"Hells" is a 2008 anime film by Studio Madhouse, based on a manga called "Hells Angels." One of the most interesting things is that I had never heard of it, until Discotek announced an American license that would release in 2018 (for the first time in English). I consider myself a hardcore animation fan, and I am usually aware of anime feature films, typically coming across it in Wikipedia pages from existing studios or artists. That this little gem would go unnoticed for so long is something of a miracle.But even though Madhouse, a well known studio (especially in 2008) was behind it, "Hells" feels very much like a independent advant-garde project that wouldn't be commercially successful. In fact, the visuals and animation feel very much like something Studio Gainax might have made (or more recently, Studio Trigger). It immediately feels like "FLCL" or "Kill la Kill." Or even more like "Dead Leaves," another Gainax-esque film (actually prepared by Production I.G.). This can be both a blessing and a curse: "Hells" looks visually distinctive, with impressive and varied character designs, but it's animation quality can vary wildly from skillful and ambitious to shoddy. While I like the "quickly-sketched-in-pencil" inking style, it won't be for everyone. It's as if Madhouse ended up with six months and a surplus of $100,000 with no projects to spend it on, so they whipped up what they could with those limitations and freedoms. Not to mention, some of those character designs are a bit out-there, for better or for worse. Set in Hell, the ruler of the underworld is a giant red demon named "Hellvis," an Elvis-rip-off with a open white suit, stylish hair and sunglasses, and hairy nipples that curl to match the horns on his head. Being mostly from a female character's perspective, the boys in the film are deceptively handsome, while most of the girls are tall, muscular, and almost entirely nude with well-stcked chests (if a male viewer doesn't mind werewolves and witches, they'll find plenty to like). "Hells" wears its offensive intentions on its sleave, and that's part of the fun. It might not be for everyone, but if you were interested in watching a film called "Hells," what were you expecting?How exactly does the protagonist end up in Hell? On her way to school, bright-spirited Rinne rescues a stray cat from a traffic accident, only to get hit by a truck seconds later. Thinking she's still running to her new school, she realizes from the dark sky and monsterous-looking classmates (although she notices a bit late) that she is in Hell. But unlike the others, she can still bleed, and still seems to retain her normal body. Is it possible that she's still alive, and can she return back to her mother among the living? The 2-hour story pulls a bunch of plot twists that feel appropriate for a 5-6 episode OVA series, ultimately tasking Rinne with saving the world, and with several direct ties to the bible, Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. 
The fast-paced story is a bit too loose to win any awards for writing. The first third of the movie in particular is difficult to fully appreciate; the world-building and exposition does not do a great job in introducing us to this version of Hell. But the in-depth references (and artistic license) of existing literature and bible stories makes the story seem a bit smarter than it ought to be, and the adventure ties up nicely by the end. "Hells" is really a story about mankind and its weaknesses, and has a powerful message for everyone to overcome those problems for the sake of each other. Even if it literally winds down to a shouting match ("anime"), that emotional core is still effective, making me enjoy the movie beyond it's wild sense of humor.Aside from the unusual story and art style, the English dub features TeamFourStar. It was a bold move by Discotek: TeamFourStar is a team of talented anime-parody actors on the Internet, famous for the "abridged" series of anime like "DragonBall Z" and "Hellsing Ultimate." To my knowledge, this is their first professional (and presumably, first paid) job in anime. Fans shouldn't be too excited: naturally, the team had to try to write the English script to mostly match the original intent, and they were unable to edit lip-flaps liberally to fit in anything they wanted. In fact, while most of the cast and acting directors are fresh in the business, they were all listed by name, and the "TeamFourStar" brand is nowhere in the credits. There ARE a couple scenes where a quick and clever jokes that feel like the online videos, but these stand out sharply against the otherwise average script. Regardless, the English dub is surprisingly decent, even if it is a bit average, and even though the audio mixing isn't quite what I'm used to hearing. I'm happy I saw "Hells" and happy to have a copy in my collection. It's a miracle we got it at all (and a miracle an English dub was ever made), which makes me hopeful we'll continue to get other lost gems from history. There are several I have in mind, but I wonder if there are still others I don't know about yet...