Jin-Rou (Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade)

In an alternate history, following World War II, civil unrest and terrorism run rampant in a devastated Japan under foreign occupation. During a botched interception of underground munitions being transferred by a terrorist organization, Constable Kazuki Fuse, a soldier in an elite counter-terrorism unit, witnesses the true terror of human nature. He fails to prevent a teenage girl from carrying out a desperate suicide bombing that subsequently causes immense destruction to Tokyo. With mental scars and his competence under question, Fuse is sent back to the military academy for re-evaluation. Unbeknownst to him, he will soon be caught up in a web of government conspiracies that have the power to determine the future of all of Japan.

As Fuse treads the fine line between human and beast, he ultimately discovers to which side he truly belongs.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

In 1999 Jin-Rou won second place for the Best Asian Film award at the Fant-Asia Film Festival in Canada. It also won the Best Film – Animation (Fantasia Section Award) and the Special Jury Award (International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award) at the Fantasporto Film Festival in Portugal. In 2000, it won the Minami Toshiko Award during the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. It won the Best Animated Film at the Mainichi Film Concours. In 2001 it won the Special Award at the Japanese Professional Movie Awards.

Episode Videos

Episode 1

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Related Anime

Adaptation:

Kenrou Densetsu

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Fuse, Kazuki

Main

Fujiki, Yoshikatsu
Japanese

Amemiya, Kei

Main

Mutou, Sumi
Japanese

Henmi, Atsuhi

Main

Kinoshita, Hiroyuki
Japanese

Tohbe, Hachiroh

Supporting

Sakaguchi, Yoshisada
Japanese

Agawa, Nanami

Supporting

Sendai, Eri
Japanese

Aniya, Isao

Supporting

Handa, Hajime

Supporting

Muroto, Bunmei

Supporting

Hirota, Kousei
Japanese

Tatsumi, Shiro

Supporting

Horibe, Ryuuichi
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Terakawa, Hidekazu

Producer

Okiura, Hiroyuki

Director, Storyboard, Layout, Character Design, Key Animation

Wakabayashi, Kazuhiro

Sound Director

Kamiyama, Kenji

Episode Director, Animation Director

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Opening Theme

"Jin-Roh - Main Theme" by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

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Ending Theme

"Grace - Jin-Roh - Main Theme - Omega" by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

Reviews

Jan 28, 2024

honzoslav

Recommended

Jin-Roh is a movie best known for its art design. The beautifully animated shootout scenes have made their way into many a YouTube edit and the iconic armor design has laid the foundation for the modern 'technofascist' aesthetic. You can see it referenced in countless works, with the most obvious examples being Killzone and the modern Wolfenstein games. The design has been so influential that it has completely overshadowed the rest of the movie. I have personally recommended Jin-Roh to several of my friends and while none of them had ever heard about it, most of them recognized the armor. This, combined with the very ... common memes, has led to a shift in perception, where most people online have absolutely no idea what the movie is about. From the way people talk about it, you would think the movie was called "Right wing death squad: Fuck commies and jannies. Sneed edition." and while I also wish for a movie like that, this simply isn't it. Jin-Roh is a bleak look at a man struggling with PTSD, looking for life that he can never have who finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between government agencies in the destabilized post-occupation Japan. It's more of an anti-war movie than an action flick, so you should set your expectations accordingly.

That being said, the slow-burn pacing still managed to hold my attention thanks to the absolutely amazing story and characters. The story starts simple but picks up in complexity after a plot twist in the middle, followed by another one at the very end. I don't want to spoil anything, but you can rest assured that you won't see either of them coming your first time through. As for the characters, there aren't that many of them, but they are well-developed. It's honestly hard for me to morally judge their actions, which speaks volumes about their depth. And last but not least, we have the action scenes. They are absolutely great, thanks in no small part to the absolutely phenomenal production value. The guns look, sound and feel extremely powerful, and the panzer cops slowly walking towards the enemy through shallow water is very intimidating. There is something raw to the action and I really, really like it.

Now before I wrap this up, there are two things that need to be mentioned. Firstly, the whole package is extremely dark and depressing. Now, if you are like me, you might see this as a good thing, but I also know that some people are really put off by this, so I wanted it to be mentioned. And secondly there is the whole Red riding hood thing. I get what they were going for, and I still think that they mostly succeeded, but man, they could have handled it much better. As it is now, they are about as subtle as an explosion, constantly beating you over the head with it. This also leads to some really awkward dialogue because of the constant 'muh wolves' getting inserted into every conversation. This is my only real gripe with the story. It does lead to some really cool scenes and, as I said, I think that it mostly works, but there are some real stinkers.

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Jul 2, 2023

xRedAssassinx2

Mixed Feelings

I suggest not reading reviews before watching a story as it can ruin the element of surprise. I gave this a 10. What I will say is that it's an old animation that some people won't find that emotional due to it's 2000s storytelling style. Nowadays modern anime focus on flashy and "cool" animations without uniqueness and substance. Jin-Rou is a good example of a movie with unique substance. It's a rather straightforward and short movie that can leave a lot desired like Princess Mononoke. Keep an open mind that these movies are old and are what shaped similar animations, tropes and stories today. Whether ...

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Oct 1, 2022

Spencerio

Not Recommended

I don't really know where to start with this one, but I guess the first thing I will say is that I've noticed that outside of Ghost in the Shell, I have not really cared much for Mamoru Oshii projects: I've started (and in these cases dropped) both The Sky Crawlers and Angel's Egg. It's nothing against him, and I recognize that he is a talented filmmaker, but there's just something about his minimalist storytelling that I just really do not enjoy most of the time.

Talking specifically about Jin-Rou, though, I will start with the good.

The animation quality, especially with facial expressions, is insanely good, ...

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Recent Forum Discussion

Satoshi Kon got nothing to do with the script Vanhibiki - Mar 21	3 replies	by Theo1899 »» Mar 22, 8:14 AM
Poll: Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Veethorn - Jul 14, 2010	92 replies	by BigBoyAdvance »» Mar 6, 3:05 AM
Tatsuki Fujimoto just recommended this!!! Chiragthegreat - Dec 17, 2023	5 replies	by Steez76 »» Dec 18, 2023 3:22 PM
Kei Amemiya from "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade" (1999) RJDA - Feb 21, 2023	0 replies	by RJDA »» Feb 21, 2023 6:50 PM
Do I need to watch any other movies in the "Kerberos saga" before I watch "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade"? BearfootTruck - Dec 28, 2020	2 replies	by St0rmblade »» Dec 26, 2022 4:05 AM

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Amemiya, Kei

Henmi, Atsuhi

Tohbe, Hachiroh

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Synopsis

Background

Episode Videos

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Ending Theme

Reviews

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