the calamari wrestler

As part of my pre-departure Japanese English Teacher preparatin', i have been watching some awesome flicks from Nippon.

This was such a glorious movie. The Calamari Wrestler is the heartwarming tale of a giant squid (actually a former wrestling champion, reincarnate) who sets out to become Japan's top professional wrestler once more, win back his widowed girlfriend, and restore glory to the lost art of Japanese pro wrestling. Along the way he defeats many opponents including humans, an octopus and a mantis shrimp. theyre all reincarnated wrestlers of the past... except for the human, of course. Wait, actually the human guy does reincarnate... as the octopus? ...maybe? actually i'm not sure, but it definitely doesnt really matter.

So it's hard to follow who is reincarnated as who along the way, and it seems that the cephalopad incarnations revert to their human forms when they lose their spirit (the calamari wrestler is followed around by a ragtag band of monks). i think the old rival is the one that turns up as an octopus and... strangely enough... the old, old, old champion from back in the day (who is also the calamri wrestler's coach) becomes the mantis shrimp to fight the calamari wrestler. man you dont know WHAT the fuck is going on, but it's so entertaining. and you get to see a girl kiss a dude in a squid suit.

Oh and he also manages to restore the Japanese economy, somehow, by stimulating public interest in wrestling and giving Japan a new National Son to cheer for, just like back in the old days.

here's the trailor:


Basically this movie has all of my favorite animals in it. and theyre fighting. everyone should see it.

final grade: 5/5