泣いている フリーマン / Crying Freeman

When Pulp Fiction met Yakuza Anime.

Just before new year's eve, comes a recommendation from yours truly: Tired of family reunions? Sick of that cousin you haven't seen in ages? Bored to death with the "new year, new me" shit? Say no more and lock your mancave's door, bring a six pack, and dust off your VHS player to end the year with the story of a manly man that cries...

Background

Crying Freeman (クライング フリーマン) is a manga series written by Kazuo Koike and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. Crying Freeman follows an assassin, a Japanese man hypnotized and trained by the Chinese mafia (called the "108 Dragons") to serve as its agent, and covered in a vast and complex dragon tattoo. A quiet but complicated killer, Freeman reflexively sheds tears after every killing as a sign of regret. 

The manga was originally serialized by Shogakukan on its magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1988. It was first published in North America by Viz Media in comic book form. Viz later republished the series in graphic novel form in two versions: an initial set and longer volumes that combined the initial volumes together, dubbed "Perfect Collections." From 2006 to 2007, the manga was republished by Dark Horse Comics in five volumes. 

Guns not allowed.

Knife party!

International Release

The story was adapted into a six episode anime OVA by Toei Animation, released from 1988 to 1994, and it was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi &  Daisuke Nichio. Believe it or not, it was produced by none other than Carl Macek, the infamous "creator" of Robotech. Macek also acted as the ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement) director. ADR is the process of re-recording dialogue by the original actor after the filming process to improve audio quality or reflect dialogue changes (also known as "looping" or a "looping session"). 

Anyway, please do try to see this in its original language. Dubbing sometimes alters the experience.

Crying Freeman has also been adapted into three live-action films: two in Hong Kong in Cantonese and of course, the English spoken live action movie filmed in 1995 in the wonderful city of Vancouver, and yes, I'm a proud Vancouverite!

The Animé was released on DVD by ADV/Discotek Media in the USA, and by Manga Entertainment in the U.K in 2004, and today's review is based upon the U.S. edition.

 

Martial arts all over baby.

Graphic violence!

Episode Guide 

Now, if you couldn't care less about my review, this section has everything you need to know to decide whether Crying Freeman, is, or isn't worth your time.

Spoilers ahead!

