Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2004
Directors: Naoki Kudo, Terry Ito
Writers: Izô Hashimoto, Naoki Kudo
Cast: Shinya Hashimoto, Sonim, Shirô Sano, Nicholas Pettas, Urara Awata

DVD Released: July 28th, 2009
Approximate Running Time: 99 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese, Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
DVD Release: Discotek / Eastern Star
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $24.95

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Synopsis: After an explosion destroys his home and nearly kills his wife. A professional wrestler reluctantly accepts to participate in a death match to help raise the money needed to help rebuild the dream home that he had built for his wife. Since the near fatal explosion she has slowly been transforming into a mermaid due to a virus she has been infected by.

The screenplay for Oh! My Zombie Mermaid was co-written by Izô Hashimoto (Evil Dead Trap 2), whose other notable screenplay credits include Akira, Sukeban Deka and Sukebandeka the Movie 2: Counter-Attack from the Kazama Sisters.

Visually Oh! My Zombie Mermaid is at its best during the film’s numerous actions pieces like the opening free for all at Kouta Shishioh’s home leading up to it exploding or the death match section of the film where Kouta takes on a rouge gallery of murderous villains (kind of like Bruce Lee’s Game of Death). Even though the action takes center stage for the bulk of the film that is not to say that the characters are not given to evolve. It is these in between moments where characters interact on a personal level in which the film is most surprising. Every heroic journey needs a villain and in this film it is in the form of a corrupt television producer who will do just about anything for ratings. This television producer is not the only obstacle in Kouta’s way as he tries to achieve his goals. Another wrestler named Ichijoh blames Kouta for his brother’s death which leads to him trying to bait Kouta into fighting him. Even though the title of this film makes reference to Zombie and Mermaid, both are regulated too background of the story. In fact the one area that is not exploited enough is Kouta’s wife Asami’s transformation into a mermaid. Ultimately Oh! My Zombie Mermaid is a highly entertaining mix of action and melodrama.

The DVD:

Eastern Star presents Oh! My Zombie Mermaid in an anamorphic widescreen that retains the film’s original aspect ratio. This transfer has been flagged for progressive playback. Colors look lucid and nicely saturated, black levels look solid and details look razor sharp throughout.

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese audio mix and a Dolby Digital Stereo Japanese audio mix. Both audio mixes sound crystal clear and robust. Removable English subtitles that are easy to follow and error free have been included.

Extras for this release include T.V. spots, a trailer and a special announcement for the film. Other extras include two behind the scene segments “Making of Explosion Scene” (7 minutes 22 seconds – in Japanese with English subtitles) and “Sonin’s Stunt Training” (2 minutes 59 seconds – in Japanese with English subtitles). The main extra included with this release is a segment titled “First Screening Talk” (14 minutes 7 seconds – in Japanese with English subtitles). This segment is essentially a Q&A with the cast and crew, in which they all make brief comments about the film before a screening of the film. Also included with this release are trailers for Sars Wars and The Happiness of the Katakuris. Overall this is another superb DVD release from Eastern Star.