Detroit Metal City
Encyclopedia
is a vulgar
comedy
manga
series, serialized in Young Animal
from 2005 to 2010. An anime
OVA series, twelve episodes of approximately 13 minutes each, was released starting on August 8, 2008. A live film adaptation directed by Toshio Lee appeared in Japan
ese theaters on August 23, 2008. The series takes its name from the KISS
single "Detroit Rock City
".
band, "Detroit Metal City." In stage costume he is Johannes Krauser II, rumored to be a terrorist demon from hell, to have killed and raped his parents, to wield his giant death penis with abandon, and other menacing tales being said about him after each public performance. The songs of DMC often encourage the audience to engage in immoral and illegal behavior, such as rape or murder, or tell of Krauser's exploits with similar actions, in a parody of the genre.
Negishi despises DMC and all that it stands for, but he can't walk away as he has a talent to play the psychotic frontman of the band. Negishi is under his meager exterior a Rageaholic
and also is very skilled in his guitar play. Further, he feels obligation to the rest of the band and his label and even if he manages to escape, he is invariably being roped back in by the manager of the band's label. The Krauser persona also functions as an outlet to vent his frustration over his failing personal career, which has not advanced beyond him being a street musician. Playing his music in the street earns him nothing but the disapproval of bystanders over his cheesy pop songs.
Negishi is envious of the popularity DMC and his Krauser persona enjoy in contrast to the music he actually wants to play being ridiculed, which in turn leads to his Krauser persona coming out more often, which leads to Krauser's popularity growing. The series explores the futile attempts of Negishi to break this vicious circle, escape his DMC persona and become a successful pop musician.
, he is a fan of Swedish pop and Shibuya-kei
who is the exact opposite of his alter-ego , leader of the Visual death metal
band DMC (short for Detroit Metal City). Ashamed of his true job, Negishi must cope with DMC's rising fame while keeping it a secret from friends and family. Even though Negishi despises Krauser so much, he can never resist the temptation of invoking his demonic ego every time he feels irritated. While performing as Krauser, Negishi proves to be a skilled guitarist, able to play just with his teeth.
, Rumi Hiiragi
, Yasuko Matsuyuki
and a cameo appearance by Gene Simmons
. It has been watched by more than 1 million people. It has been reported that several offers have been made from United States
and Hong Kong based companies to remake the film. Detroit Metal City was selected as a part of the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness Program on September 5, 2008. It was also shown for the first time in the United Kingdom
on November 2008 in Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds
. It was also shown as part of the 13th Japanese Film Festival in November and December in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in 2009.
episodes for D.M.C.
As a fictional band, Detroit Metal City has released several real records for both the film and the OVA series. Singles titled were released for the film (subtitled "for the movie"), sung by Testuya Kanmuri as Johannes Krauser II and Hideki Kaji as Soichi Negishi. Another single titled was released with Kanmuri and Kaji in character on vocals for their respective songs. The film's D.M.C also released an album titled featuring "SATSUGAI", "Maoh", and other songs featured in the film and manga sung by Kanmuri.
Singles were also released for the fictional bands depicted in the movie: by anti-sexism punk band by rapper by
is producing a game based on DMC for the Nintendo DS
titled Detroit Metal City DS: Death Shout that will feature multiple modes of play, including an Elite Beat Agents
-inspired rhythm game and a Final Fantasy
-inspired RPG mode.
Off-color humor
The term off-color humor is an Americanism used to describe jokes, prose, poems, black comedy, blue comedy, insult comedy, cringe comedy and skits that deal with topics that are considered to be in poor taste or overly vulgar by the prevailing morality of a culture...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series, serialized in Young Animal
Young Animal
is a magazine in Japan that features seinen manga and scantily clad women. It is published by Hakusensha and issued on the second and fourth Friday of each month in saddle-stapled B5 format, selling for 310 yen...
from 2005 to 2010. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVA series, twelve episodes of approximately 13 minutes each, was released starting on August 8, 2008. A live film adaptation directed by Toshio Lee appeared in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese theaters on August 23, 2008. The series takes its name from the KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
single "Detroit Rock City
Detroit Rock City (song)
"Detroit Rock City" is a song by the American hard rock group Kiss featured on their 1976 album, Destroyer. The song was written by Paul Stanley and Bob Ezrin and is about a real Kiss fan who was killed in a car accident on his way to a Kiss concert...
