Let me start off by saying, I'm a hardcore fan of the manga and I read it before watching the movie. In other words I can't help but have some bias towards changes that were made for the screen. This movie didn't exactly capture the elements I thought should be portrayed in a film adaption. Yeah it did the manga justice for the most part but the heart of the franchise just wasn't captured. The movie is called Ichi the Killer but who honestly sticks out the most in your mind? Without a doubt I'm sure it's Kakihara. He is definitely an essential element to this story but should not be the main focus. The directing style was commendable but I think the biggest flaw was the acting choice. Most of the actors just didn't fit their character. The best example is the guy who plays Ichi. He came off as mentally challenged and looked a couple years away from middle aged. Ichi is supposed to be in his early twenties, have shredded muscle definition, reflexes that borderline superhuman, and be psychologically damaged. Nao Omori just doesn't cut it. In the manga Ichi gave off the impression of an antihero that trailed on the range of villain but never quite crossed that line. Omori's version of Ichi just seemed like a creepy mental patient and never gave off any heroic qualities.This brings me to my next point which is the genre of the film. Reading the manga I got the vibe that this was an ultra violent and super bloody comic book type story. The movie was more of a straight up horror or "torture porn" type thing. Jirou and Saburou (the twins) are supposed to Goliath sized and bear body builder physique. Suzuki Matsuo (actor that portrayed the twins) is short and visually just seems weak. Jirou's strength in the comics is practically Schwarzenegger status. And where were Saburô's trademark dreadlocks and white suit? Honestly it was like an amateur wrote the character for film. It was not at all what I was envisioning while reading the manga.The only actors who were actually believable, memorable, and did their character justice were Tadanobu Asano (Kakihara), Jun Kunimura (Funaki), and Paulyn Sun (Karen). Seriously these actors made the film epic and are definitely what give this movie the rating it got. Everyone else made zero impression with their acting. Like some of the other actors were good but they weren't iconic. My only other problem with the movie was that it's based off a manga/comic series (which is action packed) and there's almost zero martial arts fight scenes. And no, I don't accept the excuse of limited technology. Look at the iconic fight scene in Oldboy. It used zero special effects but was still super badass. Was it perfect? Far from but it goes down in movie history none the less. If Takashi Miike would've choreographed a few of those hardcore fight scenes he's so famous for nowadays, I think the movie would've made more of an impression. Just my opinion.

Overall, Ichi The Killer is a long and tedious film, the movie would have received a lower score if it was not for its extremely unique plot, which I loved. Though it is a bit grotesque and unusual, it was something that seemed right up my alley (I enjoy high concept horror movies). The main character is as bizarre as they come, which is great, if it weren't for Kakihara, the movie would have been flat out terrible. His growing excitement towards Ichi is great, the more he gets anxious and excited, the more we are pulled in as a viewer. But a film with so much potential is squandered by the disappointing character known as Ichi, he is so over the top that it completely ruins the character. I hated everything about his character, from the actor who plays him, to his excessive jitteriness, and to his convoluted past. This is where the movie lost me as a viewer, so much relied on this character and I couldn't buy into it. Before the two characters meet, we are given glimpses of Ichi and for me, they were nothing but disappointing. And as the for the climax where they finally meet, I should have known the movie would throw a curveball (it is Miike after all). But what you can say about the movie is that Miike has a very unique style, which is bittersweet, I can appreciate and admire it, but I don't always enjoy it (like the case with Ichi the Killer).

Overflowing with stylised but extremely graphic violence & featuring enough flinch-inducing moments of bloodshed over the course of its runtime, Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer remains one of the most controversial films ever made & is still banned in many nations but despite the gruesome cruelty depicted here, it was nothing but a hilarious ride for me.Based on the manga series of the same name, Ichi the Killer follows the feud between two rival gangs which erupts when the crime boss of one of the gangs disappears & is believed to be kidnapped by the other mob, thus prompting the sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer of the former to carry out his sadistic investigation which leads him to Ichi, a psychologically damaged killer who's the real culprit.Directed by Takashi Miike (best known for Audition & 13 Assassins), Ichi the Killer presents the prolific filmmaker parodying the depiction of violence in media by taking this particular element way over the line and into a realm that turns the picture into a mishmash of playful & painful brutality. Miike's direction takes a no-holds-barred approach and while it carries an unsettling vibe, the poor effects also make it look funny, whether intentional or not.Although the gore content isn't held back and is going to upset & disturb its audience, the tension is still absent from the movie but it succeeds in putting on screen two of the most deranged characters you can probably think of. One of them is Kakihara, the chief enforcer for the yakuza gang with the missing boss & his love for sadism is explicitly displayed here. And if you think the level of violence Kakihara inflicts is as far as it can get, then there's Ichi to prove you wrong.On an overall scale, Ichi the Killer is as excessive, absurd & insane as films can go but the bizarre humour of it all nonetheless lowers the tone a little. There are sequences that'll have you turning away from the screen but within those scenes are also moments that you may find absolutely hilarious. For me, early into the story, Ichi the Killer became a long wait for two of its violence-friendly characters to face-off against each other and was disappointing on account of its notoriety, it's still an experience that won't fizzle out from memory soon enough.

Takashi Miike is never far from the centre of controversy. "Audition" (1999), is a fantastic movie and one of the best horror movies Japan has to offer. It's only nature that Miike would return to his roots with the yakuza genre sooner or later, but who knew it would be this intense?Based on Hideo Yamamoto's manga series. "Ichi The Killer" tells the story of rival yakuza gangs and the involvement of a scarred and psychologically damaged man, Ichi, who is manipulated into assaulting or killing rival faction members. Leading to sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara, to eagerly await a final showdown with this supposed "dangerous" individual.Without really spoiling anything, the title credits set the tone for this movie by literally appearing in Ichi's ejaculation. So there clearly is a level of taste in this film that may or may not be for you, the film is outright banned in several locations because of this. I've seen it once and its shock value does overwhelm its pacing in many areas, with the final 40 minutes becoming much clearer when following the narrative. Music-wise the soundtrack is pretty great and either way the movie is a mess in terms of gore and story telling, yet there is something surprisingly engrossing where certain events take you. Maybe I missed a lot the first time viewing and it runs a little too long for its own good, but I really found myself enjoying it and inevitably eager to see it again.Final Verdict: In essence, "Ichi The Killer" is pretty forgetful when considering Takashi's other works. But if you're a fan of his then I highly recommend it. 7/10.