Yogen (2004)

While stopped at a roadside phone booth for transmitting his work through the Internet to the university, Professor Hideki Satomi finds a scrap of newspaper with the picture of his ... See full summary »

Director:

Norio Tsuruta

Writers:

Noboru Takagi (screenplay), Norio Tsuruta (screenplay)

Stars:

Hiroshi Mikami, Noriko Sakai, Maki Horikita

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hiroshi Mikami	...	Hideki Satomi
Noriko Sakai	...	Ayaka Satomi
Maki Horikita	...	Sayuri Wakakubo
Mayumi Ono	...	Misato Miyamoto
Hana Inoue	...	Nana Satomi
Masao Mukai	...	Nyûsu no Koe (voice)
Reiko Hiroshige	...	Nyûsu no Koe (voice)
Takahiro Takano	...	Nyûsu no Koe (voice)
Rui Tsurumizu	...	Josei Ripôtâ
Gaku Adachi	...	Dansei Kisha
Tarô Suwa	...	Kôchô no Koe (voice)
Daisuke Ban	...	Kyôtô
Shûichirô Idemitsu	...	Shinbun Haitatsuin
Kazuhiro Yamaji	...	Mitamura Ishi
Yûto Mizoguchi	...	Shônen

Storyline

While stopped at a roadside phone booth for transmitting his work through the Internet to the university, Professor Hideki Satomi finds a scrap of newspaper with the picture of his five-year-old daughter Nana in the obituary section. He sees his wife Ayaka Satomi trying to release their daughter from the seat belt, when a truck without steering hits his car killing Nana. Three years later, Hideki is divorced from Ayaka, who is researching paranormal persons who claim to have read an evil newspaper anticipating the future still trying to believe on Hideki, and she finds that there are people cursed to foresee the future, but without power to save the victims. When Hideki changes the future by saving Ayaka, he becomes trapped in hell and has to make a choice regarding his own destiny.

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Plot Keywords:

newspaper | university | professor | student | classroom | 

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Taglines:

If you see it... you will die!

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Genres:

Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing images

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

2 October 2004 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Dimosievma thanatou

Company Credits

Production Co:

Entertainment Farm (EF),Fellah Pictures,Geneon Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Reincarnation (2005)

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Soundtracks

Utakata
Music by Jin Nakamura
Lyrics by Juri Shôno
Performed by Juri Shôno
Courtesy of Victor Entertainment

User Reviews

Another decent, if still not excellent, J-horror flick.

Following closely on the heels of 'Kansen' (aka 'Infection'), 'Yogen' in the next J-horror flick in the planned series. Arguably better than it's predecessor, it still fails to achieve greatness.

While on a family vacation, a man finds a newspaper clipping detailing the death of his daughter moments before she dies. After the incident, the man and his estranged wife try to understand how this phenomenon occurred and possibly how to use it to change the future.

The opening scene makes a promise that much of the film doesn't live up to. It's a tightly filmed piece of suspense that yields a great pay off, yet sadly the scenes that follow dwindle into monotony and tedium as the audience must wait for the characters to figure out what has already been clearly stated. I hate to say it, but I had a hard time sitting through much of the film. Not until nearer the end do things pick-up again, when the father begins a twisted time traveling scenario that borders on sheer lunacy and is so deliciously entertaining.

Technically the film is competent. Camera work, color, and the like are good. The actors are also quiet capable even if the writing is dull. All in all no better or worse than most Japanese horror flicks.

A quality opening and a bizarrely satisfying conclusion bookend an otherwise ordinary tale of loss and the supernatural.

6/10