Tennen shôjo Man next: Yokohama hyaku-ya hen (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews

A Takashi Miike vampire film!

[Wetbones · 5/10 · 13 September 2003]

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!

Satire with sharp teeth

[squelcho · 7/10 · 27 September 2005]

I had my doubts about this TV series before watching it, but I managed to pluck up the willpower to sit through 3 hours plus of Miike's take on the schoolkids-go-crazy genre. The first thing that struck me was that it was a comedy, rather than a straightforward horror. Instead of splattering noxious Japanese teenagers all over the walls like Battle Royale, or intellectualising the angst like Lily Chou Chou, Miike just sets about the conventions with a pickaxe handle. He seems to know instinctively when the sugar shutdown is approaching, and how to kick-start the adrenalin rush when the pace starts to flag. Sharp direction that works well in the TV medium. I would guess that this series was popular across a fairly wide age spectrum in Japan. The kids because the teen cuties get to kick plenty of tender parts and giggle a lot, and the adults for the undercurrent of sly dark humour and nifty dissection of Idol culture. 500 days might seem like a lifetime when you're young.

Overall, it flags a bit in the middle section, but picks up nicely when Miike brings out the coloured filters and bizarre sfx for the last act. I love that Yokohama big wheel, and I guess Miike does too, because it got a starring role in MPD Psycho. Some of the offbeat stylistic touches from Tennen Shujo Mahn seem to have been taken to their natural conclusion in the MPD series. The digital snowflakes, the coloured skies, and the heavily treated piano music being prime examples.

It's not great, compared to the majority of Miike's back catalogue, but it's fun to watch, whether you have a thing for asskicking teens in sailor suits or not. The two female leads are decent actresses, and considering that most of the cast were making their screen debuts, they all turn in fairly decent performances. One or two toe-curlingly awful transformation scenes notwithstanding.

Cute girls beating up vampires

[StainBoy · 16 January 2004]

This is not a good movie, but I gave it a 7/10. It cracked me up several times (especially the vibrator comment, which is perhaps the best line I have heard in a movie in months). And I never get tired of watching cute school girls kick vampire butt. Also, the DVD that I bought has two music videos on it; the music is awful, but I love watching the videos anyway. All in all, that skewed Miike vision gives the film more appeal than it might have had in lesser hands. But I would recommend at least 11 of his movies before this one.