As the Gods Will: A Wild Ride Through Japanese Pop Culture
A spectacle far removed from the everyday, somewhere between “The Hunger Games” and “Battle Royale,” awaits those seeking cinematic novelty in unexpected genres.
Takahata, a high school student weary of the mundane school routine, one day pleads to the gods for a more exciting life. His wish is swiftly granted. Upon arriving at school, he discovers that all the students have become part of some experiment or punishment. A toy figure in the classroom initiates a brutal game where the losers forfeit their lives. The school’s doors and windows are barricaded, and the bloody carnage is broadcast worldwide via television and the internet. While the adults scramble to figure out how to rescue the students, the children must grapple with the terrifying will of the gods.
The print version of the manga “As the Gods Will,” or literally, “By the Will of the God of Death,” has sold over 1.5 million copies in Japan.
Manga Meets Cinema: A Visual Feast
Retelling a manga or anime is a futile exercise. Not only because the plot twists of a good Japanese comic or film are often so intricately convoluted that only a true fan can decipher them, but also because of their extraordinary visual component. How much would someone unfamiliar with painting gain from even the most colorful description of masterpieces by world-renowned artists? Not much. Hence the saying, “Seeing is believing.” In his new film “As the Gods Will,” the tireless director Takashi Miike presents his take on one of Japan’s most popular manga, a horror and psychological thriller. There’s no better way to get acquainted with this amazing genre.
Takashi Miike’s prolific output is admirable. In 24 years, his filmography has grown to nearly a hundred films as a director.
Games of Gods: Beyond the Synopsis
The situation with the doll described in the synopsis is just the first stage of the adventure. Next, the heroes face a giant porcelain cat hunting human-mice, flying bowling pins playing a bizarre game of blind man’s bluff, a huge bear asking questions, and a trio of mischievous matryoshka dolls who prefer outdoor games. If the mention of these strange characters doesn’t pique your interest, don’t worry – it really needs to be seen to be believed. If you think that the comic book culture has been fully explored by cinema by watching the Avengers, then here is a completely different view of the world of drawn heroes. Hold on to your armrests, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
Releasing two or three films a year, the 54-year-old Japanese visionary Takashi Miike probably didn’t even break a sweat when filming “As the Gods Will” – the film is full of energy, air, and undisguised drive. The film starts off with a bang, decapitating several lovely schoolgirls in the first scene, and this momentum doesn’t let up until the final credits. Marketed as a horror film, it actually sits at the intersection of genres. Of course, it is impossible not to compare it with “Battle Royale”, the parallels of “Will” with “The Hunger Games” are quite obvious, moreover, in some plot twists one can read a distorted reflection of “Cube”, “Saw” and even “The Maze Runner” - a real feast for the moviegoer. Moreover, Miike does not just copy some techniques or plot moves, you can expect anything from his “gods”, except that blood will be guaranteed with certainty. Is there anything else that a person who came to the cinema for entertainment needs?
More Than Just Entertainment: Philosophical Undertones
However, not by entertainment alone, as befits manga, in “As the Gods Will” there is a place for philosophical reflections, albeit very modest. The characters are constantly under the stress of choice, every minute you need to make a new decision, and in this decision you need to build on your worldview. Can you step over your principles to save your life? Are you ready for a heroic act? Will you defend life with an honest frontal blow or with deception and cunning? But let’s not delve too deeply into the drama, because “As the Gods Will” is primarily packed to the brim with specific humor, which manifests itself in the most unexpected, and most importantly, diverse ways. And blood is not always blood here, and sometimes you have to dress up as mice, and confess your love, and run around in armor - American cinema, perhaps, since “The Cabin in the Woods” has not demonstrated such audacity and self-irony.
Imperfections and Potential
Unfortunately, there is a fly in the ointment. Alas, even for the Asian school of cinema, the leading actors play very conditionally, sometimes turning into real idols and often overplaying so much that it cramps the cheekbones. Some plot lines are also underdeveloped - a mysterious computer scientist in a locked room, for example, or a tramp engineer appeared for a moment and disappeared. Where did the flying cube come from and did it complete its business on Earth? Is this an application for a sequel? It would be interesting.
Of course, people more versed in anime and manga may disdainfully dismiss Miike’s probably not too canonical production. But for a viewer who “As the Gods Will” only opens the door to the mysterious world of modern Japanese mass culture, watching the film may become an incentive for further searches. Well, or, at least, pleasantly amuse - this movie is really non-trivial, unlike what we are used to, and therefore unforgettable.