HK: Forbidden Super Hero

Superhero films are hot property these days, but what happens when you mix the superhero myths with some Japanese exploitation? Well, the result is not entirely what you might have expected. Hentai Kamen (which very roughly translates to perverted mask/disguise) is more comedy than it is exploitation, forgoing cheap female nudity and horrible plot lines (think Iguchi's Oira Sukeban) for ... well, cheap male nudity and horrible plot lines, but delivered with a great sense of humor. In a sense, Hentai Kamen is a loving parody on the Sushi Typhoon style of film making.

The story of Hentai Kamen revolves around Kyosuke, a descendant of two of the biggest perverts ever to grace Japan. The problem is that Kyosuke seems to lack the family genes, until one day, completely by accident, he puts on a pair of used girl's underpants on his head. This triggers something inside Kyosuke, unleashing his true potential. Even after his transformation, Kyosuke doesn't consider himself a true perv though, so he uses his power to protect the nice people of Tokyo.

Now, where other directors would no doubt use this setup as an excuse for gratuitous nudity, Fukuda reverses expectations. Expect man butts, crotch attacks and lots of male nipple flicking. Kyosuke's tanned appearance (sporting stockings, girl panty masks and one of those horrible Borat-like swimsuits) is hilarious, but not exactly genre material. A great twist that makes the film a lot funnier.

HK Hentai Kamen never really escapes its low-budget background, with plenty of bad CG, bad acting and bored camera work to fill in the filler parts of the story, but all of that is quickly forgotten whenever Hentai Kamen appears, destroying the bad guys as he trots through Tokyo. It makes you wonder if this film is going to find a sizeable audience, though people with a little love for (and a little knowledge of) the Sushi Typhoon scene should be able to appreciate the clichés that are being demolished here.