'Jin-Roh' is quiet possibly the best animated film to have come out in the 1990's. Sticking with the classical animation style, the creators of 'Jin-Roh' concocted one of the most impactful stories that I have ever seen on celluloid. Even though the plot is somewhat complex and the pacing of it slow-moving, I found myself drawn into the story of a hesistant storm trooper who falls for a bomb-carrying terrorist in a post-war Japan. As it progresses forth, we eventually see how more and more cold-blooded the film becomes. What really unnerved me was the interweaving of the real (uncut and uncensored) version of "Red Riding Hood". By the end of 'Jin-Roh', you can really feel as if you had your soul run over by a bus. The film's scathing look cruelty and depravity of human nature is unapologetic and unnerving. It will hit home in ways that some people may not fathom. To me, the message is that humanity should take a logical look at it's cruel side and try to find some way to keep it check. I loved this movie and I give it a 10 out of 10.

'Jin-Roh' is the best anime film of the 1990's and the second best anime all time.

Set in an alternate world Japan isn't doing so well there is civil unrest and paramilitary police are hunting down the terrorist group known as The Sect. After a riot a group of terrorists is gunned down and a girl who had been transporting bombs for them is cornered by one of the police, Kazuki Fuse, however he does not shoot her and she detonates her bomb. He survives due to his body armour but appears to have been effected by the incident.

When he goes to her grave he meets another girl who looks very similar to the dead girl; she tells him that she was her sister. As time passes the two of them become friends. Another police group plan to use Fuse's relationship to weaken to position of the paramilitary police.

The story is an obvious reference to the tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" with the girl wearing a red hood and mention of a secret Wolf Brigade. The fairly tale is recited throughout the film although not the most well known version of the tale so the ending comes as a bit of a surprise. The animation is top rate and of a more realistic style than most anime so never feels even slightly "cartoony" so even people who usually aren't keen on animation can enjoy this for what it is: a taut thriller where nobody is quite what they seem.

Perhaps I missed something. It was rather hot where I watched this, and I was a bit tired. However, Jin-Roh seemed distinctly like it was trying way too hard to be ponderous and philosophical, but it only ended up seeming silly. The whole Red Riding Hood allegory was rather overdone. The whole story seemed somehow both overcomplicated and too slight simultaneously - quite an achievement in itself, really. The animation seemed poor in comparison to so many other animes. Perhaps if I were to see it again, I'd appreciate it, but I couldn't take this film!