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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Adapted from the manga by Yuji Iwahara, King of Thorn (2009) is a violent science fiction adventure that plays off the fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty." In late 2012, humanity is attacked by what appears to be a deadly microbe: Acquired Cellular Induration Syndrome, usually called the Medousa [sic] Virus, because its victims turn to stone. Three years later, 160 mismatched people are flown to a computer-controlled cryogenic facility in a Scottish castle, where they will sleep for up to a century--or until a cure is found. When they awaken 48 hours later, the castle is a ruin engulfed in brambles and stalked by deadly monsters. Four survivors fight and scramble their way through the castle, trying to discover the source of the terrors that surround them: British military ace Marco Owen; Katherine Turner, a woman mourning her lost son; Timothy, a boy who's a video game ace; and Kasumi Ishiki, a Japanese teenager. King of Thorn offers a plethora of elaborate CG effects but little in the way of coherent storytelling. There are Raptor-like monsters, flying creatures that suggest Pokémon Zubats gone bad, and miles of spikey vines that metamorphose into an enormous dragon. Director Kazuyoshi Katayama apparently believes if one special effect is good, two effects must be better, and six better yet. Floors and walls crumble, vines whip after the people, squadrons of skeletal creatures attack, and floods repeatedly sweep through the castle. How all these horrors relate to the virus, which is really an entity from outer space, Timothy's video game, and/or the fantasies of Kasumi's twin sister Shizuku, is anybody's guess. Viewers will either cheer King of Thorn as an intriguing thrill ride or dismiss it as an incomprehensible gore-fest. (Rated TV MA: profanity, graphic violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon
Product Description
Kazuyoshi Katayama, the director of Appleseed and the Big O series unleashes a violent survival film in which the distinction between dream and reality dissolves. Panic spreads worldwide as the Medousa Virus-a fatal pandemic that solidifies the body to stone-threatens to wipe out the human race. 160 infected individuals are selected to be cryogenically frozen while a cure is developed. Kasumi is one of those chosen for the experimental program. Forced to enter without her twin sister, Shizuku, her distress multiplies when she awakens to find the facility overrun with thick, thorny vines and ravenous monsters. As Kasumi and six others fight a losing battle to escape this labyrinthine nightmare, questions cloud her distorted mind. Where is her sister? Why did their only salvation mutate into a deathtrap? If they survive, how much longer do they have to live?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By KevinB
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie is a lot like Resident Evil. Kasumi is put into a cold sleep while the world searches for a cure for the Medusa Virus. The Medusa Virus turns people into monsters. Venus Gate attempted to find a cure and put 150 people into a cold sleep. Kasumi and the other subjects are awakened to a world consumed by monsters and plants. After many people die, the survivors learn that they have only been asleep for 2 days. How could this have happened in that short amount of time.
The virus has come form outer space and it gave a girl named Alice the ability to turn her dreams into reality. That is what the Medusa virus is. Venus Gate attempted to harness this power for themselves and create a new reality. But during their experiments everything went out of control. How will Kasumi and the survivors deal with the new world? Can they make things right? Or will they all die in pain, scared, and alone?
This movie isn't too bad. I actually enjoyed watching it. There were some twists, action, and a little drama. I did expect more though. If you've seen any of the Resident Evil movies, you know exactly what to expect. Usually anime films are pretty original. I think that's the reason I was disappointed. It's nowhere near a 5 star movie, but it isn't bad. Even though I enjoyed it, I'm gonna give it 3 stars b/c the idea had been beaten to death over the past 20 years. It's a good watch, but I don't think it's a movie that you'll watch more than once or twice. I recommend renting it and making your own judgement call.
The virus has come form outer space and it gave a girl named Alice the ability to turn her dreams into reality. That is what the Medusa virus is. Venus Gate attempted to harness this power for themselves and create a new reality. But during their experiments everything went out of control. How will Kasumi and the survivors deal with the new world? Can they make things right? Or will they all die in pain, scared, and alone?
This movie isn't too bad. I actually enjoyed watching it. There were some twists, action, and a little drama. I did expect more though. If you've seen any of the Resident Evil movies, you know exactly what to expect. Usually anime films are pretty original. I think that's the reason I was disappointed. It's nowhere near a 5 star movie, but it isn't bad. Even though I enjoyed it, I'm gonna give it 3 stars b/c the idea had been beaten to death over the past 20 years. It's a good watch, but I don't think it's a movie that you'll watch more than once or twice. I recommend renting it and making your own judgement call.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
(3.5 stars) King of Thorn" is a film that will entertain those who enjoy action, horror and fantasy.