No.	Title	Release date
1	"Portrait of a Killer"	TBA
Emu Hino, a lonely and beautiful Japanese artist witnesses a Chinese man killing three men, then his eyes well up with tears. He introduces himself as Yō, then leaves. She later sees him assassinate Shudo Shimazaki, leader of the Japanese Hakushin Yakuza. He was concerned about the distribution of narcotics in Japan by the 108 Dragons, a powerful Chinese mafia. She gives Yō's name to the police. When Yō arrives at her house to kill her, he grants her wish to make love to her first. During the night, yakuza led by Ryuji "The Blade" Hanada, enters Emu's home to force her to disclose the name of the killer, critically injuring her. Freeman and Koh kill the yakuza and shoot Hanada then take Emu to the hospital, telling her to meet him later at his family's Hinomura Pottery. There he tells her the story of how the 108 Dragons turned him into the assassin, Crying Freeman. He takes revenge on the yakuza and then is severely punished by the 108 Dragons for refusing to kill her. He implements an elaborate plan for them to disappear in the destruction of the Hinomura Pottery. During the confrontation, he stabs Kimie Hanada and Detective Nitta near their hearts, but spares their lives on the condition that they spread a story of Yō and Emu’s deaths.
2	"Shades of Death Part I - Fusei Kakurei" "Fusei Kakurei" (風声鶴唳)	TBA
In Hong Kong, Yō and Emu get married in a Chinese wedding and are given new names, Long Tai Yang and Hu Qing Lan. When they are nominated as the organization's successors, Freeman is attacked by an disguised assassin indicating a traitor in their ranks. They go to Macau in search of evidence and track Chen, a mask-maker, but Chen is killed before they can trace his employers. Later, in the rice fields, granddaughter Bai Ya Shan arrives, demanding leadership of the 108 Dragons. She kidnaps her grandparents and takes them to Wolon Island, daring Freeman to rescue them. Freeman and Koh suspects Don Carleone's Kamora's Organization is behind Bai Ya Shan. Freeman lets himself be captured and beaten, and finds that 108 Dragons elder member Planet Mercury is behind Bai Ya Shan, and supported by Kamora’s Organization. After they reveal themselves, Freeman attacks and kills them all. He then defeats Bai Ya Shan and establishes his control over the organization. Later Don Carleone's female companion Kiche seeks revenge for the Kamora Organization. She shoots Koh and follows him to Freeman then engages Freeman in a duel with knives on the deck of the 108 Dragons submarine. Freeman kills her, but Koh eventually dies from her bullet.
3	"Shades of Death Part II - Eternal Love" "Hiyoku Renri" (比翼連理)	TBA
As a test of her fortitude, Emu is kidnapped by 108 Dragon operatives, tortured and threatened with rape, but does not break, confirming her position beside Freeman. While flying to Japan with Bai Ya Shan, Freeman's plane is hijacked by Askari agents but after landing Freeman and Bai Ya Shan kill the revolutionary terrorist hijackers. They follow a survivor stabbed with a tracking device to Shikebaro's base but they decide to return to headquarters and discuss their strategy. During the 108 Dragon meeting a gunman bursts in and kills the leaders named after the Ten Planets as they sacrifice themselves to save Freeman. They hold a funeral ceremony for the dead leaders, including an empty coffin for Freeman. Freeman poses as a hair stylist and seduces Miranda, Shikebaro's lover and then kills him. Freeman then follows her to Jigon's mansion and kills him but not before Jigon kills Miranda. As he leaves, Freeman is attacked by Bugnug, the real leader of the Askari. He wounds, but does not kill her, and they form an alliance and he calls her Dark Eyes. Meanwhile Emu acquires the ancient Muramasa, the cursed Sword of Darkness. She and Bai Ya Shan take it to master swordsman Professor Gouken Ishida at Kowloon Castle, to teach her how to use it if it accepts her. A local gang, the Seiraitan threaten them but she delays them until Freeman arrives, the dragon and tiger united and the Seiraitan accept them as leaders.
4	"A Taste of Revenge - Oshu Tohgoku" "Oshu Tohgoku" (雄首冬獄)	TBA
After a shoot-out, Dark Eyes is confronted by the massive and powerful Oshu Tohgoku who rapes her and dumps her in the sea. Freeman finds and rescues her and plots his revenge on Tohgoku and the Hakushin. He challenges Tohgoku at a public wrestling match but loses. The Hakushin take him to their headquarters where Master Naiji has a clone prepared to replace him at 108 Dragons. Kimie Hanada is ordered to sleep with Freeman to reveal his secrets, but he convinces her to support him instead. Freeman then switches places with his clone who is killed by Tohgoku on Naiji's orders. Thinking Freeman is the clone, Naiji sends him with Tohgoku and Kimie to take control of 108 Dragons. Naji then travels to 108 Dragons headquarters, but Freeman reveals that he's still alive and in control. Sensing defeat Naiji invokes a spell, causing everyone except Emu to collapse. She then uses the Muramasa to kill him. Tohgoku challenges Freeman to a match which Freeman wins, but he leaves it to Dark Eyes to take her revenge and deliver the killing stroke with her throwing blade.
5	"Abduction in Chinatown - Battlefield of Kishibojin" "Senjō no Kishimojin" (戦場の鬼子母神)	TBA
In Los Angeles Chinatown, Mr Wong asks Freeman for help to retrieve his kidnapped daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter after already paying the ransom to the Kidnapper Organization (KO). His second daughter, Wonshaku, helps by accessing Pentagon databases to gather information. When an attempt is made on their lives, Freeman suspects he is the real target and takes the place of a traitor in the Wong group who is picked up by a skyhook. He is taken to KO headquarters and greeted by Larry Buck, also known as Kishimoji. Freeman meets Nina Heaven who declares her desire for him and wants him as a partner but he refuses. Meanwhile Wonshaku introduces a virus into the KO network and Bai Ya Shan lands from the sea to rescue the hostages, but unfortunately she is captured. Separately, Wonshaku tries to free the hostages by impersonating a US Colonel, but is also captured. To entertain her troops, Nina arranges a fight between Freeman and Larry Buck, after first inciting her troops with an erotic dance. Emu and Dark Eyes infiltrate the camp to rescue everyone and their plan is successful. As they leave Nina tries to shoot Freeman, but he kills her as he gives her a parting kiss.
6	"The Russian Connection - The Light in the Darkness" "Mumyō ryū sha" (無明流射)	TBA
Russian mafia boss Nicholaiev and Japanese yakuza Tsunaike plan to cut out the 108 Dragons trade and Nicholaiev offers Tanya to help him. Meanwhile Freeman sees a woman pass in a car he remembers from his past. When Freeman learns that 108 Dragons business is being squeezed he travels to Japan. Japanese Boss Watajima raises his concern about offending the 108 Dragons with Tsunaike. An unknown group carries out strikes against the Japanese yakuza, and the leaders suspect 108 Dragons. They consider settling with them but a Tsunaike accuses the old leaders of cowardice. They agree to hire assassin Choko Tateoka to kill Freeman. Tsunaike privately hopes to take over following the bloodbath that would ensue. Tateoka ambushes Freeman, but fails and is killed. Freeman confronts his contacts in Japan who deny dealing with the Russians. Tsunaike implements his plan with Tanya to wipe out the yakuza leaders, and blame it on the 108 Dragons. Freeman agrees to meet Tsunaike on the docks, even though he suspects a trap. When the 108 Dragons submarine destroys a ship arriving in port with 3,000 Russian mafia men, Freeman goes after Tsunaike, killing Tanya first. He finds Tsunaike holding the woman from his past as a hostage, they fight and Tsunaike is killed, freeing the innocent woman who does not recognize Freeman.