".
Plot
Soichi Negishi is a shy young musician who dreams of a career in pop. Dreams don't pay the bills, so he's ended up as the lead singer and guitarist of a death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band, "Detroit Metal City." In stage costume he is Johannes Krauser II, rumored to be a terrorist demon from hell, to have killed and raped his parents, to wield his giant death penis with abandon, and other menacing tales being said about him after each public performance. The songs of DMC often encourage the audience to engage in immoral and illegal behavior, such as rape or murder, or tell of Krauser's exploits with similar actions, in a parody of the genre.
Negishi despises DMC and all that it stands for, but he can't walk away as he has a talent to play the psychotic frontman of the band. Negishi is under his meager exterior a Rageaholic
Rageaholic
A rageaholic or "anger addict" is a person who gets excited by expressing rage, or a person prone to extreme anger with little or no provocation...
and also is very skilled in his guitar play. Further, he feels obligation to the rest of the band and his label and even if he manages to escape, he is invariably being roped back in by the manager of the band's label. The Krauser persona also functions as an outlet to vent his frustration over his failing personal career, which has not advanced beyond him being a street musician. Playing his music in the street earns him nothing but the disapproval of bystanders over his cheesy pop songs.
Negishi is envious of the popularity DMC and his Krauser persona enjoy in contrast to the music he actually wants to play being ridiculed, which in turn leads to his Krauser persona coming out more often, which leads to Krauser's popularity growing. The series explores the futile attempts of Negishi to break this vicious circle, escape his DMC persona and become a successful pop musician.
Characters
: The main protagonist. A calm and peaceful musician from Inukai, ŌitaInukai, Oita
was a town located in Ōno District, Ōita, Japan.On March 31, 2005 Inukai was merged with the towns of Asaji, Mie, Ogata and Ōno, and the villages of Chitose and Kiyokawa, all from Ōno District, to form the new city of Bungo-Ōno....
, he is a fan of Swedish pop and Shibuya-kei
Shibuya-kei
is a sub-genre of Japanese pop music which originated in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. It is best described as a mix between jazz, pop, and electropop.- Overview :...
who is the exact opposite of his alter-ego , leader of the Visual death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band DMC (short for Detroit Metal City). Ashamed of his true job, Negishi must cope with DMC's rising fame while keeping it a secret from friends and family. Even though Negishi despises Krauser so much, he can never resist the temptation of invoking his demonic ego every time he feels irritated. While performing as Krauser, Negishi proves to be a skilled guitarist, able to play just with his teeth.
-
- In the OVA, Daisuke KishioDaisuke Kishiois a male Japanese voice actor. He is a member of Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society . Kishio changed his given name from 大輔 to だいすけ on June 1, 2007 with the pronunciation and romanization remaining the same....
voices Negishi, while Yuji UedaYuji Uedais a popular Japanese seiyū.He is most known for the roles of Sagara Sanosuke , Akito Tenkawa , Takeshi , Horohoro , Johannes Krauser II and Keitaro Urashima ....
voices Krauser. In the film, Kenichi Matsuyama portrays both roles.: Negishi's friend from his college times and his main love interest. She loves Negishi's calm nature and songs, but dislikes DMC's music and its vocalist Krauser, unaware that they're the same person. - Voiced by Masami NagasawaMasami Nagasawais a Japanese actress under Toho Entertainment. She has performed in many movies and television dramas including Crying out Love, In the Center of the World, Dragon Zakura and Proposal Daisakusen. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in 2006. She is also known as "Ma-chan" or, as Tomohisa...
in the OVA, and portrayed by Rosa KatoRosa Katois a Japanese actress and commercial model.-Career:From April 2004 to March 2005, Kato was a regular guest student on Italian Conversation, a 25-minute NHK TV program for beginners of Italian....
