Dororo (2007)

Osamu Tezuka's popular manga Dororo got adapted into two beloved anime series, once in 1969 and again in 2019. We're not talking about either of those here. The subject for today's episode is the 2007 live action Dororo film; it was intended to launch a trilogy, but that plan was scrapped after indifferent box office returns. Despite the film's disappointing gross, its connection to Tezuka's legacy and its weird imagery did endear it to a modest cult audience, particularly in the United States. Ryan is joined by Cheryl and Sylvan for a chat about Dororo's convoluted plotting, awful CGI, and intriguing subtext. Thematic discussions fall along a few minor lines such as sibling rivalry and the difference between puppet monsters and digital monsters, but the main gist is Dororo's striking commentary on gender roles and trans issues. The personal life experience of the hosts comes up a few times, but the dialogue also comes to a point where Dororo is compared to Princess Knight, another Tezuka story where a character assigned female at birth takes on a masculine identity.