December 1, 2012
Format:Blu-ray
In 2002, Yuji Iwahara created "Ibara no O" (King of Thorn), a manga series that featured elements of science fiction, horror and fantasy, the manga series was published in "Monthly Comic Beam" from 2002-2005, and was released in America via "Tokyopop" in 2008.
In 2010, an animated film produced by Sunrise and directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama (director of "Appleseed", "Dragon Warrior", "Doomed Megalopolis", "Those Who Hunt Eves". The series adaptation (a loose adaptation) was co-written by Katayama and Hiroshi Yamaguchi ("Bastard!!", "Blue Submarine No. 6″, "Gate Keeppers"), music by Toshihiko Sahashi ("Akazukin Cha Cha", "Cutey Honey Flash", "Angel Links"), character design by Hidenori Matsubara (Ah! My Goddess", "Elementalors", "Sakura Wars") and art direction by Goki Nakamura ("Cat Soup", "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", "Ashita No Nadja").
VIDEO:
"King of Thorn" is presented in 1080p High Definition and is HD Native. And as one can expect from an animated film, especially from Sunrise, the amount of detail on the art backgrounds are fantastic. Colors are vibrant, character animation is features detail and shadowing but the most amazing aspect is how CG was incorporated in this animated film.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"King of Thorn" is presented in English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Because the animated film features a lot of action sequences, there are a lot of gunfire, a lot of rampaging eels and vines attacking their prey. The film is quite immersive and good utilization of the surround channels and LFE. Aside from language differences, the Japanese and English lossless soundtracks are well-acted and pretty much utilizing the same mix for special effects.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"King of Thorn" comes with the following special features:
Talk Event at Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro - (29:23) Featuring the May 2010 event featuring Jun Chiba (Kadokawa Pictures Advertising Producer), director Kazuhoshi Katayama and Yasumasa Tsuchiya (Producer) who discuss the film and answer questions from the audience.
Director Interview - (11:32) Anime critic Ryusuke Hikawa interviews director Kazuhoshi Katayama.
Pilot Film - (1:54) A short pilot (usually created to get animated sponsors to create a feature film).
Original Trailer - (1:55) Original Japanese theatrical trailer for "King of Thorn".
Overseas Trailer -(1:48)
TV Spot - (:17) Japanese TV spot for "King of Thorn"
U.S. Trailer - (1:02) Funimation trailer
EXTRAS:
"King of Thorn" comes with a Blu-ray and DVD version of the animated film. Also, included is a slipcover case.
JUDGMENT CALL:
"King of Thorn" is one of the most complex manga series out there. Fascinating, bleak and in some ways, the story reminds you a bit of films such as "Aliens", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Matrix" films, "Sunshine" and "Flatliners" (and other sci-fi related films), there is so much story featured in the original manga series that for its film adaptation, Yuji Iwahara had to simplify it for those who would watch the film but never read the manga.
And surprisingly, director Kazuhoshi Katayama and Hiroshi Yamaguchi were both able to accomplish it through their film adaptation by not following the manga 100%, but using the characters featured in the manga series. Having read a few volumes of the manga series, while not faithful to the original storyline, on its own, it does make for a fascinating yet complex anime film.
For one thing, when it comes to differences, for those who read the manga series may be disappointed to find out that Zeus, the antagonist is not even in the film. And also situations have changed for certain characters, as well as having a completely different ending for the animated film.
While some may cry foul by the change of the film vs. the manga series, in Japan, for those who have watched animated films based on an anime or manga series have grown accustomed in seeing animated films that are different from its original source. Fortunately, if one is entertained by the film, possibly then after, they can pursue reading the much better, original manga series.
With that being said, "King of Thorn" is a film that combines horror and fantasy. At first glance, the animated film plays out like survival horror/disaster film, with survivors who have awaken from their hibernation capsule find out that the entire lab have been filled with monsters and large plants with thorns. And you try to figure out which one of them will survive by the end of the film.
For the most part, the film is exciting with a lot of tension and plenty of action scenes that look and sound great on Blu-ray! But because of the corruption that has taken place in the lab, there is this whole entirely different element that is introduced to the whole "survive the entire ordeal" storyline, situations that make you start to doubt the characters in the film. Are these people genuine? Are these people crazy? Needless to say, I found myself having to watch the film twice and had to rewind many times, because I felt I was missing something.