in the live-action movie.: Curry-loving, overweight, and taciturn. An otakuOtakuis a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
, he is a fan of ecchiEcchiis an often used slang term in the Japanese language for erotic fantasy and sexual innuendoes. As an adjective it is used with the meaning of "dirty", "naughty", "frivolous"; as a verb , with the meaning to do something dirty, naughty, frivolous or to sleep together; or as a noun, to describe...
animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. Nishida is , DMC's drummer. Perhaps the most dedicated in the group; not even fire or snakes will stop his drumming. - Voiced by Makoto Yasumura in the OVA, and portrayed by Ryuji Akiyama in the live-action movie.: Plays the part of , DMC's bassist and a ladies' man from SaitamaSaitama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
. He would like to leave DMC to perform in a visual keiVisual Keiis a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
band, but like the rest of the band, he fears their manager. - Voiced by Yuto NakanoYuto Nakanois a Japanese voice actor, from Chiba, Japan. He is part of Riki Project, a Japanese talent office run by Riki Takeuchi. He debuted in Ojarumaru, a Japanese manga series adapted for television, in 2004....
in the OVA, and portrayed by Yoshihiko Hosoda in the live-action movie.: A foul-mouthed, sex-crazy blond woman who creates odd schemes to promote the band, most of them to Negishi's despair. - Voiced by Ai KobayashiAi Kobayashiis a Japanese voice actress from Adachi, Tokyo. She is affiliated with HeaT.-Television animation:*Detective Conan *Ergo Proxy *Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart *InuYasha...
in the OVA, and portrayed by Yasuko MatsuyukiYasuko Matsuyukiis a Japanese actress and singer signed to Stardust Promotion.-Biography:Yasuko Matsuyuki was born in 1972 in Tosu, Saga. In 1989, while she was in high school, Matsuyuki won a Non-no fashion magazine contest...
in the live-action movie.: A masochistic middle-aged man hired to perform during DMC's concerts as the , whose role is to let himself be abused by Krauser. He works part-time at a convenience storeConvenience storeA convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
. - Voiced by Takashi MatsuyamaTakashi MatsuyamaTakashi Matsuyama may refer to:* Takashi Matsuyama , Japanese actor and seiyū* Takashi Matsuyama , production designer and art director...
in the OVA.: Also known as "The Emperor", he is a legendary Black metalBlack metalBlack metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
guitarist from the United States who chose to crush DMC during his farewell concert in Japan. But after inadvertently bringing out Negishi's anger, he ends up being upstaged by Krauser, who becomes heir to his guitar and title. - Voiced by Riki TakeuchiRiki Takeuchiis a Japanese actor best known for his roles in v-cinema yakuza movies.Takeuchi has starred in many yakuza films and action films, such as Dead or Alive by Takashi Miike...
and Eugene Nomura in the OVA, and portrayed by Gene SimmonsGene SimmonsGene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
in the live-action movie.
- In the OVA, Daisuke Kishio
Film
The live action film adaptation of the series, directed by Toshio Lee and written by Mika Ōmori, was released on August 23, 2008. It features performances by Kenichi Matsuyama, Rosa KatoRosa Kato
is a Japanese actress and commercial model.-Career:From April 2004 to March 2005, Kato was a regular guest student on Italian Conversation, a 25-minute NHK TV program for beginners of Italian....
, Rumi Hiiragi
Rumi Hiiragi
is a Japanese actress.-Profile:She began her career as a child actress while at the age of six, appearing in numerous commercials. In 1999, she appeared in the NHK asadora Suzuran, portraying the main character, Moe Tokiwa...
, Yasuko Matsuyuki
Yasuko Matsuyuki
is a Japanese actress and singer signed to Stardust Promotion.-Biography:Yasuko Matsuyuki was born in 1972 in Tosu, Saga. In 1989, while she was in high school, Matsuyuki won a Non-no fashion magazine contest...
and a cameo appearance by Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
. It has been watched by more than 1 million people. It has been reported that several offers have been made from United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Hong Kong based companies to remake the film. Detroit Metal City was selected as a part of the 33rd Annual Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness Program on September 5, 2008. It was also shown for the first time in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on November 2008 in Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. It was also shown as part of the 13th Japanese Film Festival in November and December in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in 2009.
