HK: Hentai Kamen is hilariously entertaining!

 

With the superhero genre being at an all-time low as DC and Marvel movies bombing left and right at the box-office, I figured that it'd be a good opportunity to revisit an old classic movie that turns the genre on its head. It also gives me the opportunity to cover yet another live-action adaptation done right. In 2013, Keishi Ando's hilarious manga, Kyukyoku Hentai Kamen was adapted into a big screen production by Yuichi Fukuda. Fukuda both wrote the screenplay and directed the adaptation and it was a success, managing to gross over one hundred million yen in Japan and paid great respect to the source material. 

HK: Hentai Kamen follows the story of high school student Ryosuke Shikijoh. Ryosuke is the son of a fallen cop who was murdered on the job and a dominatrix. His parents actually met on a case, with his father falling in love with his mother following a little session with her whip. He's a tall and strong looking guy, but despite being a member of the school's karate club, he's incredibly weak at fighting. His mother laments the fact that she hasn't seemingly passed on any of her DNA on a surface level. She's proven wrong however, when Ryosuke stumbles across a hostage situation where his crush, Aiko Himeno happens to be one of the hostages held inside a loans company office. He attempts to infiltrate the office and manages to knock out one of the kidnappers, but whilst attempting to disguise himself with the fallen kidnappers clothes, he accidently puts panties on his face instead of the mask that the guy was wearing. Thus by accident, he awakens his dormant powers with the help of his dominatrix mothers' DNA that was buried deep inside him. Using his newfound powers, he save Aiko and then fights crime, becoming a hero covered by newspapers and TV stations. His presence however, draws the attention of the evil Tamao Ogane and his assassins, the deadliest amongst them being a copycat of Hentai Kamen himself known as Bizarro Hentai Kamen. 

Despite its' unconventional nature and take on the superhero genre, Yuichi Fukuda does employ a variety of conventional directorial techniques in his approach to the movie. There's a wide variety of bog standard camera shots ranging from close range reaction shots to wide angle shots showcasing standoffs and the environments. Of course, these are mixed in with the often at times terrible CGI effects which in most movies would lessen my enjoyment, but in something like this, it actually enhances the comedy imo. The usage of close-ups is gold when it focuses on the comedic aspect of HK using his crotch to fight criminals. Fukuda does at times employ some rather nice use of colour to enhance the emotions and feel of a scene such as the ominous blue lighting that indicates the danger of Tamao and his crew when Ryosuke stumbles upon his karate clubs defeat at their hands. The cold blue tones are also used for Aiko's trance like state after she is taken away by Bizarro Hentai Kamen. 

The central theme of the movie or at least the moral quandary with which Ryosuke struggles is the question of whether or not he is actually a pervert. The villains of the movie take advantage of his self doubt and lack of conviction to gain the advantage over him despite his power. Goody Two Shoes Man guilt trips him by making him feel bad as a pervert and also contains his power momentarily by making him wear clothes. Ryosuke overpowers him by taking pleasure in the beating he receives and overcomes the guilt in order to save Aiko. Meanwhile, Bizarro Hentai Kamen defeats him by simply proclaiming that Ryosuke is no pervert at all, thus making him doubt himself and his ability. Bizarro then out perverts him to the point of taking his power away for a time. This at least helps make up for what is essentially a paper-thin plot on the surface. 

The action choreography is for the most part actually pretty good with some decent martial arts moves used to good effect. When combined with the extremely exaggerated, over-the-top special moves that feature HK using his crotch with the aid of the not so great special effects, it makes for a rather unique and genuinely fun experience. There is some element of shaky cam during a major fight scene, but thankfully it is not too egregious. 

Ryosuke Suzuki is a tremendously talented actor and he showcases his ability superbly well in HK. He pulls off the weak and yet good hearted Ryosuke really well and he excels when portraying Hentai Kamen, right down to the change in tone of voice. He also displayed an incredible work ethic as he got in fantastic shape for the role, just look at his physique in his HK scenes! 

Nana Katase is delightfully dramatic and theatrical in the role of the dominatrix, Maki Shikijoh. She had me smiling every time she appeared on the screen, although I get that some people might be off-put by such a scenery chewing performance. 

Ken Yasuda also manages to turn in a fabulous performance as the main physical threat and what is essentially a duel role. He had me in stitches with his perverted physical comedy and his physique is a sharp contrast to Suzuki's Adonis style chisel. 

Overall, this is a movie which only Japan could make and I am grateful that it exists. It is a stern test as far as differentiating true fans of culture from the tourists. It's over the top nature, goofiness and slight eroticism might be off-putting to some, but to me it's part of its' charm. It stayed true to the source material whist being entertaining and working as a live-action adaptation.