Tekken: The Motion Picture
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese animated
adaptation of the Tekken
video games by Namco
produced in by ASCII Corporation and Sony Music Entertainment Japan
. Originally released in Japan as a two-episode OVA
, an English adaptation was produced by ADV Films
, which edited both episodes into a single hour-long film and featured a new Americanized soundtrack. The film's story is loosely based on the first game
, where Kazuya is the main character and Heihachi is the Head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and Tekken 2
, which features Jun and Lei's investigation of the Zaibatsu's illegal activities.
Sixteen years later, Jun is an agent within Interpol, and is sent to investigate the upcoming King of Iron Fist Tournament, hosted by noneother by Heihachi Mishima, the owner of the multinational Mishima Conglomerate, which has been suspect to unethical and illegal biological experiments. Jun meets up with Lei Wulong, a detective from Hong Kong, and they are assigned to infiltrate the tournament together. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Kazuya somehow survived the fall and is now a cold, bitter man bent on revenge on Heihachi. Heihachi himself is aware that Kazuya is alive and apparently plans to bestow the Mishima Conglomerate to him when the time is right, but Heihachi's adopted son, Lee Chaolan, is unhappy with this decision, as he desires the company for himself. To this end, he seduces Nina and Anna Williams, two Irish assassins, and hires them to kill Kazuya. While Lee does not care for neither Nina nor Anna, each believe he genuinely loves them and is merely using the other.
Jun and Lei board a boat to take them to an island in Singapore for the tournament, in the process meeting a large man named Jack with an ailing little girl, Jane (Jack fights his way onto the board by beating Lee's bodyguard, Bruce). Kazuya himself sneaks aboard from a bridge once the boat has left the port. While Kazuya is training, Jun confronts him about the past, and Kazuya reveals how he survived: he cut his chest badly during the fall and was on the brink of death when the Devil approached him with an offer to help him survive with superhuman powers in exchange for his soul, and Kazuya accepted. Nina again tries to kill Kazuya, but Kazuya beats her just as Anna appears with a bazooka and blows the gym up. Jun and Kazuya escape in time, but Kazuya warns Jun not to interfere with him again on the threat of death.
The day of the tournament arrives, and Lee explains to the fighters (among them Paul, King, Jack, Law, Michelle, Baek, Yoshimitsu, Ganryu and Armour King) that they are to fight their way through a forest until they reach the central tower where Heihachi will be waiting for them. One vengeful competitor, Michelle Chang, tries to kill Heihachi there and then, but Heihachi foils her. However, to ensure that nobody will win the tournament, Lee secretly has his scientists release a special experiment into the field to stop the fighters. Meanwhile, Lei heads underground with Jack, who tells him that he is only looking for Dr. Boskonovitch, the only man who can save Jane from her illness. Eventually, they fight their way past some P. Jacks and reach Boskonovitch. In the process, Jack's arm is gashed and leaks black oil, revealing that he is not human, but a cyborg.
Kazuya defeats Baek and runs into Michelle, who proves to be no match for him but too stubborn to give up despite Kazuya's pleas for her to do so. Michelle pours out her tragic story to Kazuya about how Heihachi burned down her village and indirectly killed both her parents. When she pushes Kazuya too far, Kazuya knocks her out and almost kills her but is narrowly stopped by Jun, who vows to fight Kazuya and expel the Devil from him. Elsewhere, Nina and Anna decide to have their own battle to settle their rivalry once and for all, but during the fight, a biologically enhanced dinosaur-like being appears and devours Anna from behind. The creatures then round on Kazuya and Jun, but are defeated when Kazuya taps into his dark power. The last one runs away, leaving Kazuya's path open. Lee appears at the door and challenges Kazuya but is beaten just as Heihachi emerges and engages Kazuya in combat.
As Boskonovitch treats Jane, Lee enters the facility in a crazed state. Now fully aware that he will never inherit the company now, Lee slays all the security scientists and sets off the self-destruction sequence. Lei, Jack, Jane and Boskonovitch hear the countdown and evacuate along with countless soldiers. Jack sacrifices himself to hold a door open long enough for Lei and Boskonovitch to escape with Jane. The tower explodes with Lee still inside, and begins a chain reaction which turns the resort into a volcanic inferno. Kazuya seems to be losing against Heihachi, but he gives into his power again and overpowers his father brutally. Just as Kazuya prepares to throw his broken father into a river of lava, Jun appears and implores him to stop. Kazuya almost kills Jun, but when he notices her crying for him, he remembers the only person he ever loved and who ever cried for him: his mother. Kazuya sheds a tear and manages to expel the Devil's influence from within him, reverting to his kind, compassionate self once again. Infuriated, Heihachi tries to punch Kazuya off the cliff, but Jun takes the blow and the three fall as the island begins exploding. Lei arrives in a submarine and picks up the remaining fighters, along with Kazuya and Jun. Heihachi escapes in a jet just before the island finally explodes.
