Ichi the Killer: Episode Zero (2002)

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I realise Ichi hardcore fans were disappointed with this short animated feature that depicts the killer's early years, but I rather enjoyed it. Purists are unhappy with the dollops of SM orientated sex that peppers the film and whilst I can understand that I rather liked the links made with the sex and violence. It may come over a little pat here but it is rare enough that the link is even touched on in most mafia/yakuza movies, when the link is surely undeniable. Some have also criticised the muddy and occasionally ugly animation, but again all seemed well suited to the subject matter. I liked the domestic scenes and the inevitable references to school qualifications and bullying and overall thought that a very decent job had been done. I see no sign of a sequel that would take us into the same time frame as the original live action film and this presumably reflects that not everyone felt as well disposed to this as I.

As a fan of Koroshiya 1 (or Ichi the Killer, as the English title is), the I knew this was going to rock. Unfourtanately I was wrong. The story is boring and predictable, it could have been something written in 10 minutes by some high school student Here's what else is wrong: 1. It's way too short, 40 minutes long, and Like ICHI-1 (which I also own and hated), does not advance the story well. Could have been an extra on the IchI The Killer Uncut DVD.2. Too many things in the plot you don't even care about, including pointless sex scenes (EG. Hajime's (Ichi) parents talking, then all of a sudden, random S&M scene!).3. Muddy animation 4. Voice acting is irritatingly terrible. I am an Anime fan, but the acting was stupid. Even the English voice acting sucked.5. Like one person said, It's like a stupid Ichi Fanfiction, just in anime form.6. The music sucks. Ergo, when Ichi accidentally kills the rabbit, instead of suspenseful music you just get lame techno music with some chick writhing as if she's having an orgasm.So avoid this at all costs. It's for your own good.

Do not be confused because ICHI THE KILLER: THE ANIMATION EPISODE 0 is not the prequel to Takashi Miike's 'live-action' version of Hideo Yamamoto's infamous manga, it is the prequel to Hideo Yamamoto's infamous manga.It's about Ichi when he was a student in high school and how he was bullied, what he was like when he was with his family and friends and how he became a twisted and sadistic assassin.This prequel is really cool: good animation, a well-written script and a hardcore soundtrack make this film worth a watch. Although some people may find this film too short or too much like a big music video. Other than that, it's worth watching, but read the comic book before watching it.

I saw this anime as an add on to the sensory overload that was ichi the killer. I have to say i did not like the anime. As well as i believe it has been done it seems like just another way of squeezing another drop of crimson fluid from a franchise that is already swimming in it.The takeshi miike voiced kakihara is just not even worth mentioning as he hardly even manages any lines. The same set of animation occurs several times in the cartoon which isnt a good sign as the animation is only 45 minutes long.the dub is in an english accent which means no self respecting fan of the live action could sit through it. A must see for ichi fans but a must not buy.