Arrow Video has done a wonderful job of bringing back to life many films from Japan on Blu-ray. Now from the same studio that brought us the Daimajin trilogy comes the trio of films based on the yokai, a group of supernatural entities and spirits found in Japanese folklore. Daiei Studios brought these to life beginning in 1968 and they did some interesting films.
The first in the trilogy is 100 MONSTERS. In this one a wealthy land owner decides to tear down a local shrine in order to build a brothel. In order to build the brothel he is evicting the peasants who live in his buildings. Trying to insure peace he allows them to hold a ceremony where tales are told of an umbrella spirit and a long necked apparition. In a hurry to get things moving he fails to do a purification ritual to ward off evil. Expectedly, with the exception of the greedy landowner who didn’t believe in any of this, the evil spirits arrive.
The second film is SPOOK WARFARE is a little more complicated than the first. This one opens in Babylonia where a monster named Daimon has been buried for centuries. When treasure hunters disturb his tomb 4000 years later, he rises and kills them before flying to Japan. Once he arrives in Japan he kills a samurai named Lord Hyogo Isobe, drinking his blood and taking over his form. As he begins to tear down the shrines around Lord Isobe’s home he disturbs a kappa or water demon. Easily defeating him the kappa does off to the woods in an attempt to recruit the rest of the yokai to return and take down Daimon. But will this group be large enough to take him down?
The third film in the collection is ALONG WITH GHOSTS. A man carrying evidence that would end the corruption in his village is attacked by a group of samurai working for the corrupt boss. Warned by an old man that the area they are in is sacred ground and not to spill blood there, they kill him and the men possessing the evidence which blows away. That paper is found by the old man’s granddaughter who runs off, followed by the samurai. Aiding her along the way are the spirits and yokai that he old man warned would seek vengeance. This film actually ended the trilogy. But it wasn’t the end of the yokai.
In 2005 famed director Takashi Miike made THE GREAT YOKAI WAR. This film brings us to present day Japan and tells of a young boy named Tadashi Ino. He’s just moved to the small village after his parent’s divorce and is finding himself bullied as the new kid. At the big festival in town a single boy is selected to be the Kirin Rider, a protector of all things good. While it might seem like legends it turns out the position is real. The role of the Kirin Rider and now Tadashi is to protect the world from the evil spirit known as Yasunori Kato. Kato wants nothing more than to end the modern world and the entire Japanese race. To defeat him Tadashi must face his fears, find the sword of the Kirin Rider and recruit the yokai to help bring down Kato.
All of the film are entertaining and each one has its own feel. The first does feel like and introduction. The second feels more like an episode of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES with the appearance of the yokai involved. The third ties more into children but also has some of the most haunting images. And the final chapter is like a more modern movie filled with more elaborate special effects and makeup. I would find none of them upsetting for small children. The only problem is with the exception of the last film the rest are not dubbed.
As with anything being released by Arrow Video they have outdone themselves with the extras here. All four films are presented in hi definition Blu-ray format. Other extras include an illustrated 60 page collector’s book featuring new writing on the series by Stuart Galbraith IV, Raffael Coronelli and Jolyon Yates, reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jolyon Yates, postcards featuring newly commissioned artwork for each film by Jolyon Yates, a foldout “yokai guide” poster illustrated by Jolyon Yates, “Hiding in Plain Sight” a brand new documentary giving a primer on yokai for Western audiences, the theatrical trailers for each film, image galleries, a brand new audio commentary on THE GREAT YOKAI WAR with Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, archive interviews on the same film with cast and crew, “Short Drama of Yokai” two shorts dealing with the further adventures of the yokai, “Another Story of Kawataro” two shorts featuring the continuing story of kappa from the films, “World Yokai Conference” a publicity event where Miike speaks about his film, Promotional Events on the last film and a documentary of the last film’s young star Ryunosuki Kamiki.
The films are all entertaining and a wonderful example of
Japanese filmmaking that will give people a glimpse into their world. Arrow has
done an amazing job on this one if at all interested it’s worth taking a look
at.
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