Demon City Oni Goroshi

A STYLISH BLOODBATH WITHOUT A SOUL

A stylish, action-packed revenge thriller with stunning visuals and brutal fight sequences. Toma Ikuta delivers an intense performance, but the film prioritizes action over depth, with thin storytelling and one-dimensional villains. Great for fans of high-energy combat but lacks emotional weight.


What Works:

Visceral Action– The film’s fight choreography is top-notch, blending gritty hand-to-hand combat with stylized cinematography reminiscent of 'John Wick' and 'The Raid.'

Cinematography & Atmosphere– The streets of Shinjo City create a moody aesthetic that elevates the film’s tone. The world-building is immersive, which makes the setting feel like a character in itself.

Toma Ikuta’s Performance– While the script doesn’t offer much room for emotional complexity, Ikuta carries the film with his intense screen presence and physicality.


What Falls Short:

Thin Storytelling– The film prioritizes action over narrative, leaving character motivations underdeveloped. While the revenge arc is serviceable, the story lacks twists or depth that could have made it more compelling.

One-Dimensional Villains– The masked criminals are visually striking, but they lack personality or clear motivations.

Missed Emotional Connection– While the premise of a man waking up to find his world destroyed is gripping, the film never fully explores Shuhei’s grief or trauma. Instead, it moves quickly from one fight scene to the next, making it hard to connect with his journey beyond the surface level.


Final Thoughts:
*Demon City Oni Goroshi* is a slick, action-heavy thriller that delivers intense fight sequences and stunning visuals but lacks emotional weight. If you’re looking for a stylish revenge flick with relentless brutality, this is an entertaining watch. However, if you want deep storytelling and layered characters, it may leave you wanting more.

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The action scenes do not disappoint!

I really enjoyed the action parts I think this would have been a whole lot better as a show instead of just a movie so that it could have gotten more of a deeper story but overall I really enjoyed the action! I would have loved to see the origins and story behind the characters. But it was Just a bit rushed but I think that has to do with the fact they only had a movie time limit to work on instead of multiple episodes. Ikuta did a wonderful job with his character and I like that they didn't have the cheesy "you betrayed me but I'll trust you again" trope. The cast did a wonderful job portraying their characters and the camera team did a great job with the setting/vibes of the movie. I think it was a nice watch especially for someone like me who doesn't mind blood or violence and likes action! They did wonderful and would have loved it to be longer but overall a solid layout for me. (This is just my opinion and your might be different)

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Plot Lacked but Action Packed

First of all, I watched this movie for Ikuta Toma. The last thing I watched him in was a movie made in 2017... he has definitely changed since then!

I don't usually watch movies like this but I'm glad this was the exception. A movie about an ex-hitman getting revenge on the death of his wife and child actually sounded interesting to me! When I watched it, however, the plot was a bit lost. It was more action (which I'll certainly discuss later) than the actual story and there were some moments where I really didnt know what was going on or why certain things were happening. Also, the ending was a little mediocre compared to the thrill of everything before it. Nonetheless, I tried to turn my brain off though and just enjoy what was going on.

The casting is amazing! Toma Ikuta especially, I was amazed by his acting skills and action scenes. I didn't realise that he was so talented with fighting scenes! If I see more movies like that with him in it, I might watch them. Anyway, his acting was very believable. His character goes through a lot in the movie and I really felt that he was in pain. His emotions and movements were very realistic. I felt like he'd been shot, beaten up and thrown out of a window in real life!

The background music was great too. It was subtle and I didn't realise it was playing half the time as it fit very well with the scenes. I liked the edgy guitar that played every so often.

I'm sure this is a movie I will watch again. Even though the surprise and plot twists will be expected the 2nd time around, the action will always shock me. Truly, this is what made the movie for me (well, it is what the movie focused on the most). There is quite a bit of violence so I understand the 18+ rating but in my opinion, it wasn't extremely gruesome and gorey - just a lot of shooting and slashing. Many of the action scenes surprised me, I had to rewind some a few times because they were just so epic (they're better than what I've seen from some well known action movies).

