The Island of Giant Insects Movie: A Dissection of a Flawed Yet Fascinating Anime Horror Experiment

The Island of Giant Insects (Kyochuu Rettou), a 2020 anime film directed by Takeo Takahashi and Naoyuki Tatsuwa, is a polarizing entry in the survival horror genre. Adapted from the first nine chapters of Yasutaka Fujimi’s manga, this 76-minute feature follows a group of high school students stranded on a mysterious island after a plane crash, only to discover it’s teeming with oversized, deadly insects. Anchored by the insect-savvy protagonist Oribe Mutsumi, the film attempts to blend survival horror, ecological terror, and anime tropes like ecchi fanservice, but its execution has sparked intense debate among viewers. This article dives deep into the film’s strengths, flaws, and unique place in anime horror, offering a fresh perspective on its chaotic ambition without resorting to promotional fluff.

A Premise Ripe with Potential

The film’s concept taps into primal fears: being stranded in an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by creatures that defy nature’s rules. Giant insects—ranging from blood-sucking butterflies to helicopter-sized dobsonflies—evoke a visceral dread, especially for those with entomophobia. The “Lost World” trope, harking back to 19th-century adventure fiction, gives the story a nostalgic foundation. At a time when satellite mapping has demystified much of the world, the idea of an undiscovered island near Japan feels delightfully anachronistic, setting the stage for a B-movie-style thrill ride. Mutsumi’s role as an entomologist-in-training adds a layer of intellectual intrigue, promising a survival narrative driven by knowledge and resourcefulness.

Yet, the film’s promise is undermined by its inability to fully commit to any one tone or genre. It oscillates between horror, comedy, and ecchi without mastering any, leaving viewers with a disjointed experience that’s equal parts fascinating and frustrating.

The Good: Mutsumi’s Moment and Insect Accuracy

One of the film’s standout elements is its protagonist, Oribe Mutsumi. Voiced by Momo Asakura (with Sarah Roach in the English dub), Mutsumi is a refreshing departure from typical anime heroines. Her deep knowledge of insects—down to identifying species like Papilio maackii (a Japanese butterfly) as the basis for the island’s blood-sucking monstrosities—grounds the film in a semblance of scientific curiosity. Her resourcefulness, such as using her understanding of insect behavior to outsmart predators, makes her a compelling leader, even if her lack of confidence occasionally undercuts her badassery. For instance, her strategy to defeat a giant fly by exploiting its biology is a rare moment where the film feels clever and purposeful.

The film also deserves credit for its entomological details. While the giant insects are exaggerated for horror, their behaviors and characteristics are rooted in real-world biology. The manga’s creators clearly did their homework, and the anime retains some of this fidelity, such as depicting how parasitoid wasps operate or how ticks latch onto hosts. For viewers interested in entomology, these nuggets provide an unexpected educational layer, even if the film doesn’t aim to be a classroom tool.

The Bad: A Litany of Logical and Technical Flaws

Unfortunately, The Island of Giant Insects stumbles in nearly every other aspect. The story is riddled with logical holes that strain credulity, even for a B-movie. The plane crash that strands the students is never shown or explained, leaving viewers to wonder how anyone survived, let alone woke up unscathed and scattered across the island. The survivors’ assumption that rescue will arrive in exactly three days is baffling, given their lack of communication devices and the island’s proximity to a known chain. Why would search teams take so long to check a nearby landmass? These gaps erode the stakes, making the survival narrative feel contrived.

The characters, aside from Mutsumi and a few others like the softball captain Ayumi and the class rep, are largely one-dimensional. Many exist solely to provide fanservice or to die in gruesome ways, with no depth or development. The self-appointed leader Atsushi and the manipulative Jinno are particularly grating, their selfish decisions—such as abandoning Mutsumi in a wasp nest or prioritizing personal agendas—defying basic group survival logic. The film’s attempt to make their stupidity a source of dark humor falls flat, as their actions often feel like lazy plot devices rather than organic character flaws.

Technically, the film is a mess. The animation, produced by Studio Passione, is subpar even by TV anime standards, with inconsistent character designs and laughably poor CGI for the insects. The bugs’ movements are fluid but poorly integrated with the 2D animation, making them look more comical than terrifying. One reviewer noted an instance where Mutsumi’s eyebrows were forgotten in a scene, highlighting the production’s carelessness. The soundtrack, which inexplicably includes an 80-second sequence of Mutsumi walking down a hallway to a generic rock riff, feels like padding and fails to enhance the mood. This scene, meant to portray her as a badass, instead becomes a meme-worthy moment of absurdity.

