Ashura-jo no Hitomi

Japanese 2005

The beautiful Bizan (Kanako Higuchi) plots to wreck havoc in old 19th century Edo to bring the evil Queen Ashura back to life. Who can stop them? Not Sakura and the Flower Brigade (which would have been cool), but an elite government force dedicated to defending the capital from demons. Yojiro Takita's fantasy/martial arts epic is a film version of the hit kabuki play. The film even stars Somegoro Ichikawa ("Koi no Mon"), a kabuki actor reprising his stage role as the demon-slaying hero. It's a clever blend of everything from horror to comedy to drama, it's targeted to a young adult and teen audience. Kabuki Theatre normally uses an all-male cast, even in the female roles, but the director wisely chose the beautiful Rei Miyazawa ("Twilight Samurai") as the love interest. Takita previously directed the samurai drama "Mibugishiden" (2003) and the period fantasy "Onmyoji" (2001) and its sequel "Onmyoji 2" (2003).