Its hard to describe Patalliro to those who havent seen it. It was absolutely groundbreaking for its time for being the first ever shounenai on Japanese TV. I would say its a psychedelic adventure involving a Japanese gay James Bond and a wacky timetravelling ScrappyDoo type prankster dictator who solve apocalyptic diamond theft mysteries. It is very Japanese there is a lot of surreal humour involving puns that you likely wont get unless you speak the language but even if you dont the antics are often entertaining. The movie Patalliro Stardust Keikaku is actually a great installment of this franchise. Given the score of the film being so low I expected it to be like a bad episode but I would say this is one of the stronger episodes of Patalliro for several reasons: 1. Junior is a great antagonist. Partly because hes pretty fabulous He has poison lipstick and he throws a rose before he tries to kill you which is a bit of a giveaway but very stylish. But also hes a catalyst for friction between Bancoran and Maraich which means the film is more focused on their relationship which I love. 2. All the main characters are great and have fantastic chemistry. I love Bancoran his bishounenkiller ways and his almost violent but playful disdain for Patalliro is really funny to me. We also get to see some inner conflict for him in this film. Maraichs jealous love for him is entertaining. Patalliro is a very acquired taste. I used to find him annoying but now I find his antics fun and silly one reason why its probably best to watch the TV show first. 3. My favourite thing about this film is the ending which I wont spoil but it was rather beautifully melancholic. The stardust and diamond aesthetic was gorgeous to look at. Dont get me wrong its wacky and the space science doesnt really make sense but the villains plan to end the world through the falling frozen diamond satellite causing mass extreme hail was really interesting. 4. The plot felt tight in the best way. I dont wish to be critical of other reviewers but I also want to correct something. The fact that their reviews have accused this film of having no plot honestly makes me think that they havent seen the film because the plot is very evident its totally wacky but its also totally there. If anything theres too much plot because a lot happens in this short runtime. Theres just enough comedic relief. The romance is wellwoven in so that its pertinent to the story line. The denouement right at the end was honestly pretty unexpected. Heres one caveat: I personally think you need to have seen the TV show to really appreciate it. Its similar to the Revolutionary Girl Utena movie in that its intended to be standalone but if you know the characters their motives and the basic setup for the plot then it definitely helps. I would imagine that I would have been completely bewildered by several moments in the film if I hadnt seen the TV show. For me one of the main reasons for watching this is the art. This is very subjective I would imagine that most people will hate the art style because its very unique and very dated but in a way thats endlessly charming rather than jarring in my opinion. The backgrounds are stunning and the psychedelic colour scheme is so vibrant. Its very stylised. It looks graphic and ornate and it reminds me of an Aubrey Beardsley painting or an Erte fashion drawing. I love the art style but its probably not for most people. The sound might be called cheesy or dated by some and it is but its also perfectly suited to the style of the show. It reminds me of those old seventies detective shows like Charlies Angels or classic Bond films. I think its fun vintage and charming. For those fans of the show much of the OST is reused youll be pleased to know that the Who Killed Cock Robin? song makes an appearance but there are also some fun new additions. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I think its really fun weird and a great watch. I also think its unique and original with a great art style. That said Im not sure if I would recommend it to most people it has so many things about it that people dislike for example: its old its shounenai its very weird its full of very Japanese references and the animation is dated. If you can get past all that then youll probably love this film but its certainly not for everyone.
95 /100
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