The Ecchi Elephant in the Room

Perhaps the most divisive element is the film’s heavy reliance on ecchi fanservice. Scenes of female characters stripping to check for ticks or engaging in suggestive behavior feel shoehorned in, clashing with the horror tone. The manga, known for its graphic guro (gore) content, is far more explicit, featuring parasitoid wasps laying eggs inside victims. The anime tones this down, likely to avoid crossing into hentai territory, but the result is an awkward middle ground that satisfies neither horror fans nor ecchi enthusiasts. The fanservice feels gratuitous, especially in moments like the tick-checking scene, where fist-sized parasites somehow necessitate full nudity. Some viewers find this campy charm endearing, arguing it adds personality to an otherwise bland film, but others see it as a cheap distraction from the lackluster plot.

A Missed Opportunity for Horror

The film’s biggest sin is its failure to be scary. Despite its grotesque premise, the shoddy animation and inconsistent tone undermine any sense of dread. The insects, meant to be terrifying, often come off as laughable due to poor CGI and exaggerated designs. Blood-sucking butterflies, for instance, are a creative choice, but their execution lacks menace. The film could have leaned into the psychological horror of being hunted by creatures that exploit human vulnerabilities, but instead, it prioritizes shock value and fanservice over atmosphere. Compared to other anime horror like Parasyte -the maxim- or even Highschool of the Dead (which it resembles in its survival setup), The Island of Giant Insects feels like a pale imitation.

The “So Bad It’s Good” Debate

A surprising number of reviews highlight the film’s unintentional comedy as its saving grace. Its sheer awfulness—sloppy animation, nonsensical plot, and over-the-top fanservice—makes it a candidate for “so bad it’s good” status. Some viewers find hilarity in moments like the hallway montage or the characters’ baffling decisions, likening it to cult classics like Mars of Destruction. However, this appeal is subjective; others argue that the film’s flaws are too infuriating to be endearing, especially when it wastes a promising premise. The English dub, crowdfunded via Kickstarter and featuring talents like Sarah Roach and Brittney Karbowski, adds some charm with its self-aware performances, but even this can’t salvage the experience for most.

Cultural and Genre Context

The Island of Giant Insects exists in a peculiar niche. It’s a throwback to exploitation films and grindhouse cinema, where shock value and low-budget aesthetics are part of the appeal. The manga’s guro roots align it with a subculture that revels in extreme horror, but the anime’s restraint dilutes this edge, making it feel like a compromise. Its release on Crunchyroll in January 2020, alongside a poorly edited 22-minute OVA, suggests a rushed production with limited resources. The mysterious Studio Red Ice, credited in some reviews, adds to the film’s enigmatic aura, though its connection to the actual production is unclear.

In the broader anime landscape, the film struggles to stand out. 2020 was a strong year for anime horror, with titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Dorohedoro offering more polished takes on the genre. The Island of Giant Insects feels like an artifact from an earlier era of anime, where OVAs like MD Geist embraced their own mediocrity. Yet, its attempt to merge entomological horror with anime tropes is undeniably unique, even if it doesn’t fully succeed.

What’s Next? The Unresolved Cliffhanger

The film ends on an abrupt note, with Mutsumi leading the survivors to a supposed safe haven and a post-credits scene hinting at other inhabitants on the island. This sets up the manga’s sequel, The Even Bigger Island of Giant Insects, but the anime leaves viewers with no resolution. The suggestion of a laboratory or clinic on the island implies a scientific explanation for the insects’ size—perhaps genetic experimentation gone awry—but the film doesn’t explore this, leaving audiences curious but unsatisfied. For those intrigued enough to continue, the manga offers a gorier, more explicit continuation, though it’s not for the faint of heart.

Final Verdict: A Flawed Curiosity

The Island of Giant Insects is a fascinating failure. Its premise and Mutsumi’s character offer glimpses of brilliance, but shoddy execution, tonal inconsistency, and gratuitous fanservice prevent it from reaching its potential. It’s neither scary enough to be effective horror nor campy enough to be a true cult classic. Yet, its sheer audacity—combining entomological detail with B-movie schlock—makes it a compelling watch for those who enjoy dissecting flawed art. If you’re a fan of anime horror or “so bad it’s good” experiences, it might be worth a look, but don’t expect a masterpiece. For better insect-themed horror, try Parasyte or even the classic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. For now, The Island of Giant Insects remains a curious footnote in anime’s vast library, memorable for its ambition if not its execution.

Rating: 4/10
A bold but deeply flawed experiment that’s equal parts intriguing and infuriating, best enjoyed with low expectations and a sense of humor.