Roujin Z

This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth...

Roujin Z, directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo, known for his directorial works on GOLDEN BOY and BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE, is based on the original story by Katsuhiro Ootomo, the creator of the famous manga and film adaptation Akira. Both men worked previously on the robot-focused anthology Robot Carnival and the influential science-fiction classic Akira. Contrary to Ootomo's previous work Akira, his follow-up, Roujin Z, plays in contemporary Japan and features an independent, spirited and strong female protagonist. Furthermore, the only male friend of the lead character is the opposite of the young men in Akira: spineless, selfish and inconsiderate. Undoubtedly, a courageous decision by Oootomo to design characters with the potential to alienate most of his male fans.

Comparable to later works of Oshii, known for the film adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, Roujin Z encourages viewers to reflect on contemporary political and social issues. The increasing nursing shortage, nowadays worse than 30 years ago, is the centre of conflict in the movie. As compensation for the lack of caregivers, the healthcare ministry developed an advanced medical bed to replace almost every aspect of geriatric nursing. The first 20 minutes of the picture show the benefits and disadvantages of the invention from different viewpoints. Most of the remaining runtime consists of action, chasing or stereotypical computer hacking scenes. Albeit those scenes are a welcome change to keep the viewer's attention, the film becomes repetitive, unfocused and uninspiring by the second chase scene at the latest. Additionally, the action-packed scenes repress and nullify the reflection on the social problem.

Despite Ootomo's efforts to write an original script, the plot is often predictable and has some stereotypical elements for its time. Nevertheless, the story is thought-provoking to some extent, funny and heart-warming. In contrast to the decent plot are the characters who mainly receive a minimalistic characterisation and do not obtain any character development. Consequently, they are one-dimensional, dull and forgettable. Moreover, the mediocre visual character design does not contribute to making the character more interesting. However, the detailed, creative and distinct mecha design is impressive. Together with the charming nineties animation style, which looks gorgeous to this day, both are the best element of the picture. Last but not least, the score is neither exceptional nor atrocious.

To summarise, Roujin Z is worth your time for its unique mecha design and entertaining story. You may skip this gem if you cannot stand unsatisfying characters or the flawed execution of the plot. At the point of writing, no streaming service has the movie in its collection, and the CD has not received a reprint in years. Therefore, if you get the opportunity to watch in the future, you should seize it.