Ashura-jo no Hitomi (2005)

Starring:
Somegoro Ichikawa - Izumo Wakuraba
Rie Miyazawa - Tsubaki
Kanako Higuchi - Bizan
Atsuro Watabe - Jaku Abe
Fumiyo Kohinata - Nanboku Tsuruya IV
Takashi Naitô - Nobuyuki Kuninari
Yukijiro Hotaru - Magotaro
Hanae Kan - Emishi
Kazuo Kuwabara
Sarutoki Minagawa - Takiji
Koji Ookura - Hyozo
Erika Sawajiri - Yachi
Kumiko Tsuchiya - Oiran

"Prepare to gaze into Hell."

Set in 19th Century Edo, the story begins with demons, led by the beautiful and nefarious Bizan, plotting to wreck havoc in old Edo with the ultimate aim of bringing their queen, Ashura, back to life and taking over the world. Who can stop them?

The government forms the Oni Mikado, an elite government force dedicated to defending the capital from demons.

An original - and most talented - member of the elite, Izumo "Demon Slayer" Wakuraba, has since resigned and become a kabuki actor with a travelling troupe. Meanwhile the Oni Mikado leader, Nobuyuki Kuninari, and his fierce, canny lieutenant Jaku Abe carry on, slaying demons along their way.

However, a troupe of female acrobats is wreaking havoc of another kind by turning thief at night and fighting running battles with the authorities.

One of their number, Tsubaki, stays free with Izumo's help, but as their acquaintance blossoms into love, a painful red scar appears on her shoulder: the mark of Ashura.

She struggles to remember an incident five years earlier that holds the key to her current dilemma and eventual fate.

Then Jaku falls under Bizan's erotic spell and goes over to the dark side. She sends him after Tsubaki to bring about the horrific transformation of Tsubaki.

Based on Kazuki Nakashima's famous kabuki play.



This was a fascinating movie. From the get go, excitement. Totally entertaining.

Izumo's jokes and sword play kept me invigorated. I couldn't turn my eyes away. He wasn't the prettiest of men but his presence and charisma made him handsome...extremely.

I can't explain the movie. It wasn't high tech. It didn't have "A" class actors but yet this could be one of my favorite movies. I can't understand it myself.

The story was reminiscent of an old American 80's flick. It kind of reminded me of the movie Legend (the Tom Cruise movie). The story is not even close but yet the effects and acting were about the same.

This movie has gotten a bazillion mixed reviews...some can't stand it. Where as, I totally thought this movie rocked my socks off. So I guess this movie would be for discriminating tastes. You either love it or hate it.

If I were to ever find this movie at the store, I would definitely pick this up and buy it.

Swallowtail Butterfly (スワロウテイル-1996)

Starring:
Hiroshi Mikami - Feihong
Chara - Glico
Ayumi Ito - Ageha
Yosuke Eguchi - Ryou Ryanki
Andy Hui Chi -On - Maofuu
Atsuro Watabe - Ran
Tomoko Yamaguchi - Shenmei
Nene Otsuka - Reiko
Kaori Momoi - Suzukino
Yoriko Douguchi - Hoshino
Mickey Curtis - Doctor
Tetsu Watanabe - Yakuza boss
Tadanobu Asano - Customer in club
Ken Enomoto - Voice work
Kent Frick
Kahori Fujii - Yuriko
Akio Jo
Sumie Kamogawa
Toshiyuki Kitami
Kenji Kohashi - Hoan
Shiek Mahmud-Bey - Arrow
Kae Minami
Ken Mitsuishi
Ryuushi Mizukami
Chris Peppler
Rolly
Toshiya Sakai
Sansei Shiomi
Keiichi Suzuki
Tomorowo Taguchi
Siro Takehatsu
Hua Rong Weng
Hajime Yamazaki

An industrial section of Japan got the name of Yentown as many immigrants come to make money and hope to go home rich. A small group of people in Yentown try to work together to survive, there is a girl named Ageha who has no family, Glico the hooker, Fei Hong a poor immigrant from Shanghai, Arrow an ex boxer from the US and Ren the mysterious guy who seems to know too much about guns. Fortune shines upon them when they find a cassette that we'll get them rich but along with money trouble will always follow.


This movie was off the scale over-my-head, under-my-feet. I was so confused.

First off, this movie was spoken in English, Japanese, and Chinese. It got so confusing. The English spoken, most of it anyway that was not spoken by an English speaker, was robotic and not fluid.

Second, the script, well.......the story was just wrong! It made no sense in my head. It was just stupid.

