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Anime
Episode 1
The Hauting of Tokyo
doom_megaTokyo is under siege as occult forces lay claim to the burial site of TAIRA NO MASAKADO, a founder of the centuries-oid city. Driven by a lust for power, the necromancer KATO hopes to free the soul of this ancient warrior and in so doing gain ultimate control of this budding metropolis as it boldly moves into the 20th Century. Standing in the way of KATO's quest for power are an aging priest, an innocent virgin and a group of untested heroes. But, they soon learn that the sadistic KATO is not an easy enemy to defeat. DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS is a brilliant example of mature-themed animation produced under the supervision of master film artist RIN TARO. An intensely erotic and blood-curdling masterpiece of horror and suspense.
Episode 2
The Fall of Tokyo
Realizing that he cannot resurrect the spirit of MASAKADO through traditional occult means, the powerful necromancer, KATO, subjects an innocent victim to the ultimate physical debasement as he psychically forces his seed into her unwilling body. Kato seeks power and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Standing against him is a group of honorable men from varied walks of life who have come together to keep the unspeakable from happening. These men, driven to the brink of madness by Kato's evil, must do all that they can to keep the balance between good and evil in check. The final conflict results in a massive earthquake which rips Tokyo apart. Set in the early 1920's, this second installment of the mindboggling mini-series by the master animator, RIN TARO, is filled with powerful images and a sophisticated storyline which transforms this story into an epic saga of horror and black magic.
Episode 3
The Gods of Tokyo
Following the devastating earthquake of 1923, plans are made to rebuild Tokyo into a modern metropolis. A key element of this plan is the building of a subway system. Kato schemes to use this subterranean construction to awaken a supernatural dragon which lies beneath Tokyo. Through the resulting mayhem, Kato hopes to gain control of the soul of Tokyo's guardian spirit, the ancient warrior MASAKADO. The project is plagued by a series of hideous murders. Anxious to discover the cause of these presumably supernatural deaths, PROF. TERADA calls upon a psychic, KURODA, for help. Together they face Kato's forces. Meanwhile, Masakado has begun to fight back. KEIKO, a Shinto priestess, puts up a spiritual barrier to keep Kato from sacrificing a young girl to the dragon. But as Keiko soon learns, Kato's power is not so easily defeated. This third installment of animator RIN TARO's masterful cinematic adaptation of HIROSHI ARAMATA's classic horror novel climaxes in dynamic psychic duels and outrageous supernatural battles.
Episode 4
The Battle for Tokyo
The evil KATO, constantly defeated in his attempts to gain supernatural control over Tokyo, is bent upon revenge. MASAKADO, the city's guardian spirit, and KEIKO, the temple maiden who serves as Masakado's agent, have proven, time and again, that they can defend the burgeoning metropolis against the powerful necromancer. Not willing to give up the fight, Kato sets into motion a sequence of events which, if unchecked, will leave the Earth in ruins. Astronomers throughout the world are baffled when the Moon starts moving toward the Earth. Keiko knows that Kato is responsible for the impending cataclysm, through his association with the accursed TATSUMIYA family. Thus the final battle lines are drawn. The ensuing battle is of such cosmic proportions, that both the temple maiden and the sorcerer become the personification of deities - she the Goddess of Mercy and he the Spirit of the Dead. This is the spellbinding conclusion to director RIN TARO's powerful animated adaptation of the well known fantasy novel by HIROSHI ARAMATA.
Live-Action
Tokyo - The Last Megalopolis
By Fire, Flood and Earthquake, the Old World Shall Be Destroyed, and a City Will Be Built on the Bones of the Dead! In the depths of the earth, an ancient evil stirs as a madman prepares to feed it a city! The total devastation of Tokyo and creature designs by H.R.Giger (ALIEN, SPECIES) highlight a grim tale of ambition. supernatural horror and undying evil that surpasses the boundaries of physical existence. A thousand years ago, Masakado was executed for crimes against humanity, but his malevolent spirit refused to die. It is the attraction of this dark soul that renders Tokyo the most haunted city in the world. When a prophet, a physicist and a businessman unite for the purpose of protecting Tokyo from spiritual invasion. they find their way blocked by the rogue psychic, Kato. Through Yukari, a young female medium, Kato intends to revive Masakado and use his evil energy as a weapon to destroy the city, One by one, Kato gathers the strands of fate that will cause the ultimate destruction of TOKYO-THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS!
Details
Commentary
This epic tale of ancient evil reawakened, reminds me a bit of "The Omen". Great visuals and story. If you like horror, then this is certainly one title to track down. There is a live-action re-telling of the story, but, IMHO it's not as good.
I picked this title up on an impulse. Kato's face on the cover box with the pentagram was certainly an image that grabbed me and said "Buy Me"! So, I did. But, seeing Kato sitting there lying on the heap of anime to be watched, didn't inspire me to actually watch this series right away. It sat there for some months before I decided to sit down and watch it. It's a good thing that I didn't wait too long... Streamline went belly up and some of the later episodes in the series became hard to get.
I used to have all four parts on dubbed VHS. Even though I enjoyed the series tremendously, I haven't felt the need to repurchase the series on DVD. I did, however, take the time to transfer my VHS version to DVD. I saved the cover boxes and trimmed them down to make a DVD slip sheet and inserts for the case. I managed to get all four episodes onto two DVDs.