So last Sunday I watched "Deadball" with my ex, like we do every two weeks. We were also going to watch another film, but his girlfriend was panicking due to upcoming finals and so we ended up going over to her apartment and comforting her until almost three in the morning. She was so upset that she "ruined" our night, but we were actually between films, just finishing one and about to start another, so neither of us was upset at all--we were more concerned with all the stress she has been dealing with lately.
Anywho, here is my review of Deadball!
Since my ex and I watch a lot of anime (well I read more manga, but whatever) we realized almost all of the characters were a direct parody or an exact character from a well known manga or anime, such as the main character from Cromartie High School, or Yubeh Yakyu being very similar to Yubei Yagyu from another anime. The most exciting part of the film was recognizing characters or tropes of characters based off of how they acted, what they looked like, and how they died. It was really fun because we are so nerdy that we got almost all of them, even though the definitive plot didn't necessarily contribute to them as individuals. Normally, characters who get names are important to the plot (although I could have missed something culturally).
I think that making a parody of all the anime characters was a bit relevant because the general "moral" of the film seemed to be "don't lie," although that seemed to vary a bit to the storyline as well. I think that the death of each character on the "male" team was important because it seemed like the director wanted to kill off fandoms, the iconic characters that drive people to blow all of their savings on an image, an idea instead of moving towards something progressive. It seemed a bit obvious during the latter part of the film when the main character strove to save his vaguely attached peers (although that too was a failure for the most part). The best part was how he actually was able to wipe out all of the people who was just trying to use him and others like him for their own purposes, meaning the warden, the warden's underling, and the corrupt politician who seemed to have wanted the warden dead and backstabbed Yubeh Yagyu by making him Japan's most wanted criminal.
I also thought that, because it is supposed to be part of the horror-genre of films, it was sending a message to both fandoms and the corruption of "the system" everyone on the hierarchy was worse than the last. The warden's underling physically abused inmates by "checking anal cavities for contraband," while the warden allowed this and was a nazi herself. The politician, Mifune (also a possible parody of a character and an actual politician--we were sure of the first, but not of the latter), went back on his word to the point that North Korea stepped in to help the unfortunate Yubeh. North Korea was a savior, helping manipulated Yubeh seek his just revenge for himself and his only friend. Part of this film seemed to be a political/social commentary, like most horror films because of the sudden appearance of North Korea, the politician Mifune, and the general treatment of the inmates as well as pitting the girls against the boys. It seemed like a social commentary because they tried teamwork, in traditional Japanese style, and it worked in their favor, except there was a traitor in the group that that sabotaged the boys, that sabotaged the girls. The girls didn't even get the decency of clothes, as the boys didn't get uniforms. Neither was equipped for a baseball game, although the girls were actually prepared and told the game would be to kill. None of the characters ended up with a happy ending, as the struggle seemed to keep growing deeper whenever they tried to accommodate each other or support each other. They were in it together, but death seemed to be the only uniting bond after suffering.
One thing my ex pointed out was how many films we watch--horror, action, etc, show the female characters as miserly and cruel towards men, inciting their wrath or revenge. The warden was no exception to this as she was a cruel nazi who let her underling sexually/physically molest their person once their freedom was taken away. Even the controlled musical duo "Poo Poo" kicked at the male announcer when he grabbed onto them as they tried to escape. They kicked at him (and spit?) and said that he was a pervert, but had acted cute and happy during the first half of the baseball game. This sudden switch was shocking and almost made one pity him until they spoke against him. I don't know why or how this trend is, but my ex was inquiring as to how this chronic portrayal might affect Japanese people socially. I couldn't answer because I didn't notice until he pointed it out and referenced other media we've viewed together.
This film was over-the-top in gore and explicitness of the gore, although it was done in a comedic style and wasn't mortifying like Hostel, Human Centipede, or Grotesque (Japanese film). It was very much like an anime, even unto the end and never kept the audience bored with unnecessary gore or conversation. Some of the cultural references baffled us, but made us laugh overall because of the stylistic filming.
I highly recommend this film if you have a large understanding of Japanese cultural and subcultural references because it will make the understanding of each character that more exciting and will deepen the connection between the viewer and the film. Although watching this film without much understanding will still keep a viewer intrigued, the connection to anime will keep the viewer in suspense.
