Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master (2001)

Set in the capital city of Kyoto during the Heian period, a magician and fortune teller Onmyoji Seimei is called in to assist Hiromasa to thwart court wizard and minister Doson who is ... See full summary »

Director:

Yôjirô Takita

Writers:

Richard Epcar (script adaptation), Baku Yumemakura

Stars:

Mansai Nomura, Hideaki Itô, Hiroyuki Sanada

6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Mansai Nomura	...	Abe no Seimei
Hideaki Itô	...	Minamoto no Hiromasa
Eriko Imai	...	Mitsumushi
Yui Natsukawa	...	Fujiwara no Sukehime
Mai Hosho	...	Uri no onna
Ken'ichi Yajima	...	Fujiwara no Morosuke
Kenjirô Ishimaru	...	Onmyo-gashira
Ken'ichi Ishii	...	Fujiwara no Kaneie
Hôka Kinoshita	...	Kanmu-Ten'nou
Sachiko Kokubu	...	Fujiwara no Tadako
Kenji Yamaki	...	Tachibana no Ukon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Cansino	...	Fujiwara no Morosuke (voice) (as Edward Zilla)
Peter Doyle	...	Nagamasa (voice) (as Jim Taggert)
Akira Emoto	...	Fujiwara no Motokata
Masato Hagiwara	...	Sawara-Shin'nou

Storyline

Set in the capital city of Kyoto during the Heian period, a magician and fortune teller Onmyoji Seimei is called in to assist Hiromasa to thwart court wizard and minister Doson who is suspected of being at the cusp of orchestrating a coup. With the physical and metaphysical worlds allied the combined force may have a chance to beat back Doson. Magic, surrealism and beauty fill the screen, and air,

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Plot Keywords:

spell | magician | supernatural | severed head | severed hand | 

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Taglines:

In a heart of darkness lies a battle for this world and the next

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Genres:

Action | Fantasy | Drama | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

6 October 2001 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dentsu, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

From the Making-Of Documentary on the Special Edition DVD: - Total number of cuts: 1026 - Concept planning: 5 years - Number of days filming: 93 days - Number of days in post-production: 128 days - Location crew: 86 people - SFX crew: 31 people - CG integration staff: 37 people - Total number of crew: 154 people - Those who camped out for the first show: 400 people (at Nihon Gekijo Theater) - Number of theaters: 225 theaters - Number of viewers: 2.2 million people (as of Summer 2001) - Gross at box office: Approx. 3 billion yen (roughly $30 million USD)

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Connections

Followed by Onmyoji 2 (2003)

User Reviews

Interesting Film

A fantasy martial arts film set in feudal Japan, Onmyoji uses a good cast of characters and a mystical setting to keep the audiences entertained.

When I caught this film on TV (Showtime, I believe), I was immediately drawn in. There are demons, Shinto-like priests, curses, spells, and impressive costume designs to entertain.

The story is basic-- a young well-to-do member of the court finds himself relying on help from an half-demon Onmyoji priest to protect the kingdom-- but the world of Onmyoji is fascinating and fun to watch. It's not everyday you get to watch people battle it out with chants and prayers, evil demons, and people can fly.

Despite a previous bad review, I recommend this film to anyone who has the opportunity to see it. It's a fantasy film, but the world of Onmyoji is compelling and will draw you in.