The Violence Action is a live action adaptation of the Japanese manga series of the same name written by Shin Sawada and illustrated by Renji Asai. Directed by Tôichirô Rutô, this is an adrenaline-inducing non-stop journey of murderous assassins, manipulative Yakuza members, gaping college students, treacherous mobster counters, loyalty, honor and revenge. There's a lot to include here, but be sure to leave some room for the sheer innocence of its endearing main character.
Its style of combat entertainment involving martial arts, knives, guns, swords, and chase sequences brings out every conceivable plot point of the genre in its 111-minute runtime. Perhaps an anime adaptation would have worked better because of the scandalous nature of its fight scenes. The action draws heavily from early Tarantinos, John Wick, Kate, and more recently Carter. It certainly doesn't measure up to the stylized violence of these titles, but it does make a decent attempt. Comparing it specifically to Kate and Carter, it seems like director-writer Rutô, co-writer Itaru Era, and the entire stunt team borrowed enough elements from each other. While Kate examined a deep vulnerability within her eponymous character, Carter's powerful action visuals will set a standard in the genre for years to come. As for the narrative, The Violence Action surpasses the latter but falls short of the former.
Director: Tôichirô Rutô
Writers: Itaru Era, Tôichirô Rutô
Stars: Kanna Hashimoto, Yôsuke Sugino, Fumika Baba
Despite its all-around gimmicky approach, it's entertainment through and through. The main character Kei is given a compelling performance thanks to Kanna Hashimoto. There are two distinct sides to his young personality. The cute college student hoping to excel in her accounting course and dreams of making something of her own life becomes this highly-trained hitman in the hours after. She works for a three-member agency that carries out assassinations on demand. The organization poses as an elite online prostitute service and is present in the form of a dilapidated ramen restaurant in the real world. Kei receives vital intelligence from the boss (the owner of the venue) and is led by a comical character named Zura. Kei approaches her target in the guise of a prostitute and eliminates everyone before they know what hit them. The opening sequence shows her saving a young woman from a dingy hotel full of male criminals. It's that signature style of fighting, turning anything next to her into a weapon, without bringing any emotion or baggage, that stands out. Things in her life get complicated when two opposing Yakuza clans take advantage of her services one after another.
The excessive reliance on puerile jokes causes the humor to fall apart; Zura's hairpiece, the boss's inedible ramen, and the inordinate yelling and fighting games with each other are the best examples. Even an influential Yakuza boss who tries to pull dad jokes (with his subordinates) and laughs in the most artificial way to prove a point could fall into the same category. The sexist, masculine assassin with robotic prowess and hardly any weakness to speak of (dressed entirely in white and spouting gibberish about the three-hit rule) is a nod to the old-school villain of cinema bygone.
What impresses about The Violence Action is the performance of Kanna Hashimoto. The psychological shift from her part-time hack-and-run job to her normal life of homework, learning manga, and having fun with friends is as natural as day turning to night. Her innocence is something to behold, making you wonder how she reconciles these very different aspects of her being. By her own admission, she brings no emotion to her other work. Perhaps that best explains how she transitions from her to her usual self so seamlessly. She goes about her business in a matter-of-fact way: matter-of-fact and unemotional instead of stone-cold. A perfect example of the aforementioned innocence is seen when Kei is assigned to take out a counter who has betrayed two warring Yakuza syndicates. It doesn't matter that Terano (Yôsuke Sugino), the young man in question, has feelings for her…feelings that she reciprocates. A job is a job, after all. Ordered by the mob to await her arrival, the duo strike up a good-natured conversation, with Terano knowing that her fate is sealed one way or another. She even does her homework in this strange environment while he plays the teacher. This romantic bond between Kei and Terano plays out in the mold of a classic Korean drama-type love story.
Watch The Violence Action 2022 Movie Trailer
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