Better Late Then Never

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Blistering performances.

This is a movie that's loosely based on Kazumasa Hirai's novel the Wolf Guy series. Actually this is the Young Wolf Guy series which the original story takes place in a high school. The movie does not follow the original plot, but borrows the the elements to create its own plot. Akira Inugami is an outcast because - he's different. He's a wolf guy. His super human power waxes as the moon reaches the full phase and he is invincible. Even bullets can't hurt him. But when the moon wains to new moon, his power goes back down to an ordinary human. So this is not your usual "warewolf" story, but the wolf guy is a new kind of a super hero. Combine that with the fact that he's a teenager in high school, and you have one explosive plot. Akira Inugami gets bullied in school because he's "different". Physically, he's got nothing to worry about, because he can beat the crap out of any bully when the moon is full. The real issue is that he's a lonely teenager with no one to confide his secret except for a young school teacher Akiko Aoshika. They are actually two of a kind. Hirai calls transformation of humans into animals "Zooantlophy". Aoshika is latent zooantlophy who haven't discovered that she can actually transform into a deer. CIA is out to capture Akira to dissect him and learn about the secret of his super human physique. Akiko is captured and Akira goes to rescue her at his weakest when the moon is new. Will he succeed ? Kazumasa Hirai is one Science Fiction writer who's works should be translated into English. His ideas are unique, exciting, and fresh. The original novel of this movie "The emblem of the Wolf" would make a great Hollywood movie, and his other Wolf Guy series novels (Such as the "Adult Wolf Guy series") are equally unique. Someone really should put a good subtitle to this movie.

Okami no monsho is a based off the manga "Wolf Jack" by Kazumasa Hirai (8man). I wish the print I have was subbed or dubbed. I could tell what was going on but then again not really so sure. What we can make out without translation makes me want to track down a subbed copy badly! Akira Inugami's family is gunned down in Alaska as he watches in horror. Wonderful cinematography of snowing mountains and german shepherds pretending to be wolves. Excellent beginning song about Wolf Guy. Years pass and Akira enters Highschool. It's a manga or anime come to life! The classmates are violent and apear to be in some cult headed by one very tall and deep voices student who carries a kitana. Akira fights these guys a lot, but gets his butt kicked alot. It seems Akira doesn't know how to fight. Akira transforms into both a wolf man and an actual wolf, ripping people's throats out as blood spurts forth everywhere. Yes, this film is pretty bloody. Akira's love interest is his shapely teacher who herself gets her clothes ripped off and chained to a post and gets beaten, but this is typical violent Japanese storytelling. Finding info on this movie is quite hard and finding info about Wolf Guy's also hard. Even without subs or dubs, this movie's worth checking out to complete your Toho collection or live action anime collection. Either way this movie's worth a look.