Saw this due to my "Babadook" review and my subsequent search for allegorical horror. This is not a horror film. You can't fit it into any neat box, but it's a mixed media (live action + anime Roger Rabbit style), dark comedy / political drama.

It's hard to tell what the movie is trying to say. After watching I searched around and the official take is:
 

Director Yoshida has stated that the film is "about Japan" and that the "concept of a 'hated' species is like the racial and cultural enmity with which Japan is perceived".[2] In his New York Times review, Vincent Canby wrote: "The publicity material for Twilight of the Cockroaches describes the film as an allegory about the fate in store for affluent Japan if it doesn't meet its international responsibilities. The film may read that way in Japan. In this country, it looks somewhat darker and more muddled".[3]

IcaReviews (Dissident Right critic on ZR) says the roaches are (((subversives.))) But I disagree with that take. It's clear that if anything, the humans represent the (((American empire.))) There's two tribes of cockroaches, and the love interest of the other tribe is called Hans. They are militaristic and even get in a ww2 model tank in one scene. Then they talk about racial purity and Conservative values throughout as well. So the subtext is undeniable, it's the conclusions that are hard to decipher.
  

A random site I found, MoeSucks.com, had the best breakdown. Showing the mixed messages throughout. And pointing out how the far right in Japan are revisionists critical of their origin story which can be seen in "Attack on Titan" too. Because it's revealed in the climax of the film that the leader of the peaceful roach city founded his nation on lies. The old roaches were constantly telling the degenerate and hedonistic young roaches to be careful because an attack could come at any time. They were frequently ignored and everyone had a false sense of security trusting the human that provided for them. Then finally the degenerates got their comeuppance and the old roaches said "tolja so" and reveal that the peace treaty was never established and the humans should never be trusted.

In other words, the far right Japanese nationalists are saying they need to not rely on the ostensible kindness of the American empire and be self sufficient. As for the racial purity thing and the weird hapa baby love triangle with the German roach, I think it's the writers' "shouganai" conclusion. Because as the MoeSucks guy brings up, the Japanese far right are often hypocritical. This always irks me. Because I have a fairly "based" view on WW1 and WW2 but no matter how many red pills I take, you can't convince me that Japan's hand was forced. We do embargoes and that's enough to justify Pearl Harbor? Gimme a break.

I used to live in Japan and I remember them teaching this victim mentality in the schools. Reading stories about the starving zoo animals during the war. Or at the Hiroshima museum they have an anti-nuke peace treaty map at the end showing how many other nations refuse to sign it. Implying Japan is doing its part but no one else. And nowhere do they talk about how they were super jingoistic and kamikaze bombed us. No culpability at all???
 

On one hand, it was very encouraging to see such a proud nation teaching positive history unlike the ethno-masochistic American public school system. But c'mon don't portray yourselves as innocent victims. Nigga, you started it! The atom bomb is very inhumane and many say it was unnecessary and used as a warning to the USSR. I get it. But even if we went around curb stomping babies, at the end of the day, they started the war. (Nevermind bankers and stuff behind the scenes, I'm talking about the official story told by the Japanese government at the time.) However, I will be the first to criticize American foreign policy when it comes to Vietnam and the Gulf of Tonkin false flag, or the 9/11 inside job. Because we are curb stomping babies in countries that were completely unrelated. We leave Saudi Arabia and Israel untouched. Movies that demonize American soldiers in that context, fair enough. Here? C'mon...

But I digress. The rest of the messaging from the film I agree with– assuming I interpreted it correctly. And so it may seem contradictory, but I think it's an acceptance of fate conclusion. They aren't trying to justify the human invasion, they are trying to see the silver lining. That atrocity is necessary for building a stronger species. And I guess this is why they are okay with a German literally cucking a Japanese guy as a main plot point? Survival of the fittest? I donno...

But the director talking about how Japan is a hated species does not resonate whatsoever. (Again, that victim mentality.) Maybe because it's an 80's film and around that time there was a big fear of Japan taking over the world because they were buying up all sorts of real estate and dominating the auto industry. They were the bad guys in a lot of films around then. But I have never met a racist who genuinely hates Japanese. They are too polite and are a tiny percentage of immigrants. Everyone loves Japan. Only people who lived during WW2 feel otherwise. Which makes sense if Hiroaki Yoshida was born in 1949. And seeing how the bubble economy popped right as the film was released, his message to Japanese youth was right. I want to see his other films "Iron Maze" (1991)  and "The Last Bullet" (1995) to get a better feel for his style and perspective.

Hard to say. Watch it and lemme' know your interpretation. Since I love animation & unique art, and because the subject matter is fairly "based" I recommend you see it. I might even give it a 4/5 stars. But the execution was poor and so nothing ever hits hard. The comedy/drama/messaging, it all just shallowly tickles the imagination.

P.S.

Be warned: the lighting and quality will annoy you. But you should support it anyways so try renting a higher quality DVD of it or watching it on Roku. If you wanna be a dirtbag like me it's free on YouTube. And 9anime has a 480p version:

https://9anime.to/watch/twilight-of-the-cockroaches-dub.57l9/ep-1