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Fans are always on the lookout for new action movies that could begood enough to be compared with the likes ofJohn Wick. Streaming services like Netflix also throw in afair share of action projectseach year to create their own massive action franchise. While some recent projects failed to stick with the audience, there were a few, likeExtraction, that created a respectable space for themselves in the industry. And, well, it looks like the streaming giant wants to replicate the same results with its upcomingDemon Citymovie.
The upcoming Japanese live-action film is based on theOni Goroshimanga series by Masamichi Kawabe. The manga debuted with its first chapter in 2020, and so far, the mangaka has released more than 150 chapters collected in over 15 volumes. The story is about an assassin who goes on a rampage to kill everyone responsible or closely associated with his wife and child’s murder. Of course, we’ve seen a lot of violent movies over the years, but Oni Goroshi brings its own unique touch to fight choreography, making it very similar toJohn WickandKill Bill.
Netflix’sDemon CityCould Be A Perfect Treat ForJohn WickFans
It Is Sort Of A Merger OfJohn WickandKill Bill
Netflix released the first spectacular trailer forDemon Cityearlier this month, and, as expected, it got the attention of several fans, especially those who are always craving some crazed martial arts fun. The upcoming film isdirected by Seiji Tanaka and sees Toma Ikuta in the lead role. It’s yet to be seen how faithful Netflix’s live-action adaptation will stay to Masamichi Kawabe’s original work; however, the trailer makes it clear that it isas bloody and violent as the manga series.
The movie is about Shuhei Sakata, a legendary Hitman who was fortunate enough to create a small family life for himself, even for a little while. Shuhei was about to give up on the killing stuff, but before he could get off that wagon, the Kimen-gum organization murdered his wife and daughter. Theypin all the blame on Sakata and shoot him in the head as well. However, instead of dying, Sakata goes into a coma for twelve long years. After waking up from the coma, Sakatagoes on a killing spreewith the aim of hunting down every member of the Kimen-gum organization.
The revenge plot centered around a hitmanmakesDemon Cityvery similar toJohn Wick. However, instead of losing a dog, Sakata witnesses the murder of his wife and daughter, so it’s obvious why he ismore ruthless and unforgivingthan our beloved John. Also, the bad guys inDemon Cityaren’t sophisticated or feature structured mannerisms like the villains inJohn Wick. They wear Demon masks and act the same by committing atrocities and having fun by killing and torturing innocents.
They say there’s a demon here in Shinjo. It possesses someone, and they go on a killing spree.
Interestingly, the gory and violent action choreography inDemon City’strailer also reminds us ofKill Bill. Like Beatrix “the Bride” Kiddo, Shuhei Sakata is motivated by revenge and goes through an entire evil organization to avenge his loved ones. And while Shuhei doesn’t use a sword as his primary weapon like Beatrix, he does carry a hatchet in some fights. In a way,Demon Cityfeels like aperfectmerger ofJohn Wick andKill Bill,and we just hope that it lives up to everyone’s expectations and does justice to the source material.
Demon CityCould Have Been Better As A TV Series
But A Series Of Movies Could Also Work If The Story Is Not Rushed
Generally, we see a manga being adapted into an anime series beforegetting a live-action adaptation. That’s the route we are accustomed to seeing. However, Netflix is making a bold move bydirectly bringing us the live-action version of Oni Goroshi— that too a movie instead of a TV series. The manga has more than 150 chapters and is still ongoing, so it has more than enough source material to bring us a full-fledged TV series. The creators could have given more depth to the characters while adding some original elements if it was a TV series.
All being said, the trailer forDemon Citydoes look exhilarating, and itgot the attention of several martial arts fans. Everyone who has watched the trailer is certainly excited about the Netflix adaptation. If the movie really delivers on the action and doesn’t mess up the story by rushing the narrative or skipping crucial character development,we cantotallysee this turning into a movie franchise— it could be aJapanese version ofJohn Wick.The story is too complicated to be told in a single movie, so it’s clear that the creators are planning multiple films around it. However, it’syet to be seen if the movie has enough potential to become a franchiseor if it will be buried under the rugs.