Sometime later, Jun is seen knitting in a wood. Her young son, Jin (greatly resembling a young Kazuya) appears and asks her to tell him a story. Before she can begin, she looks up and senses a strange presence in the distance (possibly Ogre), but when Jin asks her what is wrong, she tells him everything is fine and they walk home together.
Secondary
, punk rock
and sludge metal
music consisting of the following songs:
. Entertainment Weekly
called it "a punch-drunk, derivative Saturday-morning cartoon" that "saps every atom of magic from its source". Anime News Network
gave the anime a C+, calling it "oddly mediocre in a genre filled with utter crap."
Animeworld was kinder: "It does all the right things to try and be more than just action. Unfortunately, it is also sloppy and silly enough that it ends up being a failure from my standpoint, and unlikely any better for a fan of the game."
Despite the mixed response, the anime stands with a more favourable reception than the 2010 live-action film, which received a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation of the Tekken
Tekken
is an arcade fighting game franchise created and developed by Namco. Beginning with the original Tekken arcade game released in 1994, the series has received several sequels, as well as various home conversions and spin-off titles released for consoles...
video games by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
produced in by ASCII Corporation and Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
. Originally released in Japan as a two-episode OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
, an English adaptation was produced by ADV Films
A.D. Vision
A.D. Vision was an American international multimedia entertainment company headquartered in Houston, Texas, prior to its collapse and distress sale to four other Houston-based companies in 2009...
, which edited both episodes into a single hour-long film and featured a new Americanized soundtrack. The film's story is loosely based on the first game
Tekken (video game)
Tekken is a fighting game and is the first of the series. It was released at arcades in late 1994 and on the PlayStation in 1995. A simplified "arcade" version of the game was later released in Tekken 5s Arcade History mode. It was developed and published by Namco...
, where Kazuya is the main character and Heihachi is the Head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and Tekken 2
Tekken 2
Tekken 2 is the second installment in the popular Tekken fighting game series. It was first released in arcades in 1995, and later released for the PlayStation in 1996...
, which features Jun and Lei's investigation of the Zaibatsu's illegal activities.
Plot
The film opens with a young girl named Jun Kazama crying over a rabbit killed by a bobcat. Kazuya Mishima, a kind boy around her age, appears and offers to kill the bobcat to cheer Jun up, but Kazuya's abusive father, Heihachi, suddenly appears and berates Kazuya for his compassion, which he considers a weakness. In order to make Kazuya stronger and prove his worth, Heihachi throws Kazuya off a cliff to his apparent death right in front of Jun's eyes.Sixteen years later, Jun is an agent within Interpol, and is sent to investigate the upcoming King of Iron Fist Tournament, hosted by noneother by Heihachi Mishima, the owner of the multinational Mishima Conglomerate, which has been suspect to unethical and illegal biological experiments. Jun meets up with Lei Wulong, a detective from Hong Kong, and they are assigned to infiltrate the tournament together. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Kazuya somehow survived the fall and is now a cold, bitter man bent on revenge on Heihachi. Heihachi himself is aware that Kazuya is alive and apparently plans to bestow the Mishima Conglomerate to him when the time is right, but Heihachi's adopted son, Lee Chaolan, is unhappy with this decision, as he desires the company for himself. To this end, he seduces Nina and Anna Williams, two Irish assassins, and hires them to kill Kazuya. While Lee does not care for neither Nina nor Anna, each believe he genuinely loves them and is merely using the other.
Jun and Lei board a boat to take them to an island in Singapore for the tournament, in the process meeting a large man named Jack with an ailing little girl, Jane (Jack fights his way onto the board by beating Lee's bodyguard, Bruce). Kazuya himself sneaks aboard from a bridge once the boat has left the port. While Kazuya is training, Jun confronts him about the past, and Kazuya reveals how he survived: he cut his chest badly during the fall and was on the brink of death when the Devil approached him with an offer to help him survive with superhuman powers in exchange for his soul, and Kazuya accepted. Nina again tries to kill Kazuya, but Kazuya beats her just as Anna appears with a bazooka and blows the gym up. Jun and Kazuya escape in time, but Kazuya warns Jun not to interfere with him again on the threat of death.
