Ep. 25: Redline

It's a new yearly tradition on Incredibly Strange Video - we're celebrating ANI-MAY! Which is when we take all of May to break down cult and unusual anime films! Today's film, Redline, falls into the former category. A major financial failure for its studio after a grueling 7-year-long production, this action/racing smorgasborg of adrenaline-fueled violence has since become a cult classic in the anime world.

And since this is the first anime we've ever covered on the show, in addition to breaking down the film, we'll be doing some learning ourselves along the way, asking questions like, "How is anime even made?" and "What does it mean to say an anime is 'well-directed'?" We'll also delve into common misconceptions about the art style, particularly why many think anime characters don't look Japanese.

Takeshi Koike's 2009 labor of love, Redline, is without a doubt one of the best looking anime films ever made, and yet it's woefully under-appreciated outside of hardcore anime enthusiasts. We're here to change that! If you'd like to check it out before listening to our breakdown, like apparently all films that exist, it's free to stream on Tubi. Otherwise strap in and get ready for the craziest and most dangerous race in the galaxy!

Redline
Directed by Takeshi Koike
2009, Japan

Also, if you've listened to the episode you've heard the huge news: someone has found and uploaded the long-lost song "My Darlin' Don't You Cry" from Bloody Birthday! Check it out here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSwyougkNg4

Incredibly Strange Video is produced and edited by Ryan Quinn and Cassie Kay. Follow us on Bluesky @isvpodcast.bsky.social for updates on the newest episodes!

Theme music:
The End by EVA
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0

All excerpts from the films discussed are used for educational and critical purposes only.