The film can get complex and confusing and unfortunately, even discussing the complexities of what I was confused about, would be spoiling the film. But let's just say that once you get to the big reveal at the end of the film, you kind of feel cheated. In a way, "King of Thorn" is a perfect example of a complex manga series that would have benefited from an 13 or 26-episode anime series rather than a 110 minute film.
As for the Blu-ray release, Sunrise did a magnificent job in providing us a film that looks incredible and features beautiful artwork, the lossless soundtrack for both English and Japanese soundtracks were well-done and was pleased to hear the soundtrack of "King of Thorn" being immersive. And it was great to have a few special features including the talk event at Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro and giving us the opportunity to understand what Kazuhoshi Katayama was trying to accomplish for this film.
Overall, "King of Thorn" is a film that will entertain those who enjoy action, horror and fantasy. But also can appreciate a complex film that is not too banal or simplified. With that being said, it's one of those films that probably requires multiple viewings.
Featuring beautiful artwork and animation from Sunrise, "King of Thorn" may be different from the manga series it was loosely-based on, but still manages to be an enjoyable film worth watching!
In 2010, an animated film produced by Sunrise and directed by Kazuyoshi Katayama (director of "Appleseed", "Dragon Warrior", "Doomed Megalopolis", "Those Who Hunt Eves". The series adaptation (a loose adaptation) was co-written by Katayama and Hiroshi Yamaguchi ("Bastard!!", "Blue Submarine No. 6″, "Gate Keeppers"), music by Toshihiko Sahashi ("Akazukin Cha Cha", "Cutey Honey Flash", "Angel Links"), character design by Hidenori Matsubara (Ah! My Goddess", "Elementalors", "Sakura Wars") and art direction by Goki Nakamura ("Cat Soup", "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence", "Ashita No Nadja").
VIDEO:
"King of Thorn" is presented in 1080p High Definition and is HD Native. And as one can expect from an animated film, especially from Sunrise, the amount of detail on the art backgrounds are fantastic. Colors are vibrant, character animation is features detail and shadowing but the most amazing aspect is how CG was incorporated in this animated film.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"King of Thorn" is presented in English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Because the animated film features a lot of action sequences, there are a lot of gunfire, a lot of rampaging eels and vines attacking their prey. The film is quite immersive and good utilization of the surround channels and LFE. Aside from language differences, the Japanese and English lossless soundtracks are well-acted and pretty much utilizing the same mix for special effects.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"King of Thorn" comes with the following special features:
Talk Event at Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro - (29:23) Featuring the May 2010 event featuring Jun Chiba (Kadokawa Pictures Advertising Producer), director Kazuhoshi Katayama and Yasumasa Tsuchiya (Producer) who discuss the film and answer questions from the audience.
Director Interview - (11:32) Anime critic Ryusuke Hikawa interviews director Kazuhoshi Katayama.
Pilot Film - (1:54) A short pilot (usually created to get animated sponsors to create a feature film).
Original Trailer - (1:55) Original Japanese theatrical trailer for "King of Thorn".
Overseas Trailer -(1:48)
TV Spot - (:17) Japanese TV spot for "King of Thorn"
U.S. Trailer - (1:02) Funimation trailer
EXTRAS:
"King of Thorn" comes with a Blu-ray and DVD version of the animated film. Also, included is a slipcover case.
JUDGMENT CALL:
"King of Thorn" is one of the most complex manga series out there. Fascinating, bleak and in some ways, the story reminds you a bit of films such as "Aliens", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Matrix" films, "Sunshine" and "Flatliners" (and other sci-fi related films), there is so much story featured in the original manga series that for its film adaptation, Yuji Iwahara had to simplify it for those who would watch the film but never read the manga.
And surprisingly, director Kazuhoshi Katayama and Hiroshi Yamaguchi were both able to accomplish it through their film adaptation by not following the manga 100%, but using the characters featured in the manga series. Having read a few volumes of the manga series, while not faithful to the original storyline, on its own, it does make for a fascinating yet complex anime film.
For one thing, when it comes to differences, for those who read the manga series may be disappointed to find out that Zeus, the antagonist is not even in the film. And also situations have changed for certain characters, as well as having a completely different ending for the animated film.
