I Watched "As the Gods Will" and I’m Still Shook

I went into As the Gods Will with zero expectations. I had seen the poster with the red Daruma doll and figured it would be another weird but fun Japanese film. What I did not expect was to be thrown straight into a murder game within the first five minutes. The movie wastes no time. It starts with a teacher’s head exploding in the middle of a classroom and only escalates from there.

There is no time for exposition or backstory. One moment the students are bored in class, and the next they are being forced to play a twisted version of Red Light, Green Light with a giant Daruma doll that literally kills anyone who moves. The sheer randomness of it makes it even more disturbing. You do not get to prepare for what happens. It just starts.

What really hit me was how calm the students were for the first few seconds. You could feel the confusion build until the first death happens, and suddenly everything turns chaotic. The director, Takashi Miike, has always had a knack for shocking visuals, but this scene sets the bar high for what follows. The tone is violent, unpredictable, and oddly playful. It is both surreal and terrifying, like a bad dream that keeps getting worse.

Looking back, I think the opening worked because it didn’t try to explain anything. It just forced you to experience the panic. And that’s the scariest part — not understanding why it’s happening. The horror isn't just in the blood. It's in the idea that your normal day can end in absolute chaos without warning. That was enough to get me hooked and also freaked out.

📚 Table of Contents

1. My Honest "As the Gods Will" Movie Review 2. The Scene That Made Me Freeze Mid-Bite 3. The Cat God Scene Left Me Weirdly Uneasy 4. I Googled the Ending Right After It Ended 5. So This Is Based on a Manga and I Had No Idea 6. This Lead Actor Might Be Too Good at Panic 7. If You Liked Battle Royale You’ll Love This Too 8. This Is Not Just Gore It’s About Choices Too 9. Common Questions About "As the Gods Will" 10. So Should You Watch It or Just Read the Manga?

My Honest "As the Gods Will" Movie Review

Now that I’ve had a few hours to sit with it, I can say As the Gods Will is one of the strangest movies I’ve watched in a while. It is not your usual slasher or supernatural horror. It feels like a twisted game show mixed with high school anxiety and absurdity. As a movie, it’s uneven, over the top, and completely unpredictable—but also unforgettable. And maybe that’s why I kind of liked it.

Let’s talk about the structure. This movie is based on a manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akeji Fujimura, and you can tell. Each death game feels like a new “boss fight,” escalating in absurdity and violence. You never really get a breather between scenes. Once one game ends, the survivors are thrown into another bizarre situation, each more deranged than the last. The pacing is relentless.

The film’s biggest strength is how it commits to the insanity. From Daruma to a giant Maneki-neko to a creepy Kokeshi doll, every new challenge feels fresh and disturbing in its own way. The visuals are impressive, especially considering this came out in 2014. While some effects look cartoonish, it works with the overall surreal vibe. Miike is known for taking risks with visuals, and this one feels like he had fun with it.

Still, not everything landed. Some characters feel flat or underdeveloped, and there are moments where the humor doesn’t quite fit the mood. But I think the chaos is part of the appeal. It doesn’t try to be polished. It feels like a live wire, crackling with energy and danger. If you’re looking for logic or answers, you won’t find them here. But if you want to feel unsettled in the weirdest way, this delivers.

The Scene That Made Me Freeze Mid-Bite

I usually snack when I watch movies, especially ones I stream at home. Halfway through As the Gods Will, I stopped chewing. I was eating chips during one of the death games, and there was this moment—no spoilers, but let’s just say it involved heads popping in sync with a song—that made me physically put the bag down. It was that nasty and also kind of catchy, which made it even worse.

The film doesn’t hold back when it comes to gore. But it’s not gore for gore’s sake. There’s a rhythm to it. The editing in this scene, for example, was almost musical. The visuals and the sound lined up in a way that made it feel like a deadly dance routine. That’s probably what disturbed me most. The contrast between the childish rules of the game and the horrifying results makes it impossible to look away.

This particular scene made me think of other Japanese death game films like Battle Royale or even Tag by Sion Sono. But there’s something more cartoonishly cruel here. It plays with bright colors and upbeat music while people are dying horribly. That kind of dissonance leaves a bigger impression than pure gore. It’s not just the violence. It’s the emotional whiplash that stays with you.

👉 FUN FACT: The original manga version of this scene is just as brutal but less stylized. Takashi Miike added those musical beats and visual cues to create a rhythm, which isn’t in the manga at all. It’s a Miike signature move. He likes to turn chaos into performance, and it shows here in the most disturbing way possible.

The Cat God Scene Left Me Weirdly Uneasy

Just when I thought the Daruma doll was the peak of horror, the movie threw in a giant cat. At first, I thought it was going to be funny. A big Maneki-neko with a jingle and a box of yarn? Seemed harmless. But this scene turned out to be even more stressful than the first. Something about the way the cat smiled while people got crushed made my skin crawl.

