Battle League Horumo (2009) User Reviews

Must be seen to be believed!

[sillyman-2 · 7/10 · 5 October 2010]

A very funny film about a new University student, Takayuki Yamada, who joins a club (even though he is not sure what the club is about) hoping to meet girls. It turns out to be a club that involves directing teams of Oni spirits (like little fat Pikachus) to battle other University teams in a sporting contest.

Cast against type as a geeky Physics student with uncool hair and oversize glasses is Chiaki Kuriyama. She reveals a real flair for comedy playing the desperate girl who fancies the hero who fancies another girl in the team who fancies the team jock.

The CGI is excellent. The film flags a bit in the middle but is very different to anything I have seen before and well worth getting. I bought mine from Amazon.

Oni are little ogres

[benstannard · 8/10 · 1 December 2009]

I saw this movie in Japan on DVD last week. It works pretty well as a typical pretty easy to understand comedy. University Kids study at traditional universities in ancient city, get sucked into weird club, strip naked for initiation ceremony. The protagonists learn a nonexistent language (which involves some very entertaining body movement to speak to magical little monsters (Oni kun) that look sort of funny.

The movie follows a very formulaic approach to teen comedy. Gags include body fluid, geeky romance, a super b**tch girl, a pretty girl who is hidden by glasses, ( Chiaki Kuriyama the girl from Kill Bill) Who pulls off some good work here as the um hero... A super rich jock kid as the competition and the typical nerdy main character and his even more geeky and pathetic friend. Who makes the ultimate hair sacrifice for cinema.

In all this is at worst as entertaining as any American comedy in a similar style at best has the best word for attack in unison with hip thrust in history.

"gorenshooo"