Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
Encyclopedia
is a tokusatsu
historical fantasy
film produced in 1987 by Exe and distributed in 1988 by Toho Studios. It is the first live-action adaptation of the Teito Monogatari
series by Hiroshi Aramata
.
series Doomed Megalopolis
.
was commissioned to design creatures for the movie.
The movie was also one of the first Japanese productions to employ Sony HDVS
technology for filming. Approximately six minutes of the final movie was filmed using this equipment.
remixed a few pieces of classical music for use in the film. These include:
. Peer Magazine, Japan's leading cinema publication, went so far as to praise the film as being the "best Japanese science fiction production of all time".
Critical reception of the VHS and DVD release of the film in Europe
has also been generally positive. Ian Shutter of the website videovista.net gave the film an 8/10 describing it as a "surreal yet always fascinating gothic urban nightmare" with "a blend of urban historical and fantasy horror centered on the great disaster of 1923, which plays like Capra meets Argento, with an oriental twist.". Lee Broughton of the website DVD Savant rated the film as "Excellent", claiming it was "a highly original mystical epic" containing "great characters that we really come to care about and take an interest in as they weave in and out of each others lives.". French website DeVilDead.com pointed out that the film's plot, being very compressed and very ambitious, might be "indigestable" for viewers not already familiar with original novel. However their review was also positive, describing it as a "visually elegant film" containing a "rich history", with Kyusaku Shimada "incredible" in his role as Yasunori Kato
.
By contrast, the DVD release of the film in North America has been generally received very negatively. Anthony Romero of Toho Kingdom described the film as having “production values being noticeably high for a 1980's Japanese film” but “simply tries to cover far too much ground in too short a time”.. Some reviewers chided the film as "absolutely ridiculous from beginning to end" with a plot that was amazingly "confusing". There was some general confusion from North American audiences as to whether the film was a live-action remake of the anime, Doomed Megalopolis
as it had been released after Streamline Pictures
had released the latter. Consequently some reviewers accused the live action film of cashing in on the success of the anime adaptation, when in reality the reverse was true. The confusion even extends to incredibly popular film databases, such as IMDB, where the cover of the anime is shown over the entry of the live-action version and the North American cover of the live action version is shown on the entry of the sequel, Tokyo: The Last War
All in all, the film is generally considered to be very obscure to English speaking audiences, as indicated by the lack of reviews on major film sites such as RottenTomatoes.com. In Japan however, the film is still remembered by the general public
and retrospectives of its production and legacy still continue to be written.
, set 20 years after the climactic events of this film. The sequel however, was a loose adaptation of the eleventh book of the Teito Monogatari
novel instead of the fifth book. To this day, there have been no cinematic or visual adaptations of books 5-10 or 12.
(as portrayed in here by former stage actor Kyūsaku Shimada
), the primary antagonist
of the story, left a profound impression on audiences and artists. The interpretation of the character was so popular that in subsequent visual adaptations of Teito Monogatari
, Kato was illustrated in the style of Shimada's portrayal of the character. In turn, this version of Yasunori Kato
went on to directly inspire a number of similar characters in manga
, anime
, and video games, including Washizaki from the manga
/anime
Riki-Oh
and M. Bison
/Vega
of the Street Fighter
video game series. The film and franchise it is part of has been referenced consistently (either directly or indirectly) in many other anime and video game franchises including the Tokyo Babylon
series by Clamp
and the Shin Megami Tensei
franchise (specifically the Devil Summoner
spin-off series).
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
historical fantasy
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
film produced in 1987 by Exe and distributed in 1988 by Toho Studios. It is the first live-action adaptation of the Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
series by Hiroshi Aramata
Hiroshi Aramata
is a Japanese author, translator, and screenplay writer, as well as a specialist in natural history and cartography.His most popular novel was Teito Monogatari , which has sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan alone. He also wrote Alexander Senki, a novel which eventually evolved into the anime...
