Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)

Although he remains as prolific as ever and retains a loyal cult following, there nonetheless seems to be a portion of Takashi Miike’s fanbase who’s response to some of the Japanese madman’s more recent output has been lukewarm, with a feeling that Miike’s later work lacks the bite of his 90’s and early 2000’s classics. Despite films like Lesson of the Evil (2012) and Over Your Dead Body (2014) rendering that mindset somewhat absurd, there is a reasoning behind some of the directions Miike has taken in recent times, namely the various changes in the Japanese film industry. With many new Japanese films the products of filmmaking by committee, investors are looking for the most commercial material possible and its also important to note that that days of V-cinema, the Japanese direct-to-video market, are more or less over, therefore films like Full Metal Yakuza (1997), Visitor Q (2001) and Gozu (2003) simply wouldn’t be greenlit in the current Japanese cinematic ecology. Still, Miike has managed to survive and with the announcement of Yakuza Apocalypse, many fans cheered when Miike himself said “Say good-bye to wimpy and boring Japanese movies. Nobody asked me, but I’ve decided on my own to return to my roots and start a riot!” It was a statement that proved to be fairly accurate with Yakuza Apocalypse being a thoroughly unhinged genre blending sideshow with Miike’s troublemaking ways fully intact.

Kamiura, a highly respected and powerful yakuza boss is confronted by two mysterious members of a larger organized crime syndicate demanding his return. Kamiura refuses and is soon killed, although before dying he reveals his true nature, that of a vampire, to his pupil, Kageyama, biting him and passing on the vampyric curse. Determined to avenge Kamiura’s death, Kageyama, unaware of how to manage his new condition, inadvertently causes an outbreak of vampirism amongst civilians and the criminal underworld which becomes even more on edge with the impending arrival of the ominous Kaeru-kun, known throughout the crime world as the “worlds toughest terrorist”, who’s presence is said to bring about the apocalypse.

Subtitled “The Great War of the Underworld”, Yakuza Apocalypse (Gokudō Daisensō, 極道大戦争) is Miike reveling in his reputation of being a purveyor of the outrageous. Given its melding of multiple genres, particularly horror and comedy, comparisons to The Happiness of the Katikuri’s (2001) are inevitable (sans the musical numbers, although they would have fit right in), plus the films array of surreal situations and offbeat characters are reminiscent of Gozu. The film is rather busy when it comes to its plotline and as a result various story elements become fairly blurry, yet none of that really matters once the film gets going. With so much insanity on display, fuzzy minor plot details are hardly a concern. While there are far too many nutty moments and characters to list them all, some of the highlights include a Django/pilgrim type of yakuza enforcer complete with a coffin backpack, a female yakuza general plagued with a very unusual cranial condition, human/flower hybrids and perhaps most importantly, the character of Kaeru-kun, the so-called “worlds toughest terrorist” is in fact a man in a hilarious giant frog mascot costume with impeccable martial arts skills. Such a sight involved in well choreographed fight scenes is quintessential Miike mischief. Incredibly, the film isn’t all frivolity, with Miike tossing in a slightly romantic subplot involving Kageyama and a woman wounded in the midst of the gang war which makes for some interesting tonal shifts but by and large, lunacy is the order of the day and Miike delivers it in spades.

The film was screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Directors Fortnight. Although Miike was not in attendance, he made sure to make a lasting impression as Andrew Pulver of The Guardian noted “Miike, of course, is known for churning out an average of three films a year since the early 90's, and was unable to attend this Cannes screening due to having started work on the next one. However, he did send over an amusing short video message apologising for his absence, in which he appeared in full geisha drag, saying that he had switched professions and would never make violent films again.” Miike has had an interesting history with Cannes. Although made for the video market, Gozu found its way to many worldwide festivals, one of which was Cannes where the film premiered as part of the Directors Fortnight. Miike has returned to Cannes a few times since then, albeit with more conventional fare such as Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), 13 Assassins (2012) and Shield of Straw (2013) which was in the main competition for the Palm d’Or, even though Miike himself didn’t feel the film should have been, interesting enough. Unlike all those films however, Yakuza Apocalypse is far from being a conventional film and should prove to fans who’s interest in Miike might have waned that Miike’s more mischievous side hasn’t gone anywhere.