For this movie, I could ramble on about the fighting all day long. It was truly amazing! Well done to all the choreographers and staff as well as the actors and extras involved.

Just turn your brain off for this movie, sit back and enjoy the action because you'll love it!

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DESPERATELY NEEDED MORE RUNTIME

Introduction:

Demon City is an action-packed revenge storyline based on a manga series, "Oni-goroshi" by Kawabe Masamichi. The original manga is still being published with 15 volumes already out in Japan. Due to it having no English translation, I'm unaware of how much of the manga they adapted, neither on how much they skipped. So, this review will be purely based on my opinion regarding this movie and not on it being an adaptation.

Story:

The story desperately needed more character development. Due to the restriction of the runtime, we hardly got to know any of the characters (even the protagonist Sakata Shuhei), their morals, emotions, feelings, goals, or even what drives them to do what they do. So, when these characters die, we as watchers feel nothing but emptiness, as we can neither relate to the pain of the ones they left behind, neither feel sad for the one that left. The story also had a lot of pacing issues, since the story spans decades (the main story spans less of a time period) and trying to cover a whole lot of developments in the story within a given time, leaves less time to give importance to a few minor yet important details that actually let the viewer take somewhat of a fresh breath.

Acting:

The acting in this movie was fairly decent. All of the actors did an amazing job at portraying their characters, especially Ikuta Toma (portrayed the protagonist). Ikuta Toma shined in the action sequences, the choreography, and every little movement he did just made looked so good on the screen. Also, the chosen weapon of the protagonist is really so good and the scene with the elevator where is sitting on the body (the one on the cover) looked dope as hell.

Direction:

The director did an amazing job with the action sequences and made it look so good on the screen. The action sequences are the only good thing that this movie has. The cinematography was also somewhat decent. Other than that, the director fumbled in everything else including the pacing and the character development.

Music:

The music was good, just nothing special that would stand out on its own to me.

Enjoyment:

This movie is somewhat enjoyable due to its excellent action sequences. It was the case for me at least.

Verdict:

It's not something extremely good or something that you have to watch but if you wanna watch it, just know that the only good things are the action sequences and if you were to only look at the action sequences, it's a decent watch.

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Beauty in revenge

A deadly mix of kill bill and john wick, I loved this action packed movie. ikuta toma embodies a demon bent on exacting revenge for the death of his family. He makes the audience feel his pain but also his desperation to set things right. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you cheer for him and cringe at every hit he takes. Be warned this movie definitely stays true to the genre which means a lot of blood and violence.
I recommend everyone who enjoys baby assassins, janitor, kill bill, john wick, etch to watch this since it will definitely satiate that love of this type of action.

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Fairly passable watch but it has so many faults

For the foremost, the movie itself is shot well. It has great action sequences that are focused and well choreographed. Things are easy to follow and it has great sequences. However that cannot save this movie from it's lack of cohesion. The movie itself could of been much greater with many tweaks. It felt like all the great parts of 80s 90s action movies but without the soul to make it so.

The plot is very rushed. We have a simple motivation set up in terms of revenge for fallen family members. Then we have a hero who rises again to seek revenge. Ok great. However we had little to no build about this family or this guy in general so we have no attachment to him or his family at all. Then we hit the back in action plot point. Ok he's been living 12 years in prison, barely aged and somehow looks younger coming out then in lol. We have him gathering intel in the silliest way possible with a guy just randomly telling him he took this one off video that he kept for whatever reason showing crimes. Ok but why didn't you do anything with this evidence??

Then we have the daughter character who's grown up and secretly survived. Ok great there are now heightened stakes. Ok but we aren't going to do much about her personality at all and show barely anything about her. Now dad and her meet but don't have any sort of dialogue. What is even going on here? We know that he's shocked and exhausted but to say nothing of the sort in this moment? So when we have final confrontation showdown, Ryo goes with them isn't even questioning what's going on and is just quietly freaking out in a waiting room...

This is the main issue with the story, there's no dialogue really except the villain talking about little to what happened this whole time. When there is dialogue it's mostly throw away that doesn't matter. Sure it sets up the fact that they made the city prosper but there's no real stake in this or tension. How are we supposed to fell when nothing feels at stake? There's no family conflict, there's barely any villain motivations next to wanting to grow Ryo up to assault her.