.
Plot
The live-action film is an adaptation of the first 1/3rd of the original novel or the first four volumes (out of a current total of 12). In 1991, it was remade into the OVA animeAnime
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....
series Doomed Megalopolis
Doomed Megalopolis
is an anime rendition of the Japanese historical fantasy epic Teito Monogatari . Like it's live-action predecessor, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, the anime is only an adaptation of the first 1/3rd of the original novel. It was released by Toei in 1991 as a 4-part OVA...
.
Cast
- Shintaro KatsuShintaro Katsu, born Toshio Okumura was a Japanese actor, singer, producer, and director...
as Eiichi ShibusawaEiichi Shibusawa' was a Japanese industrialist widely known today as the "father of Japanese capitalism". He spearheaded the introduction of Western capitalism to Japan after the Meiji Restoration. He introduced many reforms including use of double entry accounting, joint stock corporations and modern note-issuing...
: The famous industrialist of Japan. In the story, he is head of the Tokyo Improvement Project, an ambitious enterprise, involving the minds of specialists from many different fields, with the ultimate goal of making TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
a more prosperous, wealthy and blessed city. - Kyūsaku ShimadaKyūsaku ShimadaKyūsaku Shimada is a Japanese actor. He is perhaps best known in the West for the role of Yasunori Kato in the historical fantasy film Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. He has a distinctive long facial profile with a large, protruding chin.-History:...
as Yasunori KatoYasunori Katois a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
: An evil sorcererMagician (fantasy)A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
wielding the power of several long dead mystics (such as Abe no SeimeiAbe no Seimeiwas an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
) who wants to destroy Tokyo in order to fulfill a 2000 year old curse. - Mieko Harada as Keiko Tatsumiya: A shrine maiden summoned by the spirit of Taira no MasakadoTaira no Masakadowas a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
to defend the city from the activities of Yasunori KatoYasunori Katois a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
. She also channels the power of the bodhisattvaBodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
Kwannon. - Junichi Ishida as Yoichiro Tatsumiya: An important figure with influence in Tokyo's Ministry of Finance. He is the distant direct descendent of Taira no MasakadoTaira no Masakadowas a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
, the husband of Keiko Tatsumiya, the brother of Yukari Tatsumiya and the unstated father of Yukiko Tatsumiya. A central figure who serves as the intermediate between the industrialIndustryIndustry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and spiritualSpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
conflicts of the story. - Shiro Sano as Junichi Narutaki: The close friend of Yoichiro Tatsumiya, he is in love with Yoichiro's sister, Yukari Tatsumiya. He participates in the defense of the city by fighting with the Tsuchimikado Clan against Kato as well as guarding the grave of Masakado. He would reappear again in the side storySide storyA side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....
Teito Monogatari GaidenTeito Monogatari GaidenTeito Monogatari Gaiden is a tokusatsu horror/fantasy film...
. - Koji TakahashiKoji Takahashiis a Japanese actor. He was born in Tōkamachi, Niigata, in 1935, and attended Niigata Prefectural Tōkamachi High School and later Toyo University.-Career:...
as Koda RohanKoda Rohanwho used the pen name was a Japanese author in the Meiji period. His daughter, Aya Kōda, was also a noted author who often wrote about him.Kōda wrote "The Icon of Liberty", also known as "The Buddha of Art" or "The Elegant Buddha", in 1889. A house in which Kōda lived was rebuilt in 1972 by the...
: The famous writer of the Meiji era. He is filled with an inner hatred for Kato and his destructive ambitions and vows to stop him using any means possible. After the death of Yasumasa HiraiYasumasa HiraiYasumasa Hirai is a fictional character from the historical fantasy novel Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata.He is a master Onmyoji who leads the Tsuchimikado Clan . Hirai is also an esteemed spiritual advisor of the Emperor in Kyoto....