The day of the tournament arrives, and Lee explains to the fighters (among them Paul, King, Jack, Law, Michelle, Baek, Yoshimitsu, Ganryu and Armour King) that they are to fight their way through a forest until they reach the central tower where Heihachi will be waiting for them. One vengeful competitor, Michelle Chang, tries to kill Heihachi there and then, but Heihachi foils her. However, to ensure that nobody will win the tournament, Lee secretly has his scientists release a special experiment into the field to stop the fighters. Meanwhile, Lei heads underground with Jack, who tells him that he is only looking for Dr. Boskonovitch, the only man who can save Jane from her illness. Eventually, they fight their way past some P. Jacks and reach Boskonovitch. In the process, Jack's arm is gashed and leaks black oil, revealing that he is not human, but a cyborg.
Kazuya defeats Baek and runs into Michelle, who proves to be no match for him but too stubborn to give up despite Kazuya's pleas for her to do so. Michelle pours out her tragic story to Kazuya about how Heihachi burned down her village and indirectly killed both her parents. When she pushes Kazuya too far, Kazuya knocks her out and almost kills her but is narrowly stopped by Jun, who vows to fight Kazuya and expel the Devil from him. Elsewhere, Nina and Anna decide to have their own battle to settle their rivalry once and for all, but during the fight, a biologically enhanced dinosaur-like being appears and devours Anna from behind. The creatures then round on Kazuya and Jun, but are defeated when Kazuya taps into his dark power. The last one runs away, leaving Kazuya's path open. Lee appears at the door and challenges Kazuya but is beaten just as Heihachi emerges and engages Kazuya in combat.
As Boskonovitch treats Jane, Lee enters the facility in a crazed state. Now fully aware that he will never inherit the company now, Lee slays all the security scientists and sets off the self-destruction sequence. Lei, Jack, Jane and Boskonovitch hear the countdown and evacuate along with countless soldiers. Jack sacrifices himself to hold a door open long enough for Lei and Boskonovitch to escape with Jane. The tower explodes with Lee still inside, and begins a chain reaction which turns the resort into a volcanic inferno. Kazuya seems to be losing against Heihachi, but he gives into his power again and overpowers his father brutally. Just as Kazuya prepares to throw his broken father into a river of lava, Jun appears and implores him to stop. Kazuya almost kills Jun, but when he notices her crying for him, he remembers the only person he ever loved and who ever cried for him: his mother. Kazuya sheds a tear and manages to expel the Devil's influence from within him, reverting to his kind, compassionate self once again. Infuriated, Heihachi tries to punch Kazuya off the cliff, but Jun takes the blow and the three fall as the island begins exploding. Lei arrives in a submarine and picks up the remaining fighters, along with Kazuya and Jun. Heihachi escapes in a jet just before the island finally explodes.
Sometime later, Jun is seen knitting in a wood. Her young son, Jin (greatly resembling a young Kazuya) appears and asks her to tell him a story. Before she can begin, she looks up and senses a strange presence in the distance (possibly Ogre), but when Jin asks her what is wrong, she tells him everything is fine and they walk home together.
Characters
Main| Character | English VA | Japanese VA |
|---|---|---|
| Kazuya Mishima Kazuya Mishima is a fictional character in the Tekken fighting game series. Although originally appearing as the main protagonist in the original Tekken game, he becomes one of the series' leading villains from Tekken 2 onward, after being overtaken by the Devil Gene, where he is known as Devil Kazuya .-In the... |
Adam Dudley | Kazuhiro Yamaji Kazuhiro Yamaji is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Mie Prefecture affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company.-Television animation:*Case Closed *Geneshaft *Last Exile *Monster... |
| Heihachi Mishima Heihachi Mishima is one of the main characters in the Tekken fighting game series. He is one of only four characters to have appeared in every game in the series and he makes two appearances within the series as the final boss... |
John Paul Shepard | Daisuke Gōri Daisuke Gori was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was... |
| Jun Kazama | Edi Patterson | Yumi Tōma Yumi Toma is a Japanese singer and voice actresss from Chiba. She has been part of the singing group Goddess Family Club. Tōma also works for Aoni Production. Because of her mature voice, she often plays strong, beautiful women.... |
Secondary
| Character | English VA | Japanese VA |
|---|---|---|
| Lei Wulong | Gray G. Haddock | Tomokazu Seki Tomokazu Seki is a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam... |
| Lee Chaolan | David Stokey | Shin-ichiro Miki |
| Nina Williams Nina Williams is a character from Namco's Tekken game series. She is known to be a cold-blooded assassin who had made her very first appearance in the original Tekken game and since has appeared in every Tekken game released... |
Ellie McBridge | Minami Takayama Minami Takayama is a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She was married to manga artist Gosho Aoyama on May 5, 2005 but they divorced on December 10, 2007. Minami is also a member of the pop group Two-Mix, and a part of DoCo when it was active.... |
