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Poster for 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End

20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End

Seen it?

2008 | 142 min | Science Fiction, Adventure, Mystery

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz and soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing, sci-fi fans and adventure fans. If you loved Total Recall, start here.
The mood
Tense.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 22 min.
What might put you off
It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

In 1969, Kenji, an elementary school kid and his friends built a secret base during their summer holidays. They fantasized that they had to fight villains who were out to conquer the world and wrote them in the Book of Prophecies. Years later in 1997, Kenji becomes a convenience store manager and leads a regular life after giving up his dreams to become a rock star. His boring life is suddenly turned upside down when his old classmate dies mysteriously and an entire family in the neighbourhood disappears. At the same time, a religious cult and its mysterious leader, Friend emerges and a strange chain of events duplicating exactly the events described in the Book of Prophecies follow. Is this the beginning of the end of the world? Who is Friend?

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.7 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $31 million worldwide on a $20 million budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi

  • Toshiaki KarasawaKenji Endô
  • Takako TokiwaYukiji
  • Teruyuki KagawaYoshitsune
  • Hidehiko IshizukaMaruo
  • Takashi UkajiMon-chan
  • Hiroyuki MiyasakoKeroyon
  • Katsuhisa NamaseDonkey
  • Fumiyo KohinataYamane
  • Kuranosuke SasakiFukubê
  • Shiro SanoYan-bô