, he takes great pains to learn the secret spiritual techniques of the Onmyoji to use as a defense against the forces that threaten the megalopolis. - Haruka Sugata as Yukari Tatsumiya: The sister of Yoichiro, also a direct descendent of Taira no MasakadoTaira no Masakadowas a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
, and the mother of Yukiko Tatsumiya. Kato attempts to use her body as a medium to awaken the spirit of Masakado, but fails in his attempt. She continues to serve a central purpose to the story when she gives birth to Yukiko Tatsumiya, whose father is initially believed to be Kato, but revealed later to be a much closer relative. - Ko NishimuraKô Nishimurawas a Japanese actor who appeared in supporting roles in such films as Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well and Yojimbo, Kihachi Okamoto's Sword of Doom, Yoshitaro Nomura's Zero Focus, and Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp .-Film:* The Burmese Harp *Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate（1957）*The...
as Makoto Nishimura: The renowned biologist and technician of Japan who invented Japan's first functional robot, GakutensokuGakutensokuGakutensoku , the first robot to be built in Japan, was created in Osaka in 1929. The robot was designed and manufactured by biologist Makoto Nishimura...
. In the story, he serves a similar purpose, but he uses Gakutensoku as a tool to help in the construction of the Underground Subway system (which Kato sees as an interference to his attempts to upset the spiritual veins beneath Tokyo). In the film, Makoto is portrayed by his real-life son, Ko Nishimura. - Ken Teraizumi as Torahiko Terada: The historically significant Japanese physicist and author. In the film, he is a member of the Tokyo Improvement Project who is initially rebuffed by his peers for suggesting the radical concept of creating an underground metropolis as a defense against earthquakes that might threaten Tokyo. Later, he is appointed by Noritsugu Hayakawa as head of the underground railroad project beneath Tokyo.
- Mikijiro Hira as Yasumasa HiraiYasumasa HiraiYasumasa Hirai is a fictional character from the historical fantasy novel Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata.He is a master Onmyoji who leads the Tsuchimikado Clan . Hirai is also an esteemed spiritual advisor of the Emperor in Kyoto....
: A master onmyoji who is leader of the Tsuchimikado Clan. For the first part of the story, he serves as the primary foil to Yasunori KatoYasunori Katois a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
, having all his spiritual knowledge and complete understanding of his magics. After the death of Japan's emperor (at the end of the Meiji Era), he sacrifices his life to commit a final act of divination that will foretell the year of Tokyo's destruction so that Koda Rohan can make plans to stop it from occurring. - Sanshi KatsuraSanshi KatsuraKatsura Sanshi is a popular TV presenter and rakugo artist in Japan.Sanshi's real name is "Kawamura Shizuya" , Katsura Sanshi is his stage name...
as Shigemaru Kuroda: An expert in the area of Feng ShuiFeng shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, who in investigating strange spiritual disturbances occurring beneath Tokyo. He serves as Keiko's assistant in the final battle against Kato. At the end of the story, he plans to go back to his homeland to study Feng ShuiFeng shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
some more in order to prepare for even more dangerous unseen forces that might threaten Tokyo. The character would reappear in the side storySide storyA side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....
film Tokyo Dragon. - Jo Shishido as Noritsugu Hayakawa: The businessman who founded Japan's first underground railroadTokyo Metro Ginza LineThe is a subway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is part of the of Tokyo Metro network. The official name is . It is 14.3 km long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chūō, Chiyoda, and Taitō....
system. During construction of the railway, his engineers run afoul of shikigamiShikigamiShikigami are a kind of spirit, found in Japanese Mythology summoned to serve a practitioner of onmyōdō, much like a western familiar. Shikigami cannot be seen by most people, but according to the Heian period onmyōji who were said to control them, shikigami often looked something like a...
set by Kato. Faced with this obstruction, Hayakawa must seek out aid to see his project go through to completion. - Katsuo NakamuraKatsuo Nakamurais a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 5th Japan Academy Prize and at the 6th Hochi Film Award for Kagero-za, Buriki no kunsho, Shikake-nin Baian...
as Ogai Mori: A classic Meiji era writer who was also a physician in the Japanese army. In the story, he performs an unsuccessful abortion on Yukari Tatsumiya after she has supposedly been impregnated by Yasunori KatoYasunori Katois a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
.
