In Takashi Miike's filmography, family-friendly films are few and far between, but he has also never shied away from dabbling in many different genres. In his 2004 tokusatsu film Zebraman, Miike tackles costumed superheroes, blending parody and loving homage into a heady stew.
Zebraman starts as a character study of Shinichi Ichikawa (Show Aikawa), a depressed teacher and family man who escapes his excruciating daily life by dressing up as Zebraman, his favorite childhood superhero. The show wasn't top-rated and canceled after the seventh episode, but like most short-lived media pieces, it subsequently amassed a small cult following. The only pleasure Shinichi gets is donning his homemade Zebraman costume and pretending to be heroic. His wife is cheating on him, his daughter stays out late every night, and his son is viciously bullied because he attends the same school his father teaches at. Shinichi is emasculated every waking moment.
After getting accosted one night while suited up by a giant man-crab abomination, Shinichi discovers that he has latent superpowers and can use the same special attacks as Zebraman in the show. At this point, the film shifts from a low-key slice-of-life style to an over-the-top action fest in the Miike style that fans are used to. All kinds of zany things pop up: alien goo, zebra-themed nurses, meta-show references, and blob minions with glowing eyes. Miike kicks aside the more serious tone and goes full camp, only stopping to breathe in the last ten minutes. This makes for a bumpy ride pacing-wise, and the ending is somewhat anti-climatic.
Visually, Zebraman does an excellent job paying tribute to old tokusatsu shows, but like many early '00 fantasy films, it's full of terrible-looking CGI. Zebraman's costume is fantastically designed, and the monsters are all of the rubber-suit variety with interesting (and occasionally off-putting) compositions. The Zebraman theme song was composed and performed by Ichirou Mizuki, an iconic artist who has written numerous legendary anime and tokusatsu themes. Those looking for a love letter to sentai shows will find much to enjoy here.
88 Films Blu-ray Special Features:
- High-Definition Blu-Ray Presentation In 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
- Original Japanese Stereo And 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Tracks
- Optional English Dub Stereo And 5.1 Surround Sound Audio Tracks
- Brand New Filmed Introduction By Tom Mes
- “Making Of” Documentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Zebraman Premiere
- Archive Interview With Takashi Miike
- Archive Interview With Show Aikawa
- 1978 Tv Series Trailer
- Zebraman Theme Song
- Theatrical Trailer
- Tv Spot
- Stills Gallery
- Booklet Essay By Mark Player
—Michelle Kisner