Third, well...there is no third. The actors were fine and dandy. Surprised to see a few that our now aged looking so young. I had to cut back a few times to look them up to make sure that the person speaking was really the person that was said to be the actor. Asano Tadanobu was more of a mere glance.

This movie wasn't great, in fact, I think I wasted a good two hours for nothing.

Satomi Hakkenden (里見八犬伝-2006)

AKA: 南総里見八犬伝 / Nansou Satomi Hakkenden

Starring:
Takizawa Hideaki as Inuzuka Shino-Moritaka
Komuro Yuta as young Shino
Ayase Haruka as Hamaji
Kanno Miho as Tamazusa & Myouchin (2 roles)
Nakama Yukie as Fusehime
Watabe Atsuro as Chuudaihoushi - Kanamari Daisuketakanori
Nagatsuka Kyozo as Satomi Yoshizane
Ohsugi Ren as Ougigaya Tsusadamasa
Kyomoto Masaki as Ashikaga Shigeuji
Takeda Tetsuya as Komiyama Ittouda
Jinnai Takanori as Akaiwa Ikkaku
Sano Shiro as Makuwari Daiki
Tomosaka Rie as Funamushi
Izumi Pinko as Kamezasa
Oshio Manabu as Inukai Genbachi-Nobumichi
Yamada Yu as Inusaka Kenotanetomo
Katsuji Ryo as Inumura Daikakumasanori
Ozawa Yukiyoshi as Inuyaama Dousetsutadatomo
Shouei as Inuta Kobungo-Yasunori
Yamashita Shoon as Inue Shinbeemasashi
Sato Ryuta as Inukawa Sousuke-Toshito
Yamashita Shinji as Sugikura Kisonosukeujimoto
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Yamashita Sadagane
Kaneda Akio as Yokobori Arimura
Sakaguchi Taku as Ootasuke Tomo
Kohinata Fumiyo as Ootsuka Hikiroku
Tanabe Seiichi as Oboshisa Mojiro
Watanabe Ikkei as Higami Kyuuroku
Sugimoto Tetta as Inuzuka Bansaku
Miura Rieko as Kumi
Kurokawa Tomoka as Nui

Known as the "greatest samurai novel in Japan", this drama is based on the novel. The tragic romance of a princess and the adventure of eight heroic samurai.

The story takes place during the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai in Awa, a tiny province that is currently a part of modern-day Chiba Prefecture. Fuse, princess of the Awa-based Satomi clan, spiritually gives birth to eight warriors who are scattered across different areas of the region. Because the spiritual father of these warriors was a demonically-possessed dog, these warriors came to be known as the Hakkenshi (八犬士), with hak (八), or hachi, meaning "eight", the ken (犬) meaning "dog", and the shi (士) meaning "warrior". (The word "den" (伝) at the end of the title means "legend", so the title of the series translates out to "The Legend of the Eight Dog Warriors".)
Throughout the series, each dog warrior recognizes the other through three distinguishing features: a last name starting with the word "inu" (meaning dog), a birthmark in the shape of a peony (the emblem of the Satomi clan) and a bead containing a kanji character that reflects eight of the fundamental virtues of Confucianism. They are:

kō (孝) - filial piety; devotion
gi (義) - duty and obligation, but it can also be translated as righteousness
chū (忠) - loyalty
shin (信) - faith
tei (悌) - brotherhood; brotherly affection
jin (仁) - sympathy and benevolence, but note that, according to Confucianism, "jin" is also the greatest and most perfect virtue of all. It should come as no surprise that the bearer of this bead also happens to be the most powerful warrior of the eight.
chi (知) - wisdom
rei (礼) - courtesy, but this can also be translated as proper form, i.e. an extensive knowledge and proper observation of tradition and manners

Inuzuka Shino Moritaka (犬塚 信乃 戍孝) - Bears the "kō" bead of filial piety; his birthmark is on his right arm. His father bore the responsibility of returning the Murasame sword to the Ashikaga Shogun, but before doing so, committed seppuku in protest of the local feudal lord, thereby transferring the heavy responsibility onto Shino's shoulders. He is engaged to Hamaji.

Inukawa Sōsuke Yoshitō (犬川 荘助 義任) - Bears the "gi" bead of duty; his birthmark is on his left arm. At the age of 7, his father was forced to commit seppuku after criticizing the Ashikaga Shogun, and his mother perished from the cold winter during the resulting pilgrimage from Izu. This left him under the cruel parentage of Hikiroku and Kamezasa, who gave him the undignified name of "Gakuzo" and forced him into indentured servitude to pay back the debt of his mother's funeral. He secretly loves Hamaji, thereby making him Shino's main rival.