While some may cry foul by the change of the film vs. the manga series, in Japan, for those who have watched animated films based on an anime or manga series have grown accustomed in seeing animated films that are different from its original source. Fortunately, if one is entertained by the film, possibly then after, they can pursue reading the much better, original manga series.
With that being said, "King of Thorn" is a film that combines horror and fantasy. At first glance, the animated film plays out like survival horror/disaster film, with survivors who have awaken from their hibernation capsule find out that the entire lab have been filled with monsters and large plants with thorns. And you try to figure out which one of them will survive by the end of the film.
For the most part, the film is exciting with a lot of tension and plenty of action scenes that look and sound great on Blu-ray! But because of the corruption that has taken place in the lab, there is this whole entirely different element that is introduced to the whole "survive the entire ordeal" storyline, situations that make you start to doubt the characters in the film. Are these people genuine? Are these people crazy? Needless to say, I found myself having to watch the film twice and had to rewind many times, because I felt I was missing something.
The film can get complex and confusing and unfortunately, even discussing the complexities of what I was confused about, would be spoiling the film. But let's just say that once you get to the big reveal at the end of the film, you kind of feel cheated. In a way, "King of Thorn" is a perfect example of a complex manga series that would have benefited from an 13 or 26-episode anime series rather than a 110 minute film.
As for the Blu-ray release, Sunrise did a magnificent job in providing us a film that looks incredible and features beautiful artwork, the lossless soundtrack for both English and Japanese soundtracks were well-done and was pleased to hear the soundtrack of "King of Thorn" being immersive. And it was great to have a few special features including the talk event at Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro and giving us the opportunity to understand what Kazuhoshi Katayama was trying to accomplish for this film.
Overall, "King of Thorn" is a film that will entertain those who enjoy action, horror and fantasy. But also can appreciate a complex film that is not too banal or simplified. With that being said, it's one of those films that probably requires multiple viewings.
Featuring beautiful artwork and animation from Sunrise, "King of Thorn" may be different from the manga series it was loosely-based on, but still manages to be an enjoyable film worth watching!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By jko
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
The movie was very simple, deadly virus infects the world, nobody knows how to stop it, so science takes over and BAM crazy survival horror movie time. I really enjoyed the movie and the animation it was very well done. As far as the characters go, they were all pretty basic, and if you don't watch the entire movie you will probably be wondering what the heck is going on.
Overall the movie brought something new to the table especially with the origins of the virus, and the twist at the end of the movie.....I really enjoyed King Of Thorn
Overall the movie brought something new to the table especially with the origins of the virus, and the twist at the end of the movie.....I really enjoyed King Of Thorn
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
King of thorns (combo)
This is a good anime that is entertaining to watch.
animation if very good, and the story well thought out.
Happy to have added it to my collection.
animation if very good, and the story well thought out.
Happy to have added it to my collection.
Published 28 days ago by Vandrek
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better then expected.
The movie it self was well made and I did enjoy that I was not able to completely predict the plot.
Published 1 month ago by Sam
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
It was great, had some amazing twists. And the animation was great, the story kinda confuses you alittle. because it moves so fast.
Published 1 month ago by Christopher Allen
4.0 out of 5 stars
king of thorn
This was a good movie for a animation and I think any adult would enjoy this movie,just as I did.
Published 1 month ago by james brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
i enjoyed the video
The movie had a excellent premise. I found the characters believable and I enjoyed the twist at the end. Had to watch the ending 3x's to be sure i got it.
Published 2 months ago by karen dejesus
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tries too hard to be clever
The animation is decent, voice acting is OK (some of the accents are TERRIBLE!), plot interesting. The constant voice-over quoting fairy tales was pedantic and often just provided... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Richard C. Drew
5.0 out of 5 stars
okay
the movie in general is rather odd. the delivery and condition I have no complains. honestly i wouldn't have bought this if i new what it was about.
Published 3 months ago by Jackie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best anime I have seen for a while
It is refreshing to see an anime that isn't based around a group of Japanese high school students or Giant robots. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Thomas Clay
5.0 out of 5 stars
a good watch and buy
i did not know what to expect when i bought this movie but when i put it in for the frist time i love it and have watch it over again and again if your a fan of amine and looking... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Trevor Hedy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Item
Loved it. A great item at a great price. The shipping and packaging was excellent. Anybody that is building up their movie collection should get this.
Published 5 months ago by Yoel
