An amusing parody of Japanese corporate warriors, caught up in civil upheaval in the developing country where their parent companies have business interests. Initially unfolding on a one-dimensional, comic book level, the fable takes on nuances and gels as successful satire. Made in Japan explores in lampoon fashion the influences that first world businesses have (or fail to have) upon the internal structure of their third world host countries.

Because it keeps the frivolous tone, the underlying message remains more available. Made in 1993 and finally being released in the US, its subject has not surprisingly become more timely with every passing year. Some things seem a little dated, in view of how fast the globe is shrinking and how quickly technology becomes obsolete. For instance, the local bureaucrat's interest in the personal computer brought to the fictional country of Talckistan by Takahashi to make his presentation, on a brief weekend trip. The PC now seems cumbersome and unwieldy compared to the newest sleek laptops. Real-life recent events and scandals have further tarnished the standing of establishment big business. The skeptical eye with which good corporate citizens might now view their employers is foreshadowed in Made in Japan.

Nevertheless, that these workers somewhat naively travel to unstable locales doesn't really matter. Their task is to get the contract from the latest coup government to build bridges for tank transport. When an agitated resident shouts that they should be helping them build wells for clean water, Nakaido, who has been there the longest, pretends not to understand him. Later he defensively remarks that he prefers building military bridges to selling arms like the Americans. When they are literally caught in the crossfire and wave business cards in the air to prove that they are off limits as targets to rebel and army bullets alike, it is clear this is played for laughs, albeit caustic ones. Among the four men, there are varying degrees of company loyalty, self-interest, and courage, but none is above having an agenda of his own. Surrounded by flying ammunition and cartoon-graphic slaughter on both sides, they gain a battlefield understanding of a sort.

After some ludicrous escapes, they are taken by the rebels and then attempt to rescue Nakaido, who has been arrested as a spy. For this they use the only weapon with which they are familiar: their engineering skill and business acuity. Director Yojiro Takita, who previously targeted his native culture in Comic Magazine and The Yen Family, does so again in very entertaining style. The violence is graphic but not prolonged or glamorous. His business-suited anti-heroes lost in the jungle have an everyman appeal.

Henry Sanada as Takahashi	Tsutomu Yamazaki as Nakaido
Ittoku Kishibe as Tomita	Kyusaku Shimada as Masumoto
Director : Yohjiro Takita