Black beauty.

Naked friend, or naked foe?

The review

Original video animations (OVAs) are pretty hard to come by in this day and age but back in the day a lot of specialist genre mangas got their anime adaptation dreams fulfilled by way of OVAs. Crying Freeman is one of the many, falling into the seinen genre with plenty of violence, nudity and sex, which is probably why it was limited to an OVA series rather than a television series. In case you were wondering – OVAs are animated works that go straight to DVD/Blu Ray (or VHS back in the day) rather than being shown on mainstream television. While some portion of OVA series might be televised for promotional purposes, for the most part you had to get it in-store if you wanted to watch it. While it does mean that these series cater for fans of the manga and wouldn’t get as much exposure and mainstream anime, it does allow the creators a lot more freedom to do what they want with the show. Crying Freeman is a perfect example of just that.

This show, brought to us by the one and only Toei Animation, comprised six OVA episodes that were aired from 1988 to 1994. The premise of this manly show revolves around the main character who goes by the codename Crying Freeman. He’s actually a Japanese pottery artist who was kidnapped by the Chinese Triad group 108 Dragons while he was at an exhibition in New York because he saw some photos he shouldn’t have. Under the care of the 108 Dragons, our man was hypnotized and trained to become the perfect assassin, since this is the main business of the 108 Dragons – paid assassinations. Because of this hypnosis, Freeman’s feelings of remorse are usually repressed while he’s on the job but once the mission is over, the “trance” is lifted and Freeman cries for those that he’s killed. Being a trained assassin, Freeman is skilled in the use of various weaponry and switches from using guns to daggers as well as hand-to-hand combat and performs his hits with precision. This is one man you would never want as an enemy. The first OVA gives you the background of Crying Freeman, including how he came to meet his future wife and eventually takes charge of the 108 Dragons. The subsequent OVAs are about the various missions he goes on and how he counters plots from his enemies who are looking to take down the 108 Dragons.

