<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2015-11-04The Empire Of Corpses poster.png">
<b>Review of The Empire Of Corpses by Joshawott</b>
With their resurgence in popular culture over the last few years, I have frequently been mystified by the appeal of the undead, rolling my eyes and letting out a sigh whenever I read about people planning for a zombie apocalypse that will never come to pass. As I find the concept too rudimentary to be a convincing antagonist force, I often find myself asking why the undead have captured such a firm grip on audiences across multimedia, but with Wit Studio's <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong>, I may have finally found my answer.<br>
In this feature film adaptation of Project Itoh's psychological fantasy novel, the majority of feet crossing the cobbled streets of Victorian London belong to the dearly departed, which isn't a sign of the mighty British Empire having crumbled into a series of dystopian ruins but rather, one of the most intriguing applications of the horror staple I have ever seen. Following advances in corpse reanimation technology, bodies of the dead are programmed to carry out specific duties and fill out the lower rungs of the corporate ladder. This impersonal application of the dead however, finds itself cleverly contrasted with the motivations of our central character.<br>
Fuelled by a determine to solve the mysterious 21g weight loss incurred upon a person's death and prove the existence of the soul, the young and talented John Watson illegally reanimates the corpse of his recently deceased friend and research partner Friday, before being intercepted by the British government and offered an ultimatum by M: spend the rest of his days behind bars or retrieve the lost notes of the one person to reanimate a corpse with a soul and will of its own – Victor Frankenstein.<br>
The difference in how society views corpses and Watson's treatment of Friday may be opposites but could both hold the answer to my lingering question: is the fantasy creature a reminder of our loved ones' mortality? On a wider scale, the acceptance of reanimation technology's practical use rose from its military application and the desire of women and children who wished to avoid losing partners and parents, while on a more personal level, the young scientist's personal loyalty to Friday serves as the most meaningful and powerful dynamics in the movie, to the point of Watson putting himself and others in immediate danger for the sake of his promise. These two complete parallels seemingly stemming from the same core is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this movie; helping set it apart from the vast number of zombie stories out there.<br>
Accompanied on his journey by Friday (now codenamed Noble_Savage_007) and Frederick Burnaby, <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong> quickly paints itself as a Frankenstein's Monster in its own right; a bizarre fanfiction cocktail containing allusions to literary classics such as <em>The Brothers Karamazov</em> and <em>The Future Eve</em>. No character bearing an original name to call their own serves to the picture's detriment; robbing me of my immersion the moment I recognised a name-drop, which is regrettable considering how enjoyably engrossing the story is. At least until the final act, when the story goes to hell and comes back as a mindless, re-animated corpse resulting in a nonsensical climax with so many twists thrown in that the whole thing becomes a tangled mess. Unfortunately, this perhaps has to do with the tragic circumstances behind the scenes. Much like how Watson strives to complete the work of his deceased friend in the movie, the untimely passing of Project Itoh led to the novel being completed by friend and fellow author Toh Enjoe, who has courted criticism in the past for having an “indigestible” writing style.<br>
While the strength of the story may falter towards the finish line, one area where the movie consistently shines is in its spectacular animation. Although Wit Studio are fairly new as a company, the talent that saw them take Hajime Isayama's crude drawings and craft <em>Attack On Titan</em> into a visually pleasing delight is shown here in full force. The fluidity of the action is to be envied while more static scenes remaining striking in their own right, such as the frankly exceptional and memorable opening. Although the voice cast contains renowned voice talent such as Kana Hanazawa and Shinichiro Miki, the standout performance for me comes from Ayumu Murase's limited performance as Friday; whose shrilled screams carry more emotion than words ever could.<br>
Ultimately though, <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong> serves as an example of how even the greatest concepts can be tripped up by its execution. If it had laid off the references and not stumbled over its climax, this may have become a modern classic to be referenced in the future. While the end result may not have achieved its full potential however, we are still left with an entertaining feature that leaves me in anticipation for the other two upcoming Project Itoh adaptations, <em>Genocidal Organ</em> and <em>Harmony</em>.<br>
<b>Final score: 6 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses 3.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses 2.png">
