ManiakJiggy
This is How Movies Should Be Made
GarnettTeenage
The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
phanthinga
So Goku:Midnight eye is an anime mini series directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri one again a great anime series that not many people ever heard of it.The anime itself is a mix between his early work Wicked City and Batman.The series following a man named Goku, a former police detective turned private investigating strange and bizarre criminal case in a futuristic Tokyo,a place where anybody can be a half human half robot.After losing his left eye in a case Goku find out someone had replaced his left eye with a computer terminal that can control computers all over the world with a staff that can changing shape and shoot laser beam.This is a very awesome anime series with a interesting plot,good hand drawing animation and a badass main character.I find myself very enjoy this short anime series but the problem is it too short,many thing has not yet been discovered like what is the main reason behind the man that give Goku his left eye and the staff.It such a shame because this is just a two episode anime mini series
Donald F
Some fans out there like to believe that anime is some higher art form, superior to the kiddy cartoons or Hollywood blockbusters in the states. As someone who is on constant lookout for new anime, I can confirm that's not the case. Plenty of anime play overused, immature tropes, and have little value beyond an occasional good time. Nor are older anime necessarily better than newer ones. Many new shows solely focus on being cute and "sexy"...but many 80s/90s examples are shallow, violent, crudely sexual, stereotypical pieces of trash. Yoshiaki Kawajiri is a master of this craft, director of such "classy" films as Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku, and Ninja Scroll.Goku Midnight Eye and its sequel show no more ambition. Once again we find ourselves in a dark, futuristic Tokyo. There may be no demons, but shady figures and their cybernetic henchmen rule from their skyscrapers. The action is violent, the characters are flat, and women only exist to be saved and provide fan service.Yet GME is so outrageous, its attempts to be dark, thrilling, and mature are hilarious.Peacock women? Swan-based WMDs? A Chinese man rollerskating down a glass building? What!? GME plays to absolutely every stereotype of the time, then goes the extra mile. If you're with friends, there is plenty to riff on, and never dead air. Bloodshed is never far away, and you won't go 5 minutes without being shocked at what's happeningIn addition to its amazing camp, GME dodges banality because of Goku's powers. The abilities of his eye give him an endless plethora of options, to the point where its difficult to tell what he'll do next. With x-ray vision, access to the world's databases, control over most electronic equipment, and a surprisingly deadly staff, Goku is a unique hero in the bargain bin. He could honestly be in a great anime if anyone took him seriously. As is, he adds some spice to a generic plot.I can only go so far before you need to experience the OVAs yourself. When you're in the mood, call some friends over for Bad Movie Night. Its everything wrong with the bad sci-fi anime of the time, and everything right for commentary.One more thing - don't forget to listen to the English dub. Not only is it equally bad, but freaking Steven Blum, lead voice actor in Cowboy Bebop and The Big O, plays Goku!
queitus
Funny that I too caught this film by chance on a movie channel(cinemax I think)one late late summer night in 2001. Perhaps we saw the same showing...This film is just like that: spur of the moment, definitely watch it at night, and anime buffs, probably won't like this. I watch anime now and then and this one is particularly interesting because of its "in the dark" atmosphere... you learn what's going on along with the characters, and that makes it all the more fun. A sense of mischief almost broods in the scenes of our antihero darting around the city. What Goku does with his bestowed powers is what some of us might do had be also been given such a gift.Though short, this film is very unique. I've yet to see an anima quite like it, with such a down to earth and sort of "in your face" story-telling feel. Usually we get the ol' Macross and Gundam style, which leaves you as a watcher of wars and conflicts that are incredibly larger than your own. Goku however has in him a bit of us, of our mischief that we don't let out and which gives us great pleasure when it's shown. If you liked this I recommend Vampire Hunter D.
brutalmuscle
*contains minor spoilers*I happened to see this one night on a movie channel. I'm glad that I did or else I would have missed out on a great anime! I was already a fan of Kawajiri so I knew that I would be happy about this. Goku Midnight Eye contained the usual Kawajiri spectacular action and violence. But unfortunately, it had the use of misogyny that Kawajiri is known for. But it was actually lighter compared to other works of Kawajiri(Ninja Scroll and Wicked City for example). That's not to say that his films are bad. This was just an all around cool anime. It's about a private investigator who is given powers by an unknown character to fight crime in the futre. The animation was well done and lacked those ridiculous character designs found in most anime(another cliche included in Kawajiri animes). I recommend this film to Kawajiri fans in particular, anime fans, or anyone who enjoys good fun and science fiction.PS. If you liked this anime I recommend Ninja Scroll and Wicked City!
