The Empire of Corpses

Set in a smoky, gearwork version of 19th century Europe, the tale follows John H. Watson as he is recruited by a weary government to operate in the shadows. In this world, the industrial machine lives side by side with a troubling army of restored corpses called Frankensteins, reanimated for labor with counterfeit souls. Watson hunts secrets, espionage, and danger while navigating a web of political schemes that threaten to unleash even deadlier forces. Watson’s missions pull him through a maze of loyalties and betrayals, and the moral weight of using living minds as tools presses on him. Identity, memory, and loyalty are pushed to the limit in the name of progress.

Directed by Ryotaro Makihara, this 2015 anime adapts Project Itoh's Empire of Corpses, turning its grim Victorian premise into a tense horror thriller. Yoshimasa Hosoya voices John H. Watson and Ayumu Murase voices Friday, with Akio Otsuka as M and Taiten Kusunoki as The One.

Box office data for this film are not widely reported, suggesting a modest release footprint outside Japan, nor were there widely publicized grosses to indicate blockbuster performance. It played primarily in festival circuits and select international venues, appealing to fans of dark sci fi and anime horror.

Critical reaction sits in the mid range, with viewers divided by its heavy atmosphere and hybrid genre blend. The film wrestles with ethics of reviving corpses for labor, questions of identity and autonomy, and the cost of progress in a world where memory and mind can be manufactured. Some reviewers praise the visuals and pacing, while others feel the plot folds under its own ambition.

Among niche anime horror fans it has a loyal following and is praised for its striking visuals and eerie setting, though its influence beyond that circle remains limited. The film's moody atmosphere and the Frankenstein like premise invite discussion about what counts as life and what constitutes personhood, topics that pop up in other steampunk thrillers.