''Death Trance'' ( ja, デス・トランス) is a 2005

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

based on the

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

of the same name by Kana Takeuchi. It stars

Tak Sakaguchi is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreographer, stuntman and martial artist. He is best known for his role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, '' Versus''. Since his debut, Sakaguchi has worked with Kitamura several times, often appearing al ...

of '' Versus'' fame, alongside Kentaro Seagal (son of actor

Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...

) and

Takamasa Suga is a Japanese actor who had several lead roles, most prominently as the protagonist Shinji Kido in ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''. Filmography Film * '' Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final'' (2002) as Shinji Kido/Kamen Rider Ryuki; Mirror Shinji/Kamen Rid ...

. The film is the directorial debut of Yuji Shimomura, best known for his work as an

action director Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet pr ...

, stuntman, and frequent collaborator of

Ryuhei Kitamura (born May 30, 1969) is a Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter. Biography Early life Kitamura was born in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He dropped out of high school at age 17 and relocated to Sydney, Australia, where he attended a sch ...

. The film's soundtrack features several tracks by the rock band

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Plot

In an unknown place at an unknown time, a swordsman named Grave ( Sakaguchi) yearns for the ultimate battle. Legend tells of a black coffin kept at the Tougan Temple which has the power to grant any man's deepest desire. Hoping to utilize the coffin's ability to fulfill his wish, Grave infiltrates the temple and steals it. Accompanied by a mysterious young girl (Asada), Grave travels across the land towards a desert

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...

, a place the tales indicate as being linked to the coffin's power. Contrary to the popular legend, the Tougan monks believe that the coffin holds the Goddess of Destruction, who was banished from

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

for trying to destroy the world, and whose release will bring about the

apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...

. Fearing the implications of Grave's actions, the monks dispatch Ryuen (

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) to retrieve the coffin and prevent it from being opened. But many other forces are also searching for Grave and his prize, including treasure hunter Sid (Seagal), and an all-out free-for-all ensues as they all struggle to discover the secret power of the coffin.

Cast

- Grave *

- Ryuen * Kentaro Seagal - Sid * Yuhki Takeuchi - Yuri *

Ben Hiura is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. Hiura is known for dubbing over Bruce Willis, Richard Dreyfuss, John Malkovich, Joe Pesci and many more. Filmography Films *''Goyokin'' (1969) – Rokuzo *'' Fuji ...

- Archbishop * Honoka Asada - Girl * Yoko Fujita - Goddess of destruction * Osamu Takahashi - Master * Chuck Johnson - Muscleman * Kei Hasegawa - Capoeira User * Masumi Shirai - Sword-wielding sister (left) * Mie Nakao - Sword-wielding sister (right) * Masaki Inatome - Ninja A / Flying Vampire 01 * Hitoshi Fukushima - Ninja B * Naohiro Kawamoto - Flying Vampire 02 * Hiroko Yashiki - Fallen Angel * Kentaro Shimazu - Mountain Bandit A * Shuhei - Bandit Rene * Shuya Yoshimoto - Bandit Leo * Masaki Suzumura - Bandit Gogh * Bob Suzuki - Bandit Joha * Daijiro Tsuruoka - Bandit Dali

References

External links

*
Nippon Cinema Review
2000s Japanese-language films Japanese martial arts films 2005 martial arts films 2005 action thriller films 2005 films Japanese action thriller films Tokyo Shock 2005 directorial debut films 2000s Japanese films {{2000s-Japan-film-stub