<b>Review of The Empire Of Corpses by Joshawott</b>
With their resurgence in popular culture over the last few years, I have frequently been mystified by the appeal of the undead, rolling my eyes and letting out a sigh whenever I read about people planning for a zombie apocalypse that will never come to pass. As I find the concept too rudimentary to be a convincing antagonist force, I often find myself asking why the undead have captured such a firm grip on audiences across multimedia, but with Wit Studio's <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong>, I may have finally found my answer.<br>
In this feature film adaptation of Project Itoh's psychological fantasy novel, the majority of feet crossing the cobbled streets of Victorian London belong to the dearly departed, which isn't a sign of the mighty British Empire having crumbled into a series of dystopian ruins but rather, one of the most intriguing applications of the horror staple I have ever seen. Following advances in corpse reanimation technology, bodies of the dead are programmed to carry out specific duties and fill out the lower rungs of the corporate ladder. This impersonal application of the dead however, finds itself cleverly contrasted with the motivations of our central character.<br>
Fuelled by a determine to solve the mysterious 21g weight loss incurred upon a person's death and prove the existence of the soul, the young and talented John Watson illegally reanimates the corpse of his recently deceased friend and research partner Friday, before being intercepted by the British government and offered an ultimatum by M: spend the rest of his days behind bars or retrieve the lost notes of the one person to reanimate a corpse with a soul and will of its own – Victor Frankenstein.<br>
The difference in how society views corpses and Watson's treatment of Friday may be opposites but could both hold the answer to my lingering question: is the fantasy creature a reminder of our loved ones' mortality? On a wider scale, the acceptance of reanimation technology's practical use rose from its military application and the desire of women and children who wished to avoid losing partners and parents, while on a more personal level, the young scientist's personal loyalty to Friday serves as the most meaningful and powerful dynamics in the movie, to the point of Watson putting himself and others in immediate danger for the sake of his promise. These two complete parallels seemingly stemming from the same core is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this movie; helping set it apart from the vast number of zombie stories out there.<br>
Accompanied on his journey by Friday (now codenamed Noble_Savage_007) and Frederick Burnaby, <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong> quickly paints itself as a Frankenstein's Monster in its own right; a bizarre fanfiction cocktail containing allusions to literary classics such as <em>The Brothers Karamazov</em> and <em>The Future Eve</em>. No character bearing an original name to call their own serves to the picture's detriment; robbing me of my immersion the moment I recognised a name-drop, which is regrettable considering how enjoyably engrossing the story is. At least until the final act, when the story goes to hell and comes back as a mindless, re-animated corpse resulting in a nonsensical climax with so many twists thrown in that the whole thing becomes a tangled mess. Unfortunately, this perhaps has to do with the tragic circumstances behind the scenes. Much like how Watson strives to complete the work of his deceased friend in the movie, the untimely passing of Project Itoh led to the novel being completed by friend and fellow author Toh Enjoe, who has courted criticism in the past for having an “indigestible” writing style.<br>
While the strength of the story may falter towards the finish line, one area where the movie consistently shines is in its spectacular animation. Although Wit Studio are fairly new as a company, the talent that saw them take Hajime Isayama's crude drawings and craft <em>Attack On Titan</em> into a visually pleasing delight is shown here in full force. The fluidity of the action is to be envied while more static scenes remaining striking in their own right, such as the frankly exceptional and memorable opening. Although the voice cast contains renowned voice talent such as Kana Hanazawa and Shinichiro Miki, the standout performance for me comes from Ayumu Murase's limited performance as Friday; whose shrilled screams carry more emotion than words ever could.<br>
Ultimately though, <strong>The Empire Of Corpses</strong> serves as an example of how even the greatest concepts can be tripped up by its execution. If it had laid off the references and not stumbled over its climax, this may have become a modern classic to be referenced in the future. While the end result may not have achieved its full potential however, we are still left with an entertaining feature that leaves me in anticipation for the other two upcoming Project Itoh adaptations, <em>Genocidal Organ</em> and <em>Harmony</em>.<br>
<b>Final score: 6 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses 3.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-04Empire Of Corpses 2.png">