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IMDbPro

The Great Yokai War

Original title: Yôkai daisensô
  • 20052005
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
34,950
2,252
The Great Yokai War (2005)
A young boy is chosen as the defender of good and must team up with Japan's ancient spirits and creatures of lore to attempt to destroy the forces of evil.
Play trailer0:58
1 Video
11 Photos
AdventureFamilyFantasy
A young boy is chosen as the defender of good and must team up with Japan's ancient spirits and creatures of lore to attempt to destroy the forces of evil.A young boy is chosen as the defender of good and must team up with Japan's ancient spirits and creatures of lore to attempt to destroy the forces of evil.A young boy is chosen as the defender of good and must team up with Japan's ancient spirits and creatures of lore to attempt to destroy the forces of evil.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
34,950
2,252
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Takashi Miike
    • Writers
      • Hiroshi Aramata(novel)
      • Takashi Miike(screenplay)
      • Mitsuhiko Sawamura(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Ryûnosuke Kamiki
      • Hiroyuki Miyasako
      • Chiaki Kuriyama
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Takashi Miike
    • Writers
      • Hiroshi Aramata(novel)
      • Takashi Miike(screenplay)
      • Mitsuhiko Sawamura(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Ryûnosuke Kamiki
      • Hiroyuki Miyasako
      • Chiaki Kuriyama
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 28User reviews
    • 44Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:58
    Trailer

    Photos11

    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    Chiaki Kuriyama in The Great Yokai War (2005)
    Sadao Abe in The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)
    The Great Yokai War (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ryûnosuke Kamiki
    Ryûnosuke Kamiki
    • Tadashi Ino
    • (as Ryuunosuke Kamiki)
    Hiroyuki Miyasako
    • Sata
    Chiaki Kuriyama
    Chiaki Kuriyama
    • Agi
    Bunta Sugawara
    Bunta Sugawara
    • Shuntaro Ino
    Kaho Minami
    Kaho Minami
    • Youko Ino
    Riko Narumi
    Riko Narumi
    • Tataru Ino
    Etsushi Toyokawa
    Etsushi Toyokawa
    • Lord Yasunori Kato
    Kiyoshirô Imawano
    • General Nurarihyon
    Seiko Iwaidô
    • Kawahime, the River Princess
    • (as Mai Takahashi)
    Masaomi Kondô
    • Shojo, the Kirin Herald
    Sadao Abe
    • Kawataro, the River Sprite
    Takashi Okamura
    • Azuki-Bean Washer
    Naoto Takenaka
    Naoto Takenaka
    • Lamp-Oil
    Ken'ichi Endô
    Ken'ichi Endô
    • Ou Tengu
    Renji Ishibashi
    Renji Ishibashi
    • Ou Kubi
    Toshie Negishi
    Toshie Negishi
    • Sunakake Baba
    Asumi Miwa
    • Rokuro-Kubi
    Hiroshi Aramata
    • Demon Prince
    • Director
      • Takashi Miike
    • Writers
      • Hiroshi Aramata(novel)
      • Takashi Miike(screenplay)
      • Mitsuhiko Sawamura(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film contains several direct references and homages to the work of Shigeru Mizuki, the manga artist who is generally credited with bringing the tradition of yokai tales into the modern day via the comic-book medium. The young hero researches yokai by traveling to Mizuki's birthplace of Sakaiminato and visiting the museum dedicated to his work there; the actual museum, and its bronze statues of his most famous characters, including GeGeGe no Kitaro, are shown in the film. Later in the plot, when the yokai Ittan Momen shows reluctance to fight, another scolds it by saying "You're always really brave in those comics with Kitaro!"
    • Quotes

      Red-Hooded Yokai: Rejoice! It would seem we have won the war.

      Youkai Daiou: Won the war? Don't be a fool! There is a limit even to foolishness. Wars must not happen. They only make you hungry.

    • Connections
      Followed by The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021)

    User reviews28

    Review
    Top review
    The Great Yokai War
    One of director Miike Takashi's very best. It's so good it's difficult to put into words. At nearly fifteen years older than the target audience it thrilled me from beginning to end.

    It recalls similar children's films from the 1980s in the sense that (unlike today) those films weren't afraid to scare - there's a lot of nasty detail here that I initially found jarring but soon realised it's nothing different to what I grew up on. The film is a compilation of '80s kid's films conventions. You name it, it's there: a young boy hero thrust from his own unhappy/dysfunctional world into another, inhabited by mythical and mystical goblins; a quest to save both worlds from an evil force; a beautiful heroine he has a crush on; a sadistic henchwoman (Go-Go Yubari from Kill Bill Vol. 1); a lead villain who draws his evil power from something everyone in the world can relate to. But all these genre conventions are given a fresh spin and added depth.

    One of the IMDb reviews begins "Where was this film when I was a kid?" and it's a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly. Even while watching it I lamented the fact that I hadn't grown up on it; that it wasn't a part of my childhood like Labyrinth, Masters Of The Universe and, to a much lesser extent, The Neverending Story. Those films, and others like The Goonies are recalled but never copied - Miike relentlessly offering us a new take on things.

    Poor CGI is a staple of many of his films, sometimes due to budgetary limitations but just as frequently an artistic choice - a desire to present things in an outlandish way. Here the CGI is mostly average, solely due to budgetary limitations, but nevertheless he does a fantastic job of putting on a spectacle. The CG effects combine with traditional puppets, animatronics and truly extraordinary make-up to create a world filled with rich characters (and characterisation) that frequently borders on the visionary.

    This ranks as one of the greatest children's films ever made. Not for younger or more sensitive kids though.

    Just jaw-droppingly wonderful. See it for yourselves and if you think your kids can handle/appreciate it then show it to them. Let them grow up on The Great Yokai War as some small compensation for the fact you couldn't.
    helpful•9
    3
    • I_John_Barrymore_I
    • Jul 17, 2007

    FAQ2

    • Is this film based on the works of Shigeru Mizuki?
    • How is Yasunori Kato still alive in this film? Didn't he die at the end of DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 6, 2005 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • La Gran Guerra Yokai
    • Filming locations
      • Japan
    • Production companies
      • Kadokawa Eiga K.K.
      • Nippon Television Network (NTV)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ¥1,300,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $15,787,492
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 4 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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