Crying Freeman.

The Manga.

Ryuichi Ikegami is probably one of the best manga illustrators from all time, his incredibly detailed, photo-realistic style adds authenticity to every story he illustrates. Though many manga have far better storylines, fantastical characters, etc., I have never found anyone who creates such stunning, beautiful characters and artwork. Unfortunately, his incredible look is virtually impossible to animate properly, or so it would appear from the variety of attempts made at converting his work to the screen. Crying Freeman has an interesting enough plot in its first story to keep us entertained despite its minimalistic approach to Ikegami's artwork, but beyond that the series becomes more of a chore than a joy.

Yo Hinomura, a mysterious man, has become the top assassin for a yakuza group known as the 108 Dragons. He's spotted by a young woman as he commits yet another hit. Rather than being repulsed by the violent act, she notices something very unique--the assassin is, in fact, crying. Now a target herself due to her knowledge, her only refuge is with the very killer she's spotted. Eventually, we find out that the man's code name is Crying Freeman, and we find out that he is actually an unwilling pawn in the machinations of the syndicate. But getting out of the mafia is a great deal harder than getting in.

Dangerous women.

More dangerous women!

Crying Freeman is really just a pulp fiction daydream, filled with large doses of graphic violence and steamy sexuality. However, the initial storyline is quite entertaining, particularly because the characters are surprisingly compelling. I think the rational mind is always curious what would make a man into a killer--and this story gives us an answer that makes us question our own snap moral judgments. Beyond that, the story is simply told well, and for the first OVA, it's an exciting jaunt. Keep in mind that my viewpoint is somewhat colored by my love of the manga, but I think it's still very entertaining.

Crying Freeman, unlike 90% of anime, it hardly censored the gruesome violence and sex scenes in it. It even has a never before seen again trait in battles: The characters strip butt naked in order to have complete freedom in movement! For them, armors are just a hindrance if you can outrun bullets. Moreover, this OVA is a product of its decade. The late 80's saw an incredibly rise in martial art films that would end up becoming cult classics, thus bringing to stardom actors in the likes of Jean Claude Van-Damme, Kurt Russell & Steven Seagal to name a few. I bring this out, because this little Animé was clearly made with a lot ideas from both the original Manga and the visual fighting style seen in these movies. In addition, the soundtrack covers the period very well. While the music doesn't really stand out, it serves its purpose of creating atmospheres for different moments, and this is where I'd say Crying Freeman will be an entertaining experience for seasoned fans rather than newcomers or occasional fans that tend to review old Animé based on today's standards without noticing that the context where these  stories took place, was a very different time.

The ideal wife?

Naked and dangerous!

STORY & CHARACTER DEPARTMENT

Oh, yes, another series with an ultra-powerful heavy-dude, bound on revenge. Got my share of those; no more, thank you. At least, this heavy-dude has a feint trait that sets him apart from all those billions of counterparts. He cries every time he kills! And he is not an emotionless killer, as he never kills those he judges as innocent. Beyond this trait, he is as stale and shallow as a dried up bog.

Surprisingly, the character with the most character development and interest is Emu Hino, the woman Hinomura loves. Not only she is a sex-bomb (and if you like glass fetishes, an ultra sex-bomb!) but also she passes through several changes in personality and fighting capabilities (won’t say more for fear of spoiling it). I almost believe she should be the real protagonist. Or maybe she represents the training and evolution Freeman also experienced in the past that we never got to watch… Oh, well, whatever the reason, she is by far the most interesting character, even if she doesn’t get the screen time she deserves. 

Love matters.

Attention to detail.

All the rest of the characters are there for flavor. They are either stereotypical villains that die in the same episode or misjudged criminals that Freeman befriends. They all look and act different but are otherwise as real as carton boxes. However, on the producers behalf, I'd say this is fine, because it's the story of one man and his soon to be wife what really matters here. The remaining characters are as relevant as Star Trek's red shirts.

