Zeiram

Zeiram (ゼイラム, Zeiramu), also known as Zeram, is a 1991 Japanese live-action movie in which an alien bounty hunter named Iria (Yūko Moriyama) comes to Earth to do battle with Zeiram, an immortal alien creature with a strangely shaped head which resembles a wide-brimmed hat. Along with two ordinary Japanese electricians, she and Zeiram become trapped in an artificial dimension called the Zone, and have only a limited amount of time to finish their battle. The film Zeiram was followed by a live-action sequel, Zeiram 2, as well as an OVA prequel miniseries called Iria: Zeiram the Animation and two videogames, Hyper Iria and Zeiram Zone.

The Zeiram series was created by Keita Amemiya, known for his work as both a director and an illustrator. Zeiram, like many of Amemiya's other works such as Mirai Ninja and Hagane, has a very distinctive visual style that incorporates traditional Eastern motifs and symbolism with science-fiction concepts. Amemiya has himself said that Zeiram's rather striking appearance was inspired by the image of a lone traveler in a straw hat and cloak that was common in the Japanese period dramas he watched as a child. He was also inspired by The Terminator to create an unstoppable villain which changes its form but never dies.