Production
The film began going into production in 1987. At the time, it was one of the most expensive cinematic productions that Japanese studios had ever undertaken, with a budget of around 1,800,000,000 yen. H. R. GigerH. R. Giger
Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" Giger is a Swiss surrealist painter, sculptor, and set designer. He won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on the film Alien.-Early life:...
was commissioned to design creatures for the movie.
The movie was also one of the first Japanese productions to employ Sony HDVS
Sony HDVS
Sony HDVS was a range of high-definition video equipment developed in the 1980s to support an early analog high-definition television system thought to be the broadcast television systems that would be in use today...
technology for filming. Approximately six minutes of the final movie was filmed using this equipment.
Music
In addition to an original score, composer Maki IshiiMaki Ishii
was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music, and brother of composer Kan Ishii.-Biography:Born in Tokyo, Ishii studied composition privately and conducting with Watanabe from 1952 to 1958 in Tokyo, then moved to Berlin, where he continued his studies under Boris Blacher and Josef Rufer...
remixed a few pieces of classical music for use in the film. These include:
- The prelude of Wagner's Das RheingoldDas Rheingoldis the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
(used for the opening theme) - The first movement of Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
by Gustav MahlerGustav MahlerGustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
(used for Kato's passage over the Sumida RiverSumida RiverThe is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers....
) - The operettaOperettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
Die FledermausDie FledermausDie Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
by Johann StraussJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
(used for the ending credits)
Reception
When it was first released in theaters, the film was both a critical and commercial success. It had an annual revenue of 1,850,000,000 yen, making it the eighth highest grossing film of 1988. Likewise it was the most financially successful production for acclaimed director Akio JissojiAkio Jissoji
was a Japanese television and film director best known outside of Japan for the 1960s TV series Ultraman and Ultra Seven, as well as for his auteur erotic ATG-produced Buddhist trilogy , , and ....
. Peer Magazine, Japan's leading cinema publication, went so far as to praise the film as being the "best Japanese science fiction production of all time".
Critical reception of the VHS and DVD release of the film in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
has also been generally positive. Ian Shutter of the website videovista.net gave the film an 8/10 describing it as a "surreal yet always fascinating gothic urban nightmare" with "a blend of urban historical and fantasy horror centered on the great disaster of 1923, which plays like Capra meets Argento, with an oriental twist.". Lee Broughton of the website DVD Savant rated the film as "Excellent", claiming it was "a highly original mystical epic" containing "great characters that we really come to care about and take an interest in as they weave in and out of each others lives.". French website DeVilDead.com pointed out that the film's plot, being very compressed and very ambitious, might be "indigestable" for viewers not already familiar with original novel. However their review was also positive, describing it as a "visually elegant film" containing a "rich history", with Kyusaku Shimada "incredible" in his role as Yasunori Kato
Yasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
.
By contrast, the DVD release of the film in North America has been generally received very negatively. Anthony Romero of Toho Kingdom described the film as having “production values being noticeably high for a 1980's Japanese film” but “simply tries to cover far too much ground in too short a time”.. Some reviewers chided the film as "absolutely ridiculous from beginning to end" with a plot that was amazingly "confusing". There was some general confusion from North American audiences as to whether the film was a live-action remake of the anime, Doomed Megalopolis
Doomed Megalopolis
is an anime rendition of the Japanese historical fantasy epic Teito Monogatari . Like it's live-action predecessor, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, the anime is only an adaptation of the first 1/3rd of the original novel. It was released by Toei in 1991 as a 4-part OVA...
