's behaviour will help him achieve eternal beauty. He paises Jyaibo for his feminine features and keeps him close, even though he's causes more trouble than helps the mission. They are lovers, their feelings appear to be genuine, but they're both very messed up. Jyaibo worships Zera like a God, he is obsessed and afraid of being left by him. This drives Jyaibo crazy (even more than he already is). And we're dealing again with a toxic relationship, but what can I say, it's a horror movie about crazy teenagers, what else can it be?
Dangerous Drugs of Sex \ Sei no Gekiyaku
Katsuragi (Sho Watanabe) has a rough period in his life. Seeing no other way, he gets drunk and tries to jump off a building. He is saved by Yoden (Takashi Kitadai), a man with a lot of secrets. But the savior doesn't offer help. Instead he makes Katsuragi undergo a “training”, which consists of various sex practices.
Moving on to number one on the list. “Sei no Gekiyaku” was a big surprise for me! I went in thinking this will be a “so bad it's good” movie. I haven't studied it beforehand, but my first impression turned out to be horribly wrong! This film delivered in more than one way: it was scary, it was dramatic and it was a decent romance. Let's break it down.
The plot sounds like a cheap pink movie (when you read an extract on IMDB at least). However, it's actually makes a good thriller, if not a horror. There were some moments I genuenly felt fear for the characters' lives and thought “what would I do in this situation”? It's one of the horrors that scare the viewers by immersing them in its story, making it real and almost documentary. When I realised the circumstances the characters found themselves in, that's when anxiety set in. At the same time came many emotions: shock, sadness and hope. The tragic twists and turns of fate actually transform the story into a life drama. This side of the movie I love even more, because it not only creates the feeling of reality, but gives a lesson you've never expected to learn from a BL horror.
I'd like to note the soundtrack. It was really hard to find the main theme, but after hearing it didn't leave me. The music is so classic and so fitting. I'm in love with it, so I just had to download it:)
As Katsuragi and Yoden are almost the only characters, the focus relies heavily on them and their relationship. In these 90 minutes they get the many interactions, each one revealing something from one's past, or working to develop their relationship. It's a line from Wikipedia, but I couldn't say it better, so: “...aside from the film's erotic elements, it also portrayed depth towards the characters instead of reducing them to simply pornographic roles...” That said, I can name “Sei no Gekiyaku” the opposite of a pink movie, as it incorporates erotic scenes into the plot in a meaningful and absolutely necsessary way for its progression. We get to see these intimate moments between Katsuragi and Yoden, as the result, we know where their feeling for each other come from and (for me) this completely justifies the ending. This one is perhaps the only one that will be fully satisfying.
That's all for part 2! Huge thanks if you've read both of the parts. I'm still out on the hunt for more JBL horror, so I'll gladly take any recommendations from you!
