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Demons and Samurai’s are two of my favourite things. So when you put them both in a movie, you have my attention (and sometimes even my heart). And with a warning on the back of the DVD box that states “Contains Violence, Romance, Treachery, Violent Romance, Romantic Treachery and Treacherous Violence” who can ask for anything more.
Based on the hit play by Kazuki Nakashima and directed by Yojiro Takita (Onmyoji, When the Last Sword is Drawn), ASHURA tells the story of a retired demon hunter in ancient Edo who has given up his sword for the stage. Now admired as one of the greatest Kabuki theatre actors, Izumo (Somegoro Ichikawa) lives a simple (read: boring) life spent mostly hanging out with his transvestite co-star and his lady of the night. A chance encounter with a beautiful thief named Tsubaki (Rie Miyazawa) breaks him out of the monotony and entangles him in a web of romance and danger. Plus, the fact that she might be the reincarnation of the queen of the demons is kind of a turn on for Izumo. That’s just the kind of guy he is.
Anyone who might have enjoyed THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR or MR. VAMPIRE will find all of the same elements in ASHURA. The sword fighting and choreography is top notch and the film has a great sense of humour. Somegoro Ichikawa’s performance as Izumo is outstanding and the Kabuki performances had me laughing out loud. But then again I enjoy many stupid things in life so I might not be the best judge of what is funny. Then again…
The film is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 for the original Japanese language and 5.1 Surround for the English language dub. Animeigo’s 2 disc set also features a “Making Of” featurette, a Video Effects behind the scenes, trailers and interactive program notes.
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