Overview
- Demon City is a Japanese live-action film based on the Oni Goroshi manga, drawing comparisons to the iconic John Wick and Kill Bill series.
- This revenge tale follows a hitman seeking retribution for the brutal murder of his family, featuring intense and graphic action sequences.
- The recently released official trailer for Demon City highlights impressive martial arts choreography alongside a gripping storyline.
Table of Contents
Audiences are continually on the hunt for engaging action films that can rival the likes of John Wick. Streaming platforms like Netflix are eager to contribute to this genre, hoping to create their own iconic action franchises. While some recent offerings have failed to capture viewer interest, others, such as Extraction, have made a notable impact. With its forthcoming film, Demon City, Netflix aims to replicate this success.
Demon City adapts the Oni Goroshi manga series by Masamichi Kawabe, which first appeared in 2020 and has since amassed over 150 chapters across 15 volumes. This narrative centers on a hitman on a relentless quest to eliminate those responsible for the tragic deaths of his wife and child. While the realm of violent cinema is crowded, Oni Goroshi introduces a unique flavor to its combat sequences, reminiscent of the stylistic approaches of John Wick and Kill Bill.
Demon City: A Must-Watch for John Wick Enthusiasts
A Fusion of John Wick and Kill Bill
This month, Netflix unveiled the first trailer for Demon City, which has garnered significant attention from action enthusiasts eager for high-octane martial arts sequences. Directed by Seiji Tanaka and featuring Toma Ikuta in the starring role, the film’s fidelity to Masamichi Kawabe’s manga remains to be seen. However, the trailer promises an experience that is as blood-soaked and visceral as its source material.
The plot centers around Shuhei Sakata, a once-legendary hitman who initially found a semblance of family life. His world shatters when the Kimen-gum organization murders his wife and daughter, subsequently framing him for the crime and leaving him for dead. Remarkably, Shuhei survives a twelve-year coma and awakens with a singular purpose: to systematically eliminate every member of the Kimen-gum.
At its core, Demon City shares thematic ground with John Wick. However, where Wick is driven by the loss of a pet, Sakata’s motivations stem from the more tragic and deeply personal loss of his family, making him a particularly ruthless avenger. Unlike the sophisticated villains in John Wick, the antagonists in Demon City are portrayed as brutal and sadistic, utilizing grotesque skull masks during their gruesome antics.
“They say there’s a demon here in Shinjo. It possesses someone, and they go on a killing spree.”
The intense choreography seen in the trailer also evokes memories of the fight sequences in Kill Bill. Similar to Beatrix “the Bride”Kiddo, Sakata’s journey through the ranks of an evil organization is fueled by revenge. While he may not wield a katana like Beatrix, his choice of a hatchet hints at a gritty intensity. Overall, Demon City appears to be a compelling merger of John Wick and Kill Bill, and viewers hope it meets the high expectations set by its predecessors.
Potential for Series Format
Potential for Expanded Storytelling through Sequels
Typically, adaptations of manga often transition into anime series before reaching live-action interpretations. However, Netflix is taking an ambitious leap by releasing a live-action version of Oni Goroshi directly, bypassing the customary series route. The manga’s substantial content—over 150 chapters and ongoing—raises questions about whether a TV series format would have allowed for greater character depth and the inclusion of original story arcs.
Despite this, the trailer for Demon City exudes excitement, captivating martial arts enthusiasts. As viewers eagerly anticipate the launch, the film’s success will hinge on its ability to deliver thrilling action sequences while avoiding a rushed narrative that sacrifices character development. If handled well, there is ample potential for the film to evolve into a successful franchise, potentially establishing its own niche within the action genre—akin to a Japanese John Wick. Ultimately, the complexity of the story may require multiple films, but whether it can achieve franchise status remains to be seen.
Demon City will premiere exclusively on Netflix on February 27, 2025.
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