as it had been released after Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures
Streamline Pictures was an American media company that was best known for its distribution of English dubbed Japanese animation. -Founding:Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1988, Streamline Pictures was one of the first North American companies that was created primarily for the intention of...
had released the latter. Consequently some reviewers accused the live action film of cashing in on the success of the anime adaptation, when in reality the reverse was true. The confusion even extends to incredibly popular film databases, such as IMDB, where the cover of the anime is shown over the entry of the live-action version and the North American cover of the live action version is shown on the entry of the sequel, Tokyo: The Last War
Tokyo: The Last War
Tokyo: The Last War is a tokusatsu dark fantasy/historical fiction film directed by Takashige Ichise and distributed by Toho Studios. It is an adaptation of the eleventh book of the Teito Monogatari novel by Hiroshi Aramata...
All in all, the film is generally considered to be very obscure to English speaking audiences, as indicated by the lack of reviews on major film sites such as RottenTomatoes.com. In Japan however, the film is still remembered by the general public
General Public
General Public were a band formed by The Beat vocalists, Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger, and which included former members of Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Specials and The Clash...
and retrospectives of its production and legacy still continue to be written.
Sequel
In 1989, the film was followed by a direct sequel, Tokyo: The Last WarTokyo: The Last War
Tokyo: The Last War is a tokusatsu dark fantasy/historical fiction film directed by Takashige Ichise and distributed by Toho Studios. It is an adaptation of the eleventh book of the Teito Monogatari novel by Hiroshi Aramata...
, set 20 years after the climactic events of this film. The sequel however, was a loose adaptation of the eleventh book of the Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
novel instead of the fifth book. To this day, there have been no cinematic or visual adaptations of books 5-10 or 12.
Legacy
Upon initial release, the character of Yasunori KatoYasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
(as portrayed in here by former stage actor Kyūsaku Shimada
Kyūsaku Shimada
Kyūsaku Shimada is a Japanese actor. He is perhaps best known in the West for the role of Yasunori Kato in the historical fantasy film Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis. He has a distinctive long facial profile with a large, protruding chin.-History:...
), the primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the story, left a profound impression on audiences and artists. The interpretation of the character was so popular that in subsequent visual adaptations of Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
, Kato was illustrated in the style of Shimada's portrayal of the character. In turn, this version of Yasunori Kato
Yasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
went on to directly inspire a number of similar characters 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...
, 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....
, and video games, including Washizaki from the 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...
/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....
Riki-Oh
Riki-Oh
is a manga which later adapted to an anime series and live-action film. Created by Masahiko Takajo and Saruwatari Tetsuya, the story is about a young man who has learned the art of Qigong from one of Chiang Kai Shek's bodyguards and has become so strong that he can literally punch holes through...
and M. Bison
M. Bison
M. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
/Vega
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
of the Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
video game series. The film and franchise it is part of has been referenced consistently (either directly or indirectly) in many other anime and video game franchises including the Tokyo Babylon
Tokyo Babylon
is a manga series created by Clamp. The series follows Subaru Sumeragi, the head of the Sumeragi clan, and his sister Hokuto as they work to protect Tokyo from a myriad of supernatural perils....
series by Clamp
Clamp
Clamp may refer to:*Clamp , a device used to hold an object in a fixed position*Wheel clamp, a device used with road vehicles to prevent theft or enforce parking restrictions*Riser clamp, a device used to support vertical piping...
and the Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
is a console role-playing video game from Atlus that was originally released on October 30, 1992 and later on several platforms, although no installment was released outside of Japan. It was originally released on the Super Famicom and was later ported to the PC Engine Super CD-Rom and Mega-CD...
franchise (specifically the Devil Summoner
Devil Summoner
is a Japanese console role-playing game originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1995, and later re-released in a slightly-enhanced port for the PlayStation Portable in 2005. The game was never released in North America, though at one time a release of the Sega Saturn version was planned and...
spin-off series).