| Anna Williams | Claire Hamilton Claire Hamilton Claire Hamilton is a voice actress who has done a few voiceovers. She did the voice of Anna Williams in the anime movie Tekken: The Motion Picture, including another anime, Final Fantasy: Unlimited.-Roles:* Iczelion as Nami... |
Kaori Yamagata Kaori Yamagata is a Japanese voice actress from Hirakata, Osaka.-Anime cast in:*Humanoid Monster Bem as Bela*Katanagatari as Oshidori Maniwa*Kin'iro no Corda as Hamai Misa*Legend of Basara as Chacha*Saiunkoku Monogatari as Kochou... |
| Young Jun | Lucy Farris | Sendai Eri |
| Young Kazuya | Jacob Frachek | Minami Takayama Minami Takayama is a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She was married to manga artist Gosho Aoyama on May 5, 2005 but they divorced on December 10, 2007. Minami is also a member of the pop group Two-Mix, and a part of DoCo when it was active.... |
| Michelle Chang Michelle Chang Michelle C. Y. Chang is a chemist at the department of chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, a recipient of several young scientist awards for her research in biosynthesis of biofuels and pharmaceuticals.-Education:... |
Jessica Robertson Jessica Robertson Jessica Robertson is an American film actress. She is perhaps best-known for having portrayed the character of Kate Douglas in the 1995 film The Big Green.-Films:*Shuten Doji: The Star Hand Kid 1 - Hyoki, 1989, as Miyuki... |
Narumi Hidaka |
| Jack-2 | Mark O'Brien | Akio Ōtsuka |
| Jane (Jack 2's Little Girl) | Jessica Schwatz | (unknown) |
| Doctor Boskonovitch | Christian Burac | Tamio Ôki |
| Bruce Irvin | Peter Harrell Jr | (unknown) |
| Jin Kazama Jin Kazama is a video game player character in the Tekken fighting game series released by Namco Bandai. Trained by his grandfather, Heihachi Mishima in order to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament, Jin wishes to avenge his mother's apparent death... |
Jacob Frachek | Kazuhiro Yamaji Kazuhiro Yamaji is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Mie Prefecture affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company.-Television animation:*Case Closed *Geneshaft *Last Exile *Monster... |
| Baek Doo San | Lowell Bartholomee | Kyôsei Tsukui |
Soundtrack
For the English language release, the soundtrack was replaced with alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and sludge metal
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
music consisting of the following songs:
- "The Meaning of LifeIxnay on the Hombre-In popular culture:* "The Meaning of Life" is featured on the soundtrack to Tekken: The Motion Picture.* "All I Want", "Way Down the Line" and "Change the World" were all featured in 1999 video game Crazy Taxi....
" by The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... - "Save YourselfDarkest DaysDarkest Days is the third album released on Columbia Records by industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in L.A. in 1997 and released in April 1998. The album failed to achieve the same level of success as Wither Blister Burn & Peel. The band was dropped from Columbia Records...
" by Stabbing WestwardStabbing WestwardStabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :... - "Clean My WoundsDeliverance (Corrosion of Conformity album)Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. By this album, the band had completely shed their punk and thrash influences, instead opting for Black Sabbath-inspired heavy metal style. "Clean My Wounds" was a radio hit. The UK's...
" by Corrosion of ConformityCorrosion of ConformityCorrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm... - "Straight to HellMaster of StylesMaster of Styles is the sixth album by The Urge. It was released in 1998 in cassette and CD format. The Album produced 3 singles and sold 250,000 copies...
" by The UrgeThe UrgeThe Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing... - "Bonecrusher" by SoulhatSoulhatSoulhat was an American rock band from Texas. The group formed in 1990 around the nucleus of Kevin McKinney, Bill Cassis, and Brian Walsh; Barry E. "Frosty" Smith, who had previously played with Funkadelic, joined soon after. Their self-released debut followed in 1993, and was reissued after they...
Reception
Tekken: The Motion Picture received a 46% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was seen by many as an unsuccessful attempt to replicate the previous success of Street Fighter II: The Animated MovieStreet Fighter II: The Animated Movie
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, known as in Japan and Australia, is a 1994 Japanese animated film adaptation of the Street Fighter II fighting games written by Kenichi Imai, directed by Gisaburō Sugii and animated by Group TAC. The film, originally released in Japan on August 8, 1994, has...
. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called it "a punch-drunk, derivative Saturday-morning cartoon" that "saps every atom of magic from its source". Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
gave the anime a C+, calling it "oddly mediocre in a genre filled with utter crap."
Animeworld was kinder: "It does all the right things to try and be more than just action. Unfortunately, it is also sloppy and silly enough that it ends up being a failure from my standpoint, and unlikely any better for a fan of the game."
Despite the mixed response, the anime stands with a more favourable reception than the 2010 live-action film, which received a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.