Jin-Roah: The Wolf Brigade

***Jin-Roh*** (人狼 *Jinrō*?, lit. "Man-Wolf"), also known as ***Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade*** in its American release,

   is a 1999 Japaneseanimated feature film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. The film is the third adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's *Kerberos saga* manga, *Ken-Roh Densetsu*, after the two live action films: *The Red Spectacles* and *StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops* released in 1987 and 1991 in Japanese theaters.

The film follows Kazuki Fuse, a member of a special police unit during the alternate history 1950s Japanese riots. Failing to follow an order to execute a frightened young girl only to see her commit suicide by detonating an improvised explosive device before his very eyes, Kazuki is trialled and sent back to the training camp for re-evaluation. Visiting the grave of the suicide, he meets Kei, the girl's sister, who doesn't hold Kazuki responsible for her demise. The film proceeds as the two develop a peculiar relationship.

Mamoru Oshii, the creator of the Kerberos saga, had desired to make *Jin-Roh* years earlier as a live-action film. However, Oshii decided that the film would be animated, and hired Okiura to direct the film and Production I.G to produce the film. The film premiered on November 17, 1999 in France, and Bandai Entertainment licensed the film for an English-language release in North America and Europe. It has been relicensed for Blu-ray/DVD in North America by Discotek Media.

## Plot

The story is set in a parallel 1950s Japan, in which Germany has conquered Japan. It focuses on Kazuki Fuse, a member of the elite Kerberos Panzer Cops, a metropolitanantiterror unit. Fuse confronts his own humanity when he fails to shoot a young femaleterrorist. The girl detonates a bomb in front of him, only killing herself. The incident damages the reputation of the unit and Kazuki is punished. He visits the ashes of the dead girl and meets Kei Amemiya, who claims to be the elder sister of the victim. They develop a relationship. Kei is eventually revealed to not be the suicide bomber's sister but instead a former bomb courier and a honey trap acting on behalf of the Special Unit's rival division Public Security.

A trap is set up where Kei calls Kazuki one night to say that strange men are following her. It is in fact a Capitol Police joint operation with the Public Security Division intended to discredit the Special Unit, showing a terrorist passing a satchel bomb to a Panzer Cop. Kazuki sneaks in, seizes Kei – neutralizing Capitol Police agents – and gets out of the place with the Public Security Division agents in hot pursuit. Eventually they throw off their pursuers.

They make their way to the sewers once more, where they are met by members of the Wolf Brigade – a secret, deep-cover unit in the Kerberos Corps led by Hajime Handa. They greet Kazuki and give him a full set of armor and weaponry, before leaving with Kei in tow. It is explained to Kei that the whole affair has been a plot within a plot, as the Wolf Brigade has used Public Security Division's plan to flush out those who were most active in trying to eliminate the Kerberos Corps, and eliminate them in turn.

After following the tracking device, Public Security agents makes their way to the sewers. They attempt to find Kazuki, without realizing that they are heading into a trap. Kazuki slaughters them all.

Eventually, the Wolf Brigade and Kei end up at a junkyard to dispose of the bodies. Kazuki is ordered to kill Kei by his superior to ensure she is not recaptured by Public Security. Kazuki then questions the order and his superior threatens him with being kicked out of the unit. Kei embraces Kazuki, she recites the dialogue between the Big Bad Wolf and Red Riding Hood, Kazuki begins to sob, a shot is heard and Kei's monologue is suddenly cut off, she sinks onto the ground. The camera locks onto another member of the Wolf-Brigade, who is securing his gun, apparently he did not have to use it, because Kazuki did. His superior then finishes Kei's monologue with the words: "And then the Wolf, ate up the Little Red Riding Hood."