Zebraman 2 Blu-Ray screencaps here:
https://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/ ... =19&t=5720
I wrote an overly long review in Finnish, can't bother to translate it into English, please refer to Midnight Eye's
excellent review instead. Now, let's move on the the spin off movie.
Revenge of the Zebra Mini-Skirt Police (Japan, 2010) – 3/5
Spring 2010 saw the release of Takashi Miike’s highly political superhero adventure Zebraman 2. Aside placing supposedly real life politicians in fictional context, the film was notable for being packed with more mini-skirt villains than one movie could take. Busy drooling over Riisa Naka’s curves, the attention stealing Zebra Mini-Skirt Police trio was criminally ignored. Sho Aikawa’s favorite girls now strike back in the 41 minute spin off movie Revenge of the Zebra Mini-Skirt Police, shot quick and cheap by Miike’s former assistant director Kenichiro Nishiumi. The spin off was released on DVD just prior to the theatrical film, partly in advertising sense.
Set before the events of Zebraman 2, the spin off shows how the three skirt police unit was completed. Zebra City’s governor (or Tokyo’s Shintaro Ishihara, if you wish) runs a personal police force that ensures the safety of the political elite, not so much anyone who stands on their way. Orphan hacker girl Masami is caught by the police and given an “option” to join the force. More interested in tracking down her the man who killed her parents, Masami’s roundhouse kicks hit her own superiors more often than anyone else. The real target should be, according to the authorities, the evil rebels threatening the city administration. Reforming Masami is left on her‘criminals turned mini-skirt police’ colleagues.
Revenge of the Zebra Mini-Skirt Police stars three success-lite idols. Leading lady Miki Inase and her fellow mini-skirts Yuko Shimizu and Sayoko Ohashi all have a handful of television appearances, commercials, and other routine idol gigs on their resume. Ohashi is probably the best known of the three; having acted as game character and advertising girl for the video game Need for Speed: ProStreet.
Aged 22 to 25, bright future in idol industry seems unlikely for any of the girls. They are, by industry standards, past retirement age. But! They can always proceed with her careers in V-Cinema. And Revenge of the Zebra Mini-Skirt Police isn’t a bad one. Nishiumi relies on traditional budget effects: girls, skirts, and roundhouse kicks that seemingly break three bones every time. Idol status considered, the girls perform relatively well in action scenes, with ballsy sound effects assisting them. The trio didn’t have it too easy, though. Christmas holidays spent in action director Masayoshi Yamaguchi’s gentle care, followed by a 4 day winter shoot with a decent amount of outdoor scenes in low temperature.
Revenge of the Zebra Mini-Skirt Police does have a bit of home video look to it, but thankfully it’s the case of sharp digi-video. Comparisons to Zebraman 2 would be out of context, though. Miike’s big budget superhero film was made for a different audience than Nishiumi’s bargain budget Nazi fetish modification. Realities considered, there isn’t much to complain about. The film – if you wish to call it such – isn’t loaded with artistic merits, but in just 41 minutes such a shamelessly entertaining mix won’t get boring. A bit of extra length wouldn’t have hurt, either.
DVD
Toei / Happinet's dvd comes with a 21 min making of and a couple of trailers
