WTF Japan?!?: Sukeban Boy

Before there was a Machine, there was a Boy.  Today's film is Sukeban Boy, one of the earliest films of one my favorite, insane Directors.  He brought us Machine Girl.  He brought us Robo-Geisha.  He also brought us the visionary insanity of Dead Sushi.  Noboru Iguchi is just plain crazy.  I'm not complaining, mind you- I love his movies.  With the craziness he's made lately- including a bit in The ABCs of Death and Karate-Robo Zaborgar-, what did his earlier stuff look like?  The film tells the tale of a young man cursed with a pretty-looking body and the voice of a girl.  He's all man where it counts, but you have to go looking for it.  He moves to a new School at his Father's advice...only to find that there is a lot of violence hidden in the halls.  This mighty man-woman is up for the task!  To find out how this bizarre tale unfolds, read on...

Our hero begins by beating these three guys up...just because.  It is a foreshadowing of how so many of these films begin with random fight scenes.

Unlike those films, there is follow-up and it is clear when this takes place.

Her father tells her to just embrace her female appearance at a new School.  He also hangs around in secret for no clear reason.

Is 'wacky' a reason now?  It fits here, so I'll go with 'yes.'

In spite of...wackiness, the disguise works.  She makes a friend and joins a Club.  Naturally, it is a weird one...

It is the Humility Club, where girls are taught to be shy and humiliated.  Sure- people would join that!

As it turns out, the President is involved in the Yakuza, leading to some wacky fights involving Japanese young ladies in various states of undress.

The main villain reveals herself to be Full Frontal Woman (even though she's still wearing panties, since it is Japan).  She's pretty mean, taking the legs of our heroine's friend.

Note to self: never befriend a hero.  Bad things will happen to me- guaranteed.

Our heroine runs afoul of many groups in the School for the big finale.  They're like the gangs in The Warriors, only they're all Japanese girls in various states of undress.

Note to self: fund Japanese version of The Warriors.

I won't SPOIL too much of this Finale, since it is chock full of insanity.  Plus, just telling you what happens wouldn't do it justice.  We do get Machine Gun legs though.

I will say that the final fight involves punching, nudity and a fart.  Are you shocked?  The End.

Wow.  I mean, wow.  This is an exercise in pure crazy.  Is it good?  Kind of.  You certainly have to be in the right frame of mind for it, since it is completely crazy and over the top.  It is so far over the top that it just crashed into the Imagination Ship from the new Cosmos show.  Yeah, I made a Cosmos sight gag- deal with it!  The story has girls in Football gear with no pants, a lady with machine gun legs and men in drag.  The whole thing is a series of random events with a loose plot.  Iguchi films got more of a Plot Structure later, which certainly makes them more accessible to most people.  I still like it, but I'm still a bigger fan of his later work.  That said, this is a neat look at ideas that would become more fleshed out in later films.  It is still fun if you are into the really, really weird stuff.  Besides, I learned a lesson: even in Japan, there is bad touch!

Next up, I give Bob a Birthday gift by reviewing a freaky Anime.  It has a Goat, a Werewolf and that is only the tip of the Iceberg!  Stay tuned...