This sequel to Miike's own "Tennen Shojo Mahn" (literally "Heavenly Girl Mahn") was filmed in 1999, the same year Miike did "Dead or Alive" and "Ley Lines". It couldn't be more different from his yakuza offerings though! "Tennen Shojo Man Next" differs from the first film in the series in that it has supernatural elements - vampires to be exact! The plot concerns a group of schoolgirls (led by the cute Mahn) who confront a modeling agency run by bloodsuckers. The vampires are, of course, only after virgins, which leads to some typically (for Miike) offbeat humor like the scene in which a father tries to rape his daughter while she's sleeping in order to keep her save. That and a discussion about vibrators is further proof that Japanese TV and US TV are not very much alike. As far as I'm concerned that's a good thing.
With a running time of nearly 3 hours the film does get a bit boring at first but a fast-paced finale make up for that. Also quite noteworthy are the SFX which are pretty impressive for a made-for-TV flick.
While "Tennen Shojo Mahn Next" is definitely not as demented as "Audition", "Dead or Alive" or "Ichi the Killer" the open minded Miike fan should find lots of things to like here. Great fight choreography (the girls fight the vampires with kung-fu), decent acting, cute girls, some gothic atmosphere and the typically crazy sense of humor Miike brings to almost all his films. If you ever find a copy with English subtitles make sure to check it out!
With a running time of nearly 3 hours the film does get a bit boring at first but a fast-paced finale make up for that. Also quite noteworthy are the SFX which are pretty impressive for a made-for-TV flick.
While "Tennen Shojo Mahn Next" is definitely not as demented as "Audition", "Dead or Alive" or "Ichi the Killer" the open minded Miike fan should find lots of things to like here. Great fight choreography (the girls fight the vampires with kung-fu), decent acting, cute girls, some gothic atmosphere and the typically crazy sense of humor Miike brings to almost all his films. If you ever find a copy with English subtitles make sure to check it out!