This section of the film was set up like a game of tag, but with deadly consequences if you dropped or failed to roll the yarn ball. The pacing felt slower here, but the tension was stronger. There’s a moment where one of the characters almost gives up, and it reminded me how fragile these students actually are. The movie rarely lets them show fear for long, but when it does, it hits harder.

The cat god scene plays on a different type of fear. Not just physical danger, but the fear of being watched, judged, and toyed with. The Maneki-neko claps and sings like it’s part of a variety show, but it kills without emotion. That contrast between its cheerful face and deadly intent made the whole thing feel like a nightmare I didn’t want to finish.

By this point in the movie, I realized I wasn’t just watching a horror film. I was watching a test. Every game in the movie seems to strip away more of the students’ humanity. They either adapt or die, and the games aren’t fair. That is what stayed with me long after this scene ended. It wasn’t the blood. It was the idea that someone... or something... was enjoying it.

I Googled the Ending Right After It Ended

As soon as the credits rolled, I opened my laptop and searched: “As the Gods Will ending explained.” I wasn’t even trying to be dramatic. I genuinely had no idea what that last scene meant. It ends in a way that doesn’t feel like an ending. There’s a giant cube. A floating god. A weird smile. And then... nothing. No closure. No answers. Just confusion.

Turns out, the movie only covers the first part of the manga. There’s a whole second arc that wasn’t included in the film. According to fans on Reddit and manga review sites like MyAnimeList, the manga continues the story with new games, characters, and more explanation about the gods behind the chaos. So what we saw in the movie was just the beginning.

Knowing this helps a little, but it also makes the movie feel incomplete. If you didn’t know about the manga, the ending feels like a huge letdown. It builds and builds and then just... stops. I don’t mind open endings, but this one felt like it cut off mid-sentence. That said, I get why it ended there. Maybe they were hoping for a sequel. Maybe it was meant to mess with us.

If you're planning to watch this and want closure, be warned. You won’t get much. But if you treat it like part one of a bigger story, it makes a bit more sense. Still, even with that context, I think the ending could have landed better. Or at least given us a few more clues. I’m not mad at it. Just still scratching my head.

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So This Is Based on a Manga and I Had No Idea

Halfway through the movie, I had this strange feeling that there was more going on than what the film was showing. After watching it, I found out that As the Gods Will is actually based on a manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Akeji Fujimura. The movie adapts the first arc of the manga, known as Kamisama no Iutoori, which ran from 2011 to 2012. There’s even a sequel manga titled Kamisama no Iutoori Ni that continues the story beyond what we see in the film.

The adaptation covers the basic structure of the manga’s early chapters but takes a few creative liberties. Some scenes are rearranged, certain characters are merged or omitted, and the tone is a little more comedic in places. Takashi Miike is known for blending absurdity with horror, and he leans into that here. The manga, on the other hand, feels darker and more psychological at times. It explores the characters’ backstories and motivations more deeply, which the film glosses over.

Fans of the manga have mixed feelings about the adaptation. Some appreciated the stylized violence and fast pacing, while others felt it left too much out. I get it now. Watching the movie without manga context makes it feel incomplete. But knowing that there’s a larger source material out there makes me want to read it. I’m curious to see how these death games evolve and if we ever learn the real purpose behind them.

👉 FUN FACT: The manga’s authors reportedly modeled some of the games after traditional Japanese children’s activities, then twisted them into horror versions. That’s probably why the games feel oddly familiar but terrifying at the same time. Red Light, Green Light, for example, becomes a massacre. It is one of the most unsettling parts of how this story plays with innocence.

This Lead Actor Might Be Too Good at Panic

I have to talk about Kamiki Ryunosuke. He plays the main character, Shun Takahata, and his performance honestly surprised me. He has this way of reacting that feels extremely grounded, even when the story is anything but. He doesn’t just scream or flail around. His eyes widen just enough. His breathing changes. He freezes in place like an actual teenager would if they saw their classmates being murdered by a Daruma doll.

I later found out that Kamiki is actually pretty well-known in Japan. He was in The Kirishima Thing and did voice work for Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. So he’s not new to dramatic roles. But here, he sells the fear and confusion without turning it into melodrama. In a movie that often leans into chaos, his quiet panic keeps it grounded. You believe that he’s barely keeping it together.

The other cast members were decent, too, but Kamiki stood out. There’s a moment where he tries to act normal even after surviving one of the games. His friend talks to him, and he responds like everything’s fine. But his hand is trembling. It’s so subtle that you might miss it. That kind of detail shows that Kamiki didn’t just memorize his lines. He thought about how trauma actually works.

