DVD review: Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack (3 out of 5 stars)

You might think any film with a title like Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack should be bypassed swiftly.

However, this manga anime might be barking mad but it will also appeal to fans of horror, and if you want to hang in there until the end, has a strong environmental message.

Director Takayuki Hirao is carving out a niche for intense animated action scenes and this movie has its fair share.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The plot is based on the popular manga graphic novel by Junji Ito and features Kaori, a young woman who, with her two friends, live in Okinawa.

However, one night when they return to their house they are confronted by a revolting smell and discover a dead fish that has gained metal legs.

Unfortunately for the women, this is just the start of a plague of dead walking fish that seem intent on attacking everyone.

Kaori’s fiance lives in Tokyo so she sets out to track him down.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On the way she meets a young photojournalist who has his own agenda for teaming up.

You might think just this would be enough to create an action-packed movie but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

As we head into the second half of the film the plot gets more and more surreal.

In fact, if you can stomach the bizarre images you will get caught up in quite a sad tale.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, there’s also some humour dotted about, including a well-observed section where three young boys are sat on a wall videoing the scene on their phones as thousands of fish scuttle along the street below.

If you haven’t delved into the world of manga and anime then this isn’t the best starting point.

However, if you are happy to settle down to some horror and don’t mind a story that isn’t tidied up neatly then by all means dive in.

And if you’re uncertain either way, it’s just 71 minutes long.

Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack, directed by Takayuki Hirao is distributed by Terra Cotta - www.TerracottaDistribution.com

Steve Payne