The story is only 6 episodes long but it constantly changes themes, villains and locations, thus it hardly gets repeating or boring. The plot is always about protecting or killing someone but you hardly think about it as you watch, and that could lead some viewers into the idea of abandoning the series by episode 3. However, I must insist that you keep on watching until the final episode to fully savor the story and decide whether you like it or not.

Hint: Tattoos are for important characters only.

The comic relief character.

In general, Crying Freeman is a very cliché story with stereotypical characters. But the unique traits of the two main characters and their graphic-novel-like presence in it give them some credit and allow the series to move from one episode to another with a certain character progression for the lovely couple that kills in the nude.

The nudity & sex scenes from which this OVA is known, hasn't aged really well. I mean, for an Anime that is aimed at an adult audience, you can totally understand these top killers get naked to fight because they need to show off their tattoos, which represent the crime syndicate they belong to. However, the sex scenes were clearly made with teenagers in mind. The way most of these "scenes" take place seem to have been lifted from a porn movie. Most of the women (especially the blond with the snake tattoo in episode 5), get off just by hearing Crying Freeman is nearby! I mean, really? Moreover, other characters are willing to have sex with him, just because they heard his legendary stories as a cold blooded murderer. So yeah, when it comes to these scenes you need to make sure you shut your brain down in order to somehow understand why they fit a story that is supposed to be a mature audience that has actually experienced sex in real life. To make matters worse, these scenes aren't comedic, they're supposed to be serious.

The thrills of the battle.

A new level of excitement.

ARTWORK DEPARTMENT

Despite what I said above about Ikegami's art, I think the OVA adaptation comes relatively close to the original character designs, considering this was made in the late 80's where celluloid animation technology wasn't  a real thing. To get a picture, it puts Fist Of The North Star (a much similar-themed series) to shame. Some stale images and lack of realism in battle choreographies ruin a perfect score but for the most part it’s awesome!

Also, there is a fair amount of sex and violence in it that makes even Elfen Lied to appear silly (no kidding!). You are literally absorbed by either the really cool animal tattoos, worked out male body figures, really slim and sexy female figures, boner-invoking nude and sex scenes (genitalia are invisible because of the law restrictions back then) or the Hong Kong movie-reminiscent battle scenes. There are even detailed facial expressions and lip sync present here.

Love conquers all.

Made for each other.

SOUND DEPARTMENT

Again, as above mentioned, the soundtrack seems to be quite fitting for the time and genre this OVA was made. Obviously, newer generation of fans will find the music dull and lacking in the rhythm department. Nevertheless, this has to do more with your personal experience (and age) rather than the production of Crying Freeman itself. Most Animé feature energetic music and dance songs in their opening, ending and during certain scenes. Crying Freeman is the story of a cold blooded set of murderers, and the music clearly play its part in bringing the aural experience to that coldness you see in every scene. While not memorable, I'd say it again, the music  suits the story.

VALUE & ENJOYMENT SECTION:

The several action and sex scenes are a major attraction. This is boosted further by animation of graphic novel proportions. But it drops down again by the lack of realism (Freeman outruns even a volley of bullets), plot twists (Freeman is clearly the winner from the start) and the overused seduction theme (there isn’t a female character that Freeman didn’t kill and didn’t have sex with). 

Tit stabbing!

Everybody loves a murderer!

Overall, today's OVA in review requires the right amount of age, context and 80's/90's pop culture knowledge as to fully enjoy the viewing. Otherwise, this story will not please you at all. While I'm aware of a retro Anime resurgence, I still think a little context would help newer fans appreciate some of the features not only this OVA has, but most of the ones made before the XXI century. Saying that Mazinger Z has "terrible animation" and "awful music" is a misinformed opinion, and seasoned fans know this to be true.

Anyway, merry belated holidays and a happy new year! 

PS: Go watch Aquaman! it's a fantastic movie! I believe in the DCU!

Here's the OVA trailer:



Here's the ending:




An AMV featuring the "No one!, I'm Just a Killer!" song:

 "The Greatest Animé Death Scene":