OVA
A DVD box set was released of a series of 12 OVAOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episodes for D.M.C.
- 1-A – PV
- 1-B – SICK MURDERER
- 2-A – REAL LEGEND
- 2-B – SATAN
- 3-A – PIG
- 3-B – DRUG
- 4-A – FRUSTRATION
- 4-B – GOOD SONG
- 5-A – MASOCHIST
- 5-B – FAMILY
- 6-A – PUNK.1
- 6-B – PUNK.2
- 7-A – TOWER
- 7-B – CONFESSION
- 8-A – PROMISE
- 8-B – ALTERNATION
- 9-A – CINEMA.1
- 9-B – CINEMA.2
- 10-A – FAKE
- 10-B – DETROIT-MOE-CITY
- 11-A – HIP-HOP.1
- 11-B – HIP-HOP.2
- 12-A – EMPEROR.1
- 12-B – EMPEROR.2
Music
Prior to the theatrical release and the OVA release, an album titled was released featuring many popular Japanese recording artists covering their own songs in a metal style. The album has songs by:- Beat CrusadersBeat Crusaderswere a Japanese rock band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.-History:...
- Kaela KimuraKaela Kimura, born , is a Japanese pop rock singer, songwriter, model, and TV presenter.- Career :Born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan to a British father and Japanese mother, Kaela started working as a model in 2002 for the Japanese magazine Seventeen...
- Scha Dara ParrScha Dara Parr, or SDP for short, is a three-member Japanese hip-hop group that formed in 1988 and debuted in 1990. The group consists of two MCs, Bose and Ani, and one DJ, Shinco. In comparison to American gangsta rap, Scha Dara Parr lacks the hardcore machismo attitude. Scha Dara Parr is often compared to rap...
- MidoriMidori (band)Midori was a four member jazz-punk fusion band formed in 2003 in Osaka, Japan featuring Mariko on vocals, Yoshitaka on drums, Keigo Iwami on bass, and Hajime on keyboard...
- YUKIYuki Isoyais a Japanese musician who performs under the name Yuki . She debuted in the music industry in 1991 as the lead vocalist for the rock band Judy and Mary, and as a solo artist in 2002...
- monobright
- Tommy February6Tomoko KawaseTomoko Kawase is a Japanese female singer. Tomoko is the lead vocalist of the rock/pop group The Brilliant Green, and as a solo artist she has released music under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and later as Tommy heavenly6.-1995-2002: The Brilliant Green:In 1995, after bassist Shunsaku...
- MUCCMUCCis a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 1997. Named after a character from the Japanese children's TV show Hirake! Ponkikki, the band is also known by the nickname 69 since "six nine" can be pronounced "muku" in Japanese...
- King Giddra
- Electric Eel ShockElectric Eel ShockElectric Eel Shock are a three-piece garage metal band, formed in Tokyo in the late 1990s. They first toured the United States in 1999 and have been touring the world ever since.-Early years of EES:...
- ANA
- Wagdug Futuristic Unity
- Kahimi KarieKahimi KarieKahimi sings in English, French, and Japanese with whisper-like vocals.-Albums:* 1997 - Larme de crocodile * July 15, 1998 - K.K.K.K.K. * May 24, 2000 - Tilt...
As a fictional band, Detroit Metal City has released several real records for both the film and the OVA series. Singles titled were released for the film (subtitled "for the movie"), sung by Testuya Kanmuri as Johannes Krauser II and Hideki Kaji as Soichi Negishi. Another single titled was released with Kanmuri and Kaji in character on vocals for their respective songs. The film's D.M.C also released an album titled featuring "SATSUGAI", "Maoh", and other songs featured in the film and manga sung by Kanmuri.
Singles were also released for the fictional bands depicted in the movie: by anti-sexism punk band by rapper by
Video game
D3 PublisherD3 Publisher
D3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...
is producing a game based on DMC for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
titled Detroit Metal City DS: Death Shout that will feature multiple modes of play, including an Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents is a music video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and has since been released in Europe and South Korea . It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game...
-inspired rhythm game and a Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
-inspired RPG mode.