It's frustrating because many elements of this movie are cool but it needed so much more in terms of storytelling.

Mini rant:
Also guy who saved our hero with the gun...why didn't he just help and attempt to shoot the boss?? He clearly had enough bullets. And this isn't hyper anime, no way does he reflect that many bullets at that speed. And what was up with the random close up of the firefighters arriving as if there was something important there?? Was there a significance of the manju?? Did it tie to the family in the manga??

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Review of City Demon: A Whirlwind of Action and Revenge

Many have spoken about City Demon, and opinions are divided. Some reviews claim that the film's only redeeming quality is its action sequences, while others criticize the excessive amount of content compressed into two hours. Some have even declared that the movie, as a whole, is not good. But here I am to say something different: City Demon is a brutal, thrilling, and emotionally devastating masterpiece that deserves more recognition than it has received.

From the beginning, the story plunges into a whirlwind of tragedy and violence that gives no respite. Imagine this: a serial killer is about to leave his life of crime behind to dedicate himself entirely to his family. But his attempt at redemption is violently shattered when a group of five people murders his wife and shoots his daughter, leaving her on the brink of death. As if fate could not be crueler, Skata, our protagonist, is also attacked and left in a coma. But the story does not end there; on the contrary, it is just beginning.

As the movie unfolds, the pieces of this bloody and vengeful story come together in a narrative that leaves you breathless. It is not just about spectacular fight scenes and there are plenty of those, as watching a single man take on 40 enemies is a moment that etches itself into your memory but also about pain, suffering, abandonment, and the eternal struggle between remembering your family or losing yourself in the darkness of vengeance. City Demon is not just another action film; it is a story of legacy, of how the thirst for justice can pass from one generation to the next. Even after Skata's death, his daughter picks up the torch of his rage, turning revenge into her sole purpose.

The deaths, precisely choreographed fights, and high-stakes situations give this film a unique appeal that cannot be ignored. Some may see it as a mindless spectacle of violence, but for those who can look deeper, City Demon is an intense and well-crafted film a symphony of chaos and emotion that, far from being forgotten, deserves recognition as one of the most impactful action movies of its time.

So, no matter what the critics say, my opinion is clear: City Demon is an experience that must be lived.

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Chato

Que filminho ruim, viu? Nem vou terminar. Fui até a metade e já foi mais do que suficiente.

Apesar da cinematografia bonita, a história tem a profundidade de um pires. São tantas cenas vazias de luta que, por um momento, achei que estava assistindo a um filme estadunidense genérico.

Não tenho do que reclamar das cenas de ação, elas são muito bem executadas, e o Ikuta entrega tudo nelas (o cara é bom, não tem jeito). Mas de que adianta quando o personagem mal tem falas e a narrativa é praticamente inexistente? Metade do filme se resume a pancadaria sem substância, sem um enredo realmente envolvente por trás.

E a suspensão de descrença aqui simplesmente não existe. O protagonista leva um tiro na cabeça, é dado como morto, depois descobre que está vivo, mas tetraplégico. Do nada, se recupera milagrosamente e já sai por aí matando uma multidão como se nada tivesse acontecido. É tudo muito forçado, uma tentativa óbvia de reforçar o quão fodão ele é, sem o mínimo de coerência.

Não gostei do que vi e não faço questão de ver o resto.

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Demon City

Surreal,as cenas de luta, a vingança dele, nada neste filme decepcionou,foi muito louco ver ele lutando o filme todo com centenas de caras sozinho,TIPO SOZINHO???,sem ajuda de ninguém,eu fiquei chocada com o quanto ele conseguia ser fodastico.
Foi surreal todas as cenas de violência,os diálogos, as cenas de luta,tudo no filme era perfeito. Literalmente uma obra de arte,uma pena ele ter morrido justo quando soube e reencontrou a filha,mas fiquei de boca aberta quando eu vi ela matando o cara lá para vingar o pai dela,SURREAL.
Eu não reclamaria se quisessem fazer um filme só pra ela .

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