Dead Leaves

This article is about the Japanese anime film. For other uses, see Dead Leaves (disambiguation).

Dead Leaves
North American DVD Cover featuring Pandy (left) and Retro (right)
Directed by	Hiroyuki Imaishi
Screenplay by	Takeichi Honda
Produced by	Katsuji Morishita Kaoru Mfaume
Starring	Takako Honda Kappei Yamaguchi Yūko Mizutani
Cinematography	Makoto Kogawa
Edited by	Junichi Uematsu
Music by	Yoshihiro Ike
Production companies	Production I.G Manga Entertainment
Distributed by	Shochiku
Release date	January 17, 2004 (2004-01-17)
Running time	52 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Dead Leaves is a 2004 Japanese animated science fiction film produced by Manga Entertainment and Production I.G and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi. It was distributed in Japan by Shochiku, in North America, Canada and the U.K. by Manga Entertainment, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The film is notable for its fast pace and energetic visual style.

Synopsis

The time is the future, and a naked man and woman stand in the middle of a vast wilderness. They didn't remember each other or their names. A huge city can be seen in the distance. All the people there had the same face. People suddenly blown away. Inside that roar were PANDY and RETRO, fully armed.

Steal the car and run away in all directions!

Cops chasing, a fierce car chase!! However, they are caught and the two are sent to prison.

That prison was "DEAD LEAVES" on the moon, from which they could never leave.

So what exactly awaits them...?

Plot

In a dystopian Earth, Retro, and Pandy, two unlikely renegades, awaken naked with no memory of their former lives, but with superior physical abilities. The two embark on a brief but devastating crime spree for food, clothing, and transportation in downtown Tokyo, but are arrested and sent to the notorious prison Dead Leaves, on the half-destroyed Moon.

Once incarcerated, Retro and Pandy are subjected to activities inside the prison facility, such as forced labor, straitjackets, and mandatory defecation. The facility is led by a warden named Galactica, while the prison guards, 666 and 777, two super-powered prison guards, oversee the activities.

Later, upon realizing Dead Leaves is also a cloning facility, Retro and Pandy have sex and orchestrate a mass prison break. The two later recall further memories as spies who once worked at the facility. To exact revenge on Pandy, Galactica re-creates a deranged fairy tale she remembers from her childhood.

While fighting Galactica, Pandy gives birth to Retro's mutant child, who comes out with a pair of machine guns and kills Galactica. Even so, Galactica absorbs 666 and 777 and transforms into a giant caterpillar. However, the mutant baby enters the caterpillar's body and destroys it along with the station. Pandy and Retro flee the station and eventually crash-land on Earth.

Characters

Main characters

Retro (レトロ, Retoro)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Jaxon Lee (English)

Retro has no real memory of his former life but doesn't seem to care. He is convinced that he was either a Yakuza gang member or a ninja hitman, due in large measure to his considerable martial skills and innate ability to wreak havoc with all weapons. Because of his Yakuza-like behavior, Retro is very impulsive and violent, which usually gets those around him killed.

Retro has a TV for a head; his original human appearance is shown only in Pandy's flashbacks, having a mop of hair that covers his eyes.

Pandy (パンディー, Pandī)

Voiced by: Takako Honda (Japanese); Amanda Winn-Lee (English)

The heroine, Pandy (so-called because of her panda-like mutated mark), seems to have some special connection with the prison warden, Galactica. Though ignorant of her past, something about her mutated eye causes her to experience bizarre flashbacks and strange, debilitating precognitive episodes. She is very strong at hand-to-hand combat and excellent at using firearms. Though often annoyed by Retro's antics she does show that she cares for him, like when she angrily attacked Galactica for ripping off Retro's head.

Offspring

Voiced by: ? (Japanese); Hal Lublin (English)

The result of Retro and Pandy having sex in prison, their child is born near the end of the story. Being Pandy's child he too has a mutant gene cluster which gives him extraordinary powers and causes his eyes to be different colors, like hers. Though only being alive for a few minutes, and already having aged from baby to old man, he shows he cares for his parents by sacrificing himself to save their lives. The first and only word he says is "papa", which he says when he takes one last look at Retro.

Prison workers

Galactica (ギャラクティカ, Gyarakutika)

Voiced by: Yuko Mizutani (Japanese); Kerry Anderson (English)

The mysterious and tyrannical warden of Dead Leaves prison. Galactica is in charge of the cloning and genetic engineering experiments that have created an unholy menagerie of deformed and infinitely expendable inmates. Something of a cyborg, Galactica has an arsenal of weapons and sinister devices at her disposal built into her body. She doesn't do much per se, save for goading Pandy and finally succeeding when she decapitates Retro (who survives despite the lack of a body, a trait shared by 666 and 777).

666 (スリーシックス, Surīshikkusu)

Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata (Japanese); Chad Fifer (English)

Product of the Dead Leaves bio-weapons experiments, 666 (three-six, or referred to as "Triple Six" in the English dub) is a tall, skinny character who moves at high velocity when confronted with a challenge. His primary weapons are two long blades attached to his arms.

777 (スリーセブン, Surīsebun)

Voiced by: Kiyoyuki Yanada (Japanese); Jason C. Miller (English)

777 (three-seven, or referred to as "Triple Seven" in the English dub) is also a product of the Dead Leaves experiments and the bulky, powerful counterpart of 666. Says a quick prayer before going into battle, something 666 admonishes him for, stating it's a little late for that. Tends to prefer his brute strength and the wide assortment of guns he has at his disposal within his body.

Inmates

Dick Drill (ちんこドリル, Chinko Doriru)

Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita (Japanese); Keith Burgess (English)

An easily identifiable character with a drill for his penis, similar to the main character from the film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. He is one of the most helpful and loyal followers picked up by Retro and Pandy during their attempted escape and seems to be sexually attracted to Retro. Later brutally killed by 777 while trying to defend Retro from him.

Quack (ヤブ医者, Yabu-isha)

Voiced by: Wataru Takagi (Japanese); Douglas Rye (English)

A curiously knowledgeable inmate when it comes to prison affairs. He too aids in the jailbreak. He used to be a doctor but was sent to Dead Leaves when one of his patients died. Later gets cut into a paste by 666.

Sergeant (軍曹, Gunsō)

Voiced by: Masami Iwasaki (Japanese); Stephen Kruiser (English)

Appears later in the movie, and takes command of the tank stolen from the Armory. He seems to be a leader of sorts as the other prisoners attempt to avenge his death.

External links

• Dead Leaves page on Production I.G website
• Dead Leaves (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Dead Leaves at IMDb