Inuyama Dōsetsu Tadatomo (犬山 道節 忠與) - Bears the "chū" bead of loyalty; his birthmark is on his left shoulder. His father was killed by rival lord Uesugi Sadamasa, making him hell-bent on revenge for the sake of his clan. In addition, he is Hamaji's half-brother. His mother was assassinated by Hamaji's biological mother (his father's second concubine), who became jealous due to her inability to bear a male heir. Particularly during the beginning of the series, Dōsetsu is ruthless, selfish, and a reckless loose cannon in the group.

Inukai Genpachi Nobumichi (犬飼 現八 信道) - Bears the "shin" bead of faith; his birthmark is on his left cheek, underneath his left eye. The stereotypical "crazed enforcer" of the group, he is introduced as an inmate in the Shogun's prison, most likely jailed for his uncontrollable behavior (or perhaps just his sharp tongue). He is allowed a chance to win back his original post if he is successful in killing Shino. Compared to the plot exposition of most of the other major characters, not much of his origin is revealed or even implied during the series.

Inuta Kobungo Yasuyori (犬田 小文吾 悌順) - Bears the "tei" bead of brotherhood. Kobungo has been friends with Genpachi for several years prior. He is of large stature, but silent demeanor - a stark contrast from his darker past, when he would succumb to fits of alcohol-induced rage and random violence. His father's death was the unfortunate result of just such a brawl, causing his nature to become passive and non-confrontational.

Inue Shimbei Masashi (犬江 親兵衛 仁) - Bears the "jin" bead of benevolence. He is Kobungo's nephew, and was originally known as Inue Daihachi. Following the skirmish at the Shogun's palace, Shino is given refuge at Kobungo's inn, but Kobungo's brother-in-law (Daihachi's father) offers to turn Shino over to the authorities in return for a reward that would help keep his family afloat. Kobungo refuses to sacrifice Shino, and a fight ensues, resulting in the deaths of Daihachi's parents. Kobungo takes it upon himself to raise the child along with Genpachi and Shino, but sometime after the group temporarily splits up, a vision of Princess Fuse and Yatsufusa appears. Telling Kobungo that the child will be safe under their care, he willingly hands Daihachi over to be raised in an otherworldly realm. Some time later, the child returns, fully grown, extremely powerful, and with the new name of Inue Shimbei.

(Note: The name of this character is actually Shimbee (しんべえ), but this produces somewhat of a conflict as far as Hepburn romanization is concerned. Since the bee sound is similar enough to the bei sound, he will be referred to in this article as Shimbei.)

Inuzaka Keno Tanetomo (犬阪 毛野 胤智) - Bears the "chi" bead of widsom. When he was a child, a local feudal lord murdered Keno's father in an attempt to obtain the two legendary flutes in his possession, but was only able to find one of them after the incident. The other had been presumed lost. Since then, Keno has sought to regain both flutes and has also plotted an elaborate revenge against the family that killed his father. He is a celebrated flautist and dancer, but is disguised as a female under the pseudonym of "Asakeno", which is most likely a means of evading suspicion of his ultimate intent.

Inumura Daikaku Masanori (犬村 大角 礼儀) - Bears the "rei" bead of courtesy; his birthmark is on his buttocks, much to his embarrassment. He is first introduced in the story as Kakutarō, son of Akaiwa Ikkaku, a talented swordsman who, unbeknownst to everyone in the village, was demonically possessed by an evil cat spirit many years ago. Kakutarō's wife, Hinaginu, was given the "rei" bead as a keepsake memento, but swallowed it down when Kakutarō's stepmother demanded that she relinquish it. Since that incident, Hinaginu's stomach bulged, as if pregnant, sparking talk of an affair with another man. When confronted by Akaiwa about her "unborn child", she mortally stabbed herself in the stomach with a knife to prove to everyone that she wasn't pregnant. Meanwhile, the cat spirit's possession of Akaiwa had advanced rapidly, forcing Kakutarō to execute his own father. With no one else left in his life, he renames himself Daikaku and joins the Hakkenshi.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! I loved, loved, loved, loved this made-for-TV movie. This was a beautiful story.

This story....wow! A great cast, story, cinematography......wow! I highly recommend this to everyone.....EVERYONE!

I truly don't know what to say because I don't want to give away any of it. Just watch it. I truly felt this story and the magic behind it. *giddy*

Takizawa Hideaki

Oshio Manabu

Yamashita Shoon