Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Shusuke Kaneko

Writers:

Yu Koyama (comic)
Mataichiro Yamamoto (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 March 2005 (Japan)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

Young assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is protected by both an army and a dangerous clan, they meet Ginkaku, a person who shows a remarking resemblance with former friend Nachi. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Martial Arts | Spy | Sequel | Blood

Cast

Aya Ueto	...	Azumi
Yuma Ishigaki	...	Nagara
Chiaki Kuriyama	...	Kozue
Shun Oguri	...	Ginkaku
Ken'ichi Endô	...	Kinkaku (as Kenichi Endou)
Kai Shishido	...	Hanzou
Eugene Nomura	...	Samurai Z
Tak Sakaguchi	...	Tsuchi-gumo
Shôichirô Masumoto	...	Saburouta
Kenji Takechi	...	Kiheita
Ai Maeda	...	Chiyo
Toshie Negishi	...	Yone
Toshiya Nagasawa	...	Sanada
Shigeru Kôyama	...	Nankou-bou Tenkai
Kazuki Kitamura	...	Kanbei Inoue

Also Known As:

Azumi 2 (Japan) (short title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

UK:18 | Australia:MA | Argentina:13 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan

Company:

Nippon Herald Films

Goofs:

Continuity: Azumi's hair color changes through out the movie from red to brown and brown to red.

Quotes:

Ginkaku: Many people nowadays have the same faces.

Movie Connections:

Follows Azumi (2003)

Azumi refined

This can't be considered a separate film, it's just part 2. It starts exactly where it left off, without any explanations or flashbacks on how it starts. I can only imagine how confused someone can be watching this movie without seeing part 1. The actors are the same, the extras are the same (to the ridiculous point of having a friendly swordsman be interpreted by the same actor that played a killed foe in the first part of the movie AND being credited in the cast with the same character name).

However, the plot is more refined, it gets into the psychology of the people involved, the fights are more realistic, the directing is slightly better. In a few words it's exactly how Azumi 1 should have been. Of course, this doesn't make it a masterpiece. The same lame excuses for action and the same Japanese clichés are met all over the place. The only thing new to this part is the implementation of a rival clan of assassins, each specialized in a certain way, thus entering the more popular arena of super-strong ninja fighters. Also guns are used more, but with the same insane inefficiency as in the first part.

Oh, and for people reading this without seeing part 1 OR reading my super cool comment on the first part :) this is a movie about a cute diminutive young girl who is the best assassin ever, but still manages to have a conscience, dreams, friends, like any other normal human being. Sorta like Santa.