It makes me wish the movie had more quiet moments like that. With all the flashiness and fast pacing, some of the character development got buried. But thanks to actors like Kamiki, a few genuine moments still cut through. It made me care about Shun more than I expected to. And in a film where characters drop like flies, that’s a rare thing.

If You Liked Battle Royale You’ll Love This Too

Watching As the Gods Will reminded me a lot of Battle Royale. Both movies throw students into violent games with life-or-death stakes. But where Battle Royale is gritty and grounded in military control, As the Gods Will leans hard into supernatural chaos. Still, if you enjoyed the tension and unpredictability of one, you’ll likely get pulled into the other.

Here’s how the two compare on key points:

➡️ Tone: Battle Royale is serious, political, and bleak. As the Gods Will is surreal, colorful, and weirdly playful.

➡️ Structure: Battle Royale focuses on one game across the whole story. As the Gods Will has multiple rounds with different bizarre rules.

➡️ Villains: Battle Royale has a clear antagonist in the adults running the show. As the Gods Will leaves the gods mysterious and detached.

➡️ Violence: Both are graphic, but As the Gods Will adds absurd humor, making the deaths feel strange instead of just tragic.

Battle Royale was adapted from a novel by Koushun Takami and directed by Kinji Fukasaku. It has a strong cult following and is often cited as one of the most influential films in the death game genre. It paved the way for stories like The Hunger Games and, more recently, shows like Alice in Borderland. As the Gods Will doesn’t try to copy it, but you can feel the genre overlap.

The difference is in how each story chooses to disturb you. One shows the cruelty of systems. The other shows the randomness of fate. Both stick with you, but for different reasons. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but they definitely belong in the same strange shelf of unforgettable school-based nightmares.

This Is Not Just Gore It’s About Choices Too

It’s easy to watch this movie and think it’s just a parade of bloody deaths. But after thinking about it, I realized As the Gods Will is actually obsessed with the idea of choice. The games aren’t just for show. They’re puzzles, and how you respond says something about who you are. Most characters aren’t punished for being slow. They’re punished for thinking the game is a joke or assuming the rules don’t matter.

The movie asks a simple but brutal question: What would you do? Would you freeze out of fear? Would you follow the rules even when they don’t make sense? Would you sacrifice someone else to live? These aren’t easy choices, and the students don’t always get them right. That makes it more interesting than a simple survival horror film.

Shun, the main character, keeps looking for meaning. He wants to believe there’s a reason he’s being tested. That hope is what keeps him from snapping. Other characters give up or give in to the madness. Some try to cheat. Some try to help each other. The randomness of the outcomes makes it even more frustrating. You can do everything right and still die. That hits hard.

It reminded me of a quote I once read in a review about Cube, another death game film: “You’re not being punished. You’re being observed.” That’s what As the Gods Will feels like. The gods watching aren’t judging by morality. They’re judging by reaction. That’s way more chilling than any knife or trap.

Common Questions About "As the Gods Will"

➡️ Is As the Gods Will based on a true story?

No. It is entirely fictional and based on the manga series Kamisama no Iutoori by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Akeji Fujimura.

➡️ What is the meaning of the Daruma doll?

In Japanese culture, Daruma dolls symbolize perseverance and goal-setting. In the movie, it becomes a twisted version of that concept where failing results in death.

➡️ Is there a part two of the movie?

As of now, there is no confirmed sequel film. However, the manga continues the story in Kamisama no Iutoori Ni, which has not been adapted yet.

➡️ Why did the students play the game?

The students were forced into the games without explanation. The gods seem to treat the events as entertainment or trials, but the exact reason is left mysterious.

➡️ Is As the Gods Will available on streaming sites?

In Japan, it was released in theaters in 2014. As of January 2015, it is not officially on Netflix or other international platforms, but that may change over time.

So Should You Watch It or Just Read the Manga?

If you’re curious about As the Gods Will, I’d say go for the movie first. It’s wild, messy, and weirdly entertaining. It also doesn’t require any prior reading to enjoy, even if the ending feels incomplete. The film is packed with visual flair, chaotic energy, and unforgettable moments. Just don’t expect neat storytelling or deep character arcs.

For those who want more depth or explanation, the manga is your best bet. It continues far beyond where the movie stops and dives deeper into the gods, the meaning behind the games, and the psychological toll on the characters. I’ve only read summaries so far, but I’m planning to read it properly soon. If the movie left you hanging, the manga fills in the gaps.

This film is not for everyone. If you hate unanswered questions or surreal plotlines, you might walk away frustrated. But if you enjoy visual mayhem, dark humor, and stories that leave you unsettled, it’s definitely worth a watch. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it sticks with you, and that counts for something.

Have you seen As the Gods Will? Did it confuse you as much as it did me? Let me know what you think. And if you have manga recommendations that are just as bizarre, I’m all ears. This rabbit hole just got deeper.

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