'Jin-Roh' Live-Action Movie Shares First Trailer

It looks like live-action anime is about to take a big jump this year. While projects like Death [...]

By Megan Peters

It looks like live-action anime is about to take a big jump this year. While projects like Death Note failed to impress, Japan's take on Bleach will go live this month, but it won't be alone. After all, Jin-Roh is getting its own adaptation, and its first trailer is here.

And, as you can see above, this Mamoru Oshii project looks a lot more faithful than Ghost in the Shell from last year.

Over on Youtube, Warner Bros. Korea share the first trailer for Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. The reel is just under 2 minutes, but it gives fans a good look at the story's gritty style and explosive action.

The movie, which is adapted from Oshii original anime, is helmed by Kim Jee-woon. The director got stars like Gang Dong-won, Han Ye-ri, and Han Hyo-joo to fill out the cast. Oh, and K-pop fans will surely recognize Choi Min-ho from SHINee in this trailer as he appears towards the end.

According to the trailer, this take on Jin-Roh does differ from the story made famous by Oshii's anime. The live-action project is set in South Korea rather than Japan, and it tells the story of a task force's mission to unify the still separate Korean nations.

For now, there is no word on whether Jin-Roh will be screened internationally, but it is slated to debut in South Korea this month. Fans abroad will be able to check out the movie come July 25.

For those unfamiliar with this series, Jin-Roh has a complicated history. The story hails from a manga penned by Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) known as Keberos. An anime adaptation of the arc was then made in 1999 called Jin-Roh, and this live-action venture is based on that anime. Director Kim Jee-Woon is overseeing this IRL take, and fans will know him as he worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Last Stand. In fact, Kim has become one of South Korea's most well-known directors thanks to his gritty vision and action-friendly titles.

As for the story itself, Jin-Roh is set in an alternate world where Germany occupies Japan in the 1950s. It tells the story of Kazuki Fuse, a soldier in the Kerberos Panzer Crops. When Fuse makes the call to let a female terrorist live, his decision has consequences which ruin his unit's reputation and introduces him to a secret military group known as the World Brigade.

What do you make of this live-action venture? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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