Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops
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- For the Akira Kurosawa 1949 film, Stray Dog; see Stray Dog (film).
| ケルベロス 地獄の番犬 StrayDog Kerberos Panzer Cops |
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| Directed by | Mamoru Oshii |
| Produced by | Sumiaki Ueno Daisuke Hayashi |
| Written by | Mamoru Oshii |
| Starring | Yoshikatsu Fujiki Shigeru Chiba Sue Eaching Takashi Matsuyama |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Editing by | Seiji Morita |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
| Release date(s) | March 23, 1991 |
| Running time | 99 min |
| Language | Japanese Cantonese |
| Preceded by | The Red Spectacles |
| Followed by | Jin-Roh |
StrayDog Kerberos Panzer Cops is the official international title for ケルベロス 地獄の番犬 (Keruberosu: Jigoku no banken, Japanese for Kerberos: Watchdog of Hell), a 1991 Japanese film directed by Mamoru Oshii and starring Shigeru Chiba. It is the theatrical adaptation of the manga Kerberos Panzer Cop.
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[edit] Overview
This film is the second episode of the Kerberos feature trilogy. It is preceded by The Red Spectacles, released in 1987, and followed by Jin-Roh premiered in 1999.
However the trilogy's timeline is set backward, this film the prequel of The Red Spectacles and the sequel of Jin-Roh.
[edit] Kerberos
- For more details on this topic, see Kerberos saga#Kerberos.
Primarily, the term kerberos is a reference to Hades' three-headed watchdog of hell in the Greek mythology. It is also used to designate the Panzer Cops.
[edit] Protect-Gears
- For more details on this topic, see Protect-Gear.
The Protect-Gear is the full body armour used by both the Kerberos Riot Police, the Metropolitan Police, and the Customs assault units. Various types are used within the saga.
[edit] Prequel (1988)
- For more details on this topic, see Kerberos Panzer Cop.
StrayDog is the live action film adaptation and story extension of the 1988~2000, manga Kerberos Panzer Cop. This comic book was illustrated by Kamui Fujiwara and written by Mamoru Oshii. In the 1990s, the first volume was published in North America, Germany and United Kingdom as Hellhounds: Panzer Cops.
[edit] Story
[edit] Chronicles
- For more details on this topic, see Kerberos saga chronicles.
Kerberos saga historical background and significant dates in both the real and fictitious History.
[edit] Prologue
The film begins with the last stand of the Kerberos unit. After being disobeying an order to disarm and disband, they have held out for an unspecified time: talk between the fatigued Kerberos cops suggests that they might have been stuck there for three days, three months, to three years. A power amplifier system issues orders for a final stand and for Koichi Todome, Midori Washio, and Soichiro Toribe to come to the central building. A Kerberos named Inui wanders through the halls of the Kerberos headquarters and then witnesses officer Koichi Todome boarding a helicopter. Angry, Inui feels betrayed by his master and asks why he's running away and not fighting until the end like he has ordered to his men. As the helicopter takes off, the army breach the headquarters.
[edit] Plot
Three years later, Inui is released from prison and leave Japan, while left on parole. His contact from the mysterious Fugitive Support Group reported Koichi Todome was exiled in Taipei, Taiwan. It is revealed later that Inui's release was engineered by the Public Security Force (公安部隊) and that his contact, Hayashi, is actually an agent of this intelligence service looking for Koichi who escaped once with the intention of creating a new Kerberos organization abroad and returning to Tokyo. Inui picks up on the trail of Koichi after finding Tang Mie, a teenage Taiwanese girl that Todome has been involved with. She tells Inui that Koichi also left her, and the two team up to search for the Panzer Cop officer. They find Koichi fishing pawns, and after a brawl, the trio settle down together.
However, the peace is soon broken. Hayashi contacts Inui to propose him a deal, either Koichi surrender to be extraded and the Japanese government will be forgiving allowing the young man to remain in Taiwan with his beloved Tang Mie, either himself and Koichi will be hunted by the Public Security Force forever. In order to defeat the Public Security Force platoon, Inui needs Koichi's saved Protect-Gear and equipment. The two Kerberos fight together and Inui is the strongest. With his superior's suitcase in hand, Inui heads toward Hayashi's rendezvous point, an abandoned hotel. Inui confronts and captures the agent and orders him to help with the wearing of the Protect-Gear. Armed with Koichi's MG34 machinegun, Inui stalks the hotel and kills the Public Security Force squad. However, when killing the squad's leader in an abandonned Kerberos fortress, he is fatally wounded and passes away, in the ground, slowly, alone, like a dog...
[edit] Epilogue
Soon after Inui has been murdered, Koichi is left alone in Taipan, he grabs his now empty suitcase and aims for the airport. In this sumer 1991, he returns to Tokyo. What happens to him in the capital as he seeks for the friends he once left there is narrated in The Red Spectacles.
[edit] Characters
- For more details on this topic, see Kerberos saga characters.
- Inui
- Koichi Todome
- Tang Mie
- Hayashi
- Midori Washio (offscreen)
- Soichiro Toribe (offscreen)
[edit] Video release
- 1991: VHS (Bandai Visual, BES-567)
- 2003: DVD (Bandai Visual)
- 2003: DVD (Bandai Entertainment)
(English subtitled)
[edit] References to other works
- Lassie TV series (America, 1954-74)
- Star Wars movies trilogy by George Lucas (America, 1977~1983)
- The Hunt for Red October movie by John McTiernan (America, 1990)
- Mitsuwa dog character ("Mitsuwa! Mitsuwa!", "Lassie of Mitsuwa").
[edit] Quotes
| "Why don't you use your brain a little more?" (Hayashi to Inui) |
[edit] Awards
- Officially invited to the Yubari International Adventure and Fantastic Film Festival 1991 (Japan).
[edit] Trivia
- The English version title, "StrayDog Kerberos Panzer Cops", was already used in the Japanese theatrical poster as well as in the domestic market VHS back cover, as an alternate title.
- The video editions cover art uses a photography by Haruhiko Higami which was originally created for, and published as, the Kerberos Panzer Cop 1990 edition softcover.
[edit] Cast
- Shigeru Chiba: Kōichi Todome (都々目紅一)
- Yoshikatsu Fujiki (藤木義勝): Inui (乾)
- Sue Eaching (スー・イーチン): Tang Mie
- Takashi Matsuyama (松山鷹志): Hayashi aka "Man in White" (白服の男)
| Japanese Cinema |  |
| Live action films by Mamoru Oshii | |
| The Red Spectacles (1987) | StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991) | Talking Head (1992) | Avalon (2001) | Killers: .50 Woman (2003) | Otoko Tachiguishi-Retsuden (2006) |
| Kerberos saga by Mamoru Oshii |  |
| KERBEROS ARC | While Waiting For The Red Spectacles (1987) | The Red Spectacles (1987) | Kerberos Panzer Cop (1988) | StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991) | Jin-Roh (1999) | Kerberos Saga: Rainy Dogs (2003) | Kerberos Panzer Jäger (2006) | Kerberos & Tachiguishi (2006) TACHIGUISHI ARC | Tachiguishi-Retsuden (2004) | Tachiguishi-Retsuden (2006) | Otoko Tachiguishi-Retsuden (2006) OFFICIAL BOOTLEG | Images Of The Last Battalion (2005) KERBEROS FILES | Saga | Chronicles | Characters | Protect-Gear | Weapons | Vehicles |
