Review: 'HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis' is so bizarre that it's amazing!
Hentai Kamen (Ryohei Suzuki) faces his attackers in “HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis.” (Encore Films)
Secret ending? No, but the credits are interesting.
Running time: 118 minutes (~2 hours)
“HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” is a live-action action comedy that’s the sequel to 2013’s “HK Forbidden Super Hero.” It’s an adaptation of the manga of the same name. The titular HK (which stands for Hentai Kamen) faces the greatest challenge of his life when a dastardly villain threatens to steal all the panties in the world. It stars Ryohei Suzuki (Hentai Kamen/Kyosuke Shikijo), Fumika Shimizu (Aiko Himeno), Yuya Yagira (Tadashi Makoto), Tsuyoshi Muro (Tamao Ogane), Ayame Misaki (Professor Ayata), Nana Katase (Maki Shikijo), Narushi Ikeda (Kario Shikijo).
You read that right — the main antagonist in the film is obsessed with panties, which also doubles as the source of Hentai Kamen’s power. A premise like that sets the tone for an incredibly ridiculous film which involves giant vacuum cleaners, a hermit pervert, and numerous cries for justice and vengeance. But it’s not just a hodgepodge of random off-colour jokes — it’s worked into the backstory of Hentai Kamen too to provide logical consistency throughout the show. The end result is an amazingly silly movie that had me laughing till I cried.
Kyosuke seeks aid in “HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis.” (Encore Films)
Highlights
So bizarre it’s amazing
“HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” is so utterly ludicrous that it crosses the threshold of believability and becomes an incredibly original and innovative concept. It might be the sort of story we would have written as Secondary school students, but it’s brought to life in such a bold and comic manner that we can’t help but in awe of its outlandish concept. “HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” turns its strangeness into its greatest strength.
Hilarious and wacky
The film never forgets that it’s a movie and peppers you with constant jokes. While there’s a great deal of visual humour, there’s a lot of funnies that come from character as well. Much of the hilarity rests on the bewildered and exasperated expressions of the various characters, both protagonists and antagonists, and this character-driven humour provides a grounding for the wackier comedy elements in the film.
Parody of heroic tropes
“HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” pokes fun at hero stereotypes, like the quest to learn skills from a reclusive grandmaster and grand inspirational speeches, by subverting them when you least expect it. It shows how aware the creators are of the common expectations of the genre, and shows how much fun they had in making the film.
Tongue-in-cheek treatment
The movie also doesn’t take itself too seriously, since such a premise really doesn’t lend itself such a tone. Instead, it openly acknowledges how silly the characters and situations are, and goes all out to relish in such craziness. Goofy characters are elevated to nonsensical levels, ensuring a good laugh at every turn.
Kyosuke struggles to get panties back in “HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis.” (Encore Films)
Letdowns
Aiko is a pest
Aiko (Fumika Shimizu) is just a plot device to weaken Hentai Kamen. While his civilian identity pines for Aiko, we don’t really see her reciprocating his feelings. In fact, she’s rather unpleasant as love interests come, and then she predictably gets herself into a dangerous situation. Perhaps Hentai Kamen would be infallible if not for Aiko, but surely there could have been a better way to handle that character?
Professor Ayata (Ayame Misaki) in “HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis.” (Encore Films)
“HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” is one of the best Japanese comedies this year.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes!
Should you watch this more than once? Nah.
Score: 4.0/5
“HK Forbidden Super Hero: The Abnormal Crisis” opens in cinemas 28 July, 2016 (Thursday).
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
