HK: Forbidden Superhero

“HK: Forbidden Superhero” or “Hentei Kamen” as it was called when it was released in Japan, which, when translated into English, translates to “Panty-Man”, is, for my money, one of the best superhero movies that I’ve ever seen. It’s about a young boy named Kyosuke, who, when he wears used women’s panties on his head, turns into the superhero “Panty-Man”. A perverted superhero who gains power by being perverted.  

Now, the funniest part about this movie is how reserved and conservative the Japanese culture is. Which makes it extra-funny because he’s always slamming his dick into people’s faces and being perverted. It’s kind of his thing. The movie plays like a comic book. The dialogue is very excited and action-packed and because it’s translated from Japanese to English, SOUNDS like Japanese sounds when it’s translated to English, if you get what that means. For anybody who watches anime in Japanese with English subtitles and understands, you’ll get exactly what I’m talking about. 

And it kind of has elements of Japanese video games and Japanese cartoons all at the same time. He fights several “mini-bosses” throughout the movie before he gets to the big, main boss. He has a rival that he fights throughout the movie that he fights several times before the end. And like Dragonballs, and other such cartoons, people are calling out the names of their moves before they do them. They have ultimate moves, and secret moves, and power moves. People are “powering up” in the middle of battles. It’s Japanese down to the letter. And near the end, just because, he fights a giant robot. There’s no reason. It comes out of nowhere. There’s no plot behind it. A giant robot shows up, and he fights it. Because it’s Japan, and what doesn’t this movie have yet? A giant robot… 

It’s a hilarious plot, with some great dialogue, and some pretty funny special effects to go along with it. The character design of Panty-Man is ingenious for whoever thought it up. And the mini-bosses are all great too. They all counter-act Panty-Man’s perverted powers. Goody Two-Shoes Man, Pleasant Man, Manly Man, and Slenderly-Fit Man. Pleasant Man is particularly funny as he’s just a nice guy who isn’t perverted and therefore, doesn’t give Panty-Man any power.  

So, yeah. Go and see HK: Forbidden Superhero. You’ll have to read the entire time if you don’t speak Japanese, but I watch most things with the subtitles on anyway just to make sure I understand what people are saying and because my hearing isn’t great. It’s a pretty good habit to get into. And as always, keep on watching, with a smile on your face…