reject the melancholy cabbage

Pictured above: the three major attractions of K-20: The Fiend With Twenty Faces: Legend of the Mask: A Perfect Movie Made By Perfect People. 

The basic premise is that Kogoro Akechi (basically like Japanese Sherlock Holmes) is hot on the pursuit of the Fiend With Twenty Faces (Moriarty) who is played by Chairman Fucking Kaga. Chairman Kaga (who I should warn you only has a bit part) decides that he’s going to frame Kaneshiro Takeshi (top), a harmless circus acrobat. Superhero origin story ensues. It is an absolutely ideal distillation of everything that is beautiful about superhero movies. In addition, we have one of my favorite Master Detective iterations ever, played by Nakamura Toru (bottom left). Then we have Hashiba Yoko, played by Matsu Takako (bottom right) who is a “modest girl from a good family” and who can fly a plane, organize a soup kitchen in under three hours, and be the character in a Communist musical who realizes that the class system is inherently oppressive and rises up singing songs to tractors all the time.

I’m requesting this for Yuletide. Because it’s perfect. Tumblr, please go out and watch it.