20th Century Boys is a quirky sci-fi thriller from director Yukihiko Tsutsumi, and is based on Urasawa’s manga of the same name. It follows ex rocker turned grocery store clerk Kenji Endo, portrayed by Toshiaki karasawa, who, on unravelling a few seemingly unrelated events, discovers that a story made up by him and his friends as children is coming true.

Kenji’s childhood is unveiled through a series of flashbacks, where we learn about him, his gang of friends and the ‘doomsday prophecy’ they wrote to keep them entertained through-out the summer. The majority of the film however is set in the present day (well 1999) where everyone has grown up and apart due to their jobs and responsibilities.

It’s not until the school reunion that the gang can start piecing together the mystery, which involves blood draining virus’ and shady cults. Highly anticipated in Japan due its extremely high budget, something in the region of 6 billion yen for the trilogy, (a new record for the Japan film industry!) 20th Century Boys doesn’t disappoint.

When the story gets underway it grips you by the throat, keeping you gasping for more, from one mystery to the next it will have u guessing the identity of 'friend', the masked cult leader, and to kenji's actual involvement in the whole thing.

If you’re looking for answers however a lot is left unsaid, this isn’t to say you still cant enjoy the film, but it is part of a trilogy so naturally there are going to be cliff hangers. The acting is spot on, and having the flashbacks make it very easy to warm to the cast. Despite the overwhelming number of characters, the story for the most part is easy to follow, however towards the middle things get a bit fuzzy, but this doesn’t take away from the plot and the film doesn’t take itself to seriously so there is plenty of room for laughs.

20th century boys is out on the 4th of may courtesy of 4 Digital Asia and is a definitive addition to any sci-fi or Asian cinema fan’s DVD collection. Ranking as one of the highest box office hits of 2008, the film has solidified its place in history as a modern classic. I urge you all to see it.

Words > Sekou Abeneri