Japanese cinema has always been home to some very strange types of films including the giant monster ‘kaiju’ films as well as some of the early cyberpunk movies such as “Akira” and “Ghost In The Shell”. However, arguably the strangest films to come out have Japan have been the ‘splatter comedies’ such as “Tokyo Gore Police”, “RoboGeisha” and “The Machine Girl”.

These films contain a ludicrous amount of gore as well as perverse sense of humour. They remind me a little of the movies of Troma such as “The Toxic Avenger” and “Terror Firmer”. Many of the titles for Japanese splatter comedies are even somewhat perverse such as the “Rape Zombie: Lust of the Dead” franchise and “Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead”. The films typically have female main characters and they often wear provocative clothing. They also contain rather disturbing and somewhat sexual imagery. Examples include the woman with an alligator lower body with the female genitalia in the alligator mouth in “Tokyo Gore Police” and in “Shyness Machine Girl”, her machine gun comes out of her rear end.

Other films in this bizarre genre include “Mutant Girls Squad”, “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”, “Alien vs. Ninja” and “Dead Sushi”. These movies seem to perfectly capture the perception of Japanese cult as strange. Throughout the years, many have noted and even mocked the weird nature of Japanese entertainment. Many have focused on ridiculing anime (Japanese cartoons) for their stark difference to their American competition. Shows such as “Pokémon” seem so far removed from the standards of American kids’ shows. Japan has also been the source of many videogames that seem to defy the convention of games released elsewhere in the world. Franchises such as “Metal Gear Solid” have been noted for their unique design choices that often seem to serve no real purpose.

There seems to be no sign that Japanese splatter comedies are on the decline. They certainly offer something outrageous.