The true tragedy of Wicked City is that, for the most part, I really like it. It’s not perfect, but it’s a slick action thriller dripping with gothic lighting and horrifying monsters. Sharp steel-like edges protrude out of bodies, tentacles writhe, and ambiguous white goo gets everywhere. Our leads are also perfectly competent. Taki, our protagonist, is an experienced man with a weakness for women (this thankfully comes through in mild flirting). Makie, his new partner, is stunning. Cool, icy but not heartless, with red nails that extended like needles from hell. She, like him, is a confident cynic, determined to complete her duty. She, like him, has a hinted soft spot, a yearning she has filed away. They’re cute and a good team.
Unfortunately, Makie is also where the film loses me. On multiple occasions, she is raped. It’s in poor taste and, in a film with much better monsters and erotic horror sequences, feels especially cheap. Taki, for his part, is also assaulted in the opening scene when his date turns out to have more teeth than expected but at least that’s played more seriously as a horror moment. In a film that has so much to offer and play around with, this soured the whole film. It’s unimaginative, trite and cheapens an otherwise fun time.
(Also, I’m not fan of the pervert archetype in anime but Mayart is especially annoying in this.)
