| Bio Hunter |
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| Wednesday, 01 November 2006 | |
 The final of a little batch of MVM "horror" releases we've been working through, Bio Hunter certainly takes the prize as the goriest so far, and in the case of saving the best for last is actually a quite enjoyable little action story. In this company, though, "best" isn't necessarily a compliment..."Komada and Koshigaya might just seem like nerdy molecular biologists, but in reality they're Bio Hunters in a race against time to stop a demon virus that turns humans into demonic mutants from taking over Japan. Komada is already infected with the virus but he has the rare power to control it. This gives him the ability to identify and destroy it in other people but at the risk of his own humanity. Not only has he to fight a battle around him but within himself too as he struggles with his unique powers that seek to destroy him." A series of murders in Tokyo grab the pair's attention - each victim has been brutally killed, their intestines ripped out, and Komada is convinced that "they" - carriers of the Demon Virus - are responsible for the attacks. Before he can investigate further, though, a run-in with a group of thugs introduces him to young woman Sayaka Murakami, who he instinctively knows has some connection to the virus. Sayaka's grandfather had also taken an interest in the recent string of killings, but now he's gone missing, and the Yakuza are on his & Sayaka's trail. Keen to follow up any opportunity to learn more of the virus, the boys decide to help Sayaka out. Meanwhile, the killings continue - will Sayaka be able to lead them to the perpetrator? Or will Komada lose control of the bloodlust that the virus has created within him?   Saying Komada can control the virus is maybe stretching the point a little - control when it's powers begin to exhibit themselves, maybe, but getting himself back under control is easier said than done, and poor Sayaka almost ends up as lunchmeat on one or two occasions as a result. Full marks for effort, though - and the obvious chemistry between Komada and Sayaka makes his efforts to control himself all the more interesting. Sayaka's grandfather is almost a comedy extra in some ways, as he's the sort of wizened, enigmatic old character you'd be more expecting to find in Inu Yasha than this sort of show. He's a fortune teller - and not the "tell them what they want to hear" type, either, but the real deal. There's some suitably scientific-sounding jargon dished up to explain his prescience, but that's best ignored in favour of simply understanding his abilities.   As for the other two, Koshigaya's the brains of the outfit while Komada's demonic side provides the brawn - although to be honest, there's not much in the way of brain needed in this story, so Koshigaya gets sadly underused. Komada provides some scenes that are very Incredible Hulk and Evil Dead-like (you'll know what I mean when you see them) - I don't know if they were deliberate references, but they certainly raised a chuckle. And that's maybe Bio Hunter's biggest problem - it's marketed as a horror, not a comedy, but while there are the occasional gory moments there's nothing really here that will actively scare you, unless you're about 5 years old. The story's not bad, the characters are likeable enough, but it fails by not doing what it set out to do, so if you're looking for something truly horrific this is unlikely to please. That said, it's enjoyable enough in its own right - certainly not a classic, but worth a look anyway.  |
