is a 2001 Japanese film directed by

Yōjirō Takita Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎 ''Takita Yōjirō'', born December 4, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker. Takita received an Academy Awards, Oscar for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Best Foreign Language Film for his 2008 drama '' ...

. It tells of the exploits of famed ''

onmyōji was one of the official positions belonging to the of the Ministry of the Center under the ritsuryō system in ancient Japan, and was assigned as a technical officer in charge of divination and geomorphology based on the theory of the yin-a ...

Abe no Seimei was an ''onmyōji'', a leading specialist of ''Onmyōdō'' during the middle of the Heian period in Japan.Miller, Laura. "Extreme Makeover for a Heian-era Wizard". ''Mechademia 3: Limits of the Human''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Pres ...

, who meets and befriends bungling court noble,

Minamoto no Hiromasa was a nobleman and gagaku musician in the Heian period. He was the eldest son of Prince Katsuakira and the grandson of Emperor Daigo. His mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tokihira. Career Because the highest rank he achieved was Provis ...

. Together they protect the capital of

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...

against an opposing ''onmyōji'', Dōson, who is secretly plotting the downfall of the emperor. A sequel, '' Onmyōji 2'', appeared in 2003. Both movies are based on the ''Onmyōji'' series of novels by author

Baku Yumemakura is a Japanese science fiction and adventure writer. His works have sold more than 20 million copies in Japan spread across more than 280 titles. He is published in a variety of formats including feature films, television shows, movies and comic b ...

, which also inspired a manga series by

Reiko Okano is a Japanese manga artist. Okano attended a graphic design school after graduating from high school and has never worked as a manga assistant. Her first serialized work was ''Esther, Please'' in 1982. In 1989, she won the Shogakukan Manga Awar ...

Plot

The

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

(9th–12th centuries) was a time when human beings and various supernatural beings still coexisted with each other, the latter occasionally causing trouble to humans. Practitioners of the art of ''

onmyōdō is a system of natural science, astronomy, almanac, divination and Magic (supernatural), magic that developed independently in Japan based on the Chinese philosophies of yin and yang and Wuxing (Chinese philosophy), wuxing (five elements). The p ...

'', the ''

'', were held to be able to control and subdue these malevolent entities and other paranormal phenomena, and were thus held in high regard, being employed by the imperial court. In

, nobleman

meets court ''

, a mysterious man about whom many rumors have been told. On a dare by some courtiers, Seimei demonstrates his exceptional skills in ''

'' by killing a butterfly without touching it (i.e. casting a spell on a leaf which then flies and cuts through it). Hiromasa later visits Seimei at his home, where he sees Seimei's ''

shikigami (also read as ) is the term for a being from Japanese folklore. According to the Shinto scholar Inoue Nobutaka, it is thought to be some sort of , represented by a small ghