Sauce

THE TOKYO PARASITE MUSEUM

Situated not all that far from Meguro Station, in Tokyo, is an unforgettable rejoinder to the snack food we all like to consume on a daily basis.
The Tokyo Parasite Museum is a trendy dating locale for young Japanese couples (we kid you not), and right near its entrance you get the gist of the theme: there’s a Godzilla-sized specimen of a tapeworm, ten meters (thirty feet) in length, that was extracted from some poor fool in Yokohama.

Established by a group of university professors whose niche is the study of said parasites, the museum showcases some repelling, mammoth and fascinating other microscopic exhibits – revealing a collective of truly grotesque real-life freeloaders, most of ‘em uglier than those imaginary extraterrestrial terrors from old sci-fi movies. Move over, Alien and Predator.

This is the only museum in the world where you can see three hundred varieties of parasites lumped together in specimen jars, and the notes make you aware that many of them are naturally ingested with … food.

It’s enough to put you off the delights of sushi. Well, almost, anyway.

Mmm … sushi …
JAPANANIME & MADMAN OVERVIEW

REIN CARNATION

Japanese horror cinema has had a resounding impact upon its Western sibling, starting out with Hideo Nakata’s Ring, then carried through in Takashi Shimizu‘s Ju-on (The Grudge). The fact is that these films are insanely creepy, and put Hollywood chill to shame.

Hitting stores in Australia in mid August, thanks to Madman, is Shimizu’s more recent offering, Rinne (Reincarnation, 2005), which is credited as the third chapter in the J-Horror Theater series. It nicks the tagline from The Mummy – “Death is only the beginning” – and relates the tale of an actress, Nagisa Sugiura (Yuka), who starts to relive the events of a terrifying hotel killing spree executed decades before, ironically just as she’s cast in a movie recreation of those same events.

While not quite Ju-on, this is eerie, occasionally shocking, and suitably creepy stuff, and the music – by Japanimator favorite, Kenji Kawai (Ring, Ghost in the Shell) – is superb.
SOLTY REI VOL. 1

One man (Roy), haunted by a tragic memory he can’t forget. One girl (Solty), who can’t even remember what happened the day before yesterday. And many, many giant mecha, unleashed to destroy them both …

Yep, you guessed it – Solty Rei is another chunk of that essential Japanese export, anime, and Madman is unleashing this flagship series from studio Gonzo (also responsible for Last Exile and Afro Samurai) that hit TVs last year in Japan.

A combination mystery-thriller, noir, hard-boiled action romp, and wistful family piece from director Yoshimasa Hiraike (Burst Angel), it also boasts character designs by video game auteur Shuzilow.H.A. (aka Shujirou Hamakawa), and mecha concepts blueprinted by Kenichi Sonoda and Range Murata. “The entire cast and crew were great,” gushed director Hiraike last year in an interview we did together.

Yet while the show boasts a massive action quotient, that wasn’t Hiraike’s sole purpose. “I wanted to add more character and give the series more of a human drama angle,” he said. “The relationship between Roy and Solty is a little different from relationships in other anime, because it’s this father-daughter type. Roy starts out as a hard-boiled character, but then Solty breaks down this persona to a gentler one.”

And while the show’s look may be reminiscent of Blade Runner, there’s a deliberate emphasis on a softer undertone. “Roy’s living room is more inspired by Friends or Full House,” laughed the director. “Everybody gathers there to talk and interact.”
ANDREZ BERGEN