Japanese Cardboard Puppet Horror Films THE BURNING BUDDHA MAN And VIOLENCE VOYAGER Now Available In The UK
David Gelmini
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Anime fans will be pleased to learn that the Japanese animated horror films The Burning Buddha Man and Violence Voyager are now both available on a two-disc Blu-ray set in the UK, courtesy of Third Window Films. Although the Blu-ray release was originally planned for last summer, it was pushed back by several months, so we’re glad these two obscure animated Japanese horror films are now available for UK audiences to enjoy.
Both The Burning Buddha Man and Violence Voyager were directed by Ujicha, and they were filmed entirely on top of desks using cardboard puppets the size of action figures against backgrounds which were also made of card. Ujicha has referred to his unusual method of animation as ‘geki-mation’, and it took him years to complete both projects. And his methods were clearly effective, because as you can see from the trailers below, the films show puppetry coming to life in a way we’ve never seen before.
Originally released in Japan in 2013, The Burning Buddha Man tells the story of a vengeful girl who thinks the deaths of her parents might be connected to the mysterious theft of a Buddha statue, leading her to unravel a deeper mystery. While Violence Voyager, which debuted in 2018, follows an American boy living in Japan named Bobby, who is kidnapped and experimented on by a mad scientist after he visits a hidden amusement park deep in the mountains, resulting in him being transformed into a grotesque robotic-humanoid hybrid creature. Don’t be fooled by the fact that these anime movies are made of cardboard, as they are incredibly violent and disturbing, and will probably freak out even hardened viewers.
The Blu-ray set includes a multitude of bonus features including a twenty-minute interview with Ujicha, storyboards and trailers, and a selection of short films. So, if you happen to be in the mood for some cardboard ultra-violence, you can purchase the Blu-ray set in the UK containing both The Burning Buddha Man and Violence Voyager from Amazon, Zavvi, HMV, and Arrow Video’s official store.
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