Zebraman.

Director Takashi Miike bats another one out of the park. This time it's a comic-book spoof/tribute entitled Zebraman. It starts off as a endearing little tale of an embittered public school teacher with a bullied son, a slutty daughter and a cheating wife who goes all Walter Mitty/Otaku and dons his home-made Zebraman costume while watching the dorky Kamen Rider-esque TV show alone in his room and mimes the power moves of his hero. Somehow, when on his way to impress the handi-capable son of the school nurse, he fights off a serial killer with actual super-powers. As you'd expect from any Miike movie, it just gets more bizarre from there. It's got slimy-Flubber aliens, crab-men, MIBs, possessed children, green babies, a flying Pegasus-zebra and other zany zebra Zen moments.

It stars 哀川 翔 (Sho Aikawa) as the title character and his nebbish alter-ego. He does a great job in the roles and easily carries the movie. Surprisingly, even the kids weren't too annoying!

Sendai's own 鈴木京香 (Kyoko Suzuki) played the love interest (also Zebra-Nurse) but she isn't very proud of it since I noticed on her website that she's kept it off her resume and she didn't show up in the sequel.

Here's a trailer... 

This is my favourite scene with the classic theme song in the background:



Over the end credits, you'll hear The High-lows with 日曜日よりの使者 (Nichiyoubi Yori no Shisha)



Of course it spawned a sequel and I'll have to track that down. I doubt if I'll be able to get it for the price of this movie. I paid only 200￥ for it at Tsutaya!

Here's a teaser for ゼブラーマン -ゼブラシティの逆襲 Zebraman Vengeful Zebra City or Zebura Shiti no gyakushû...

The lead actress is 仲 里依紗 (Riisa Naka) and here she is performing the theme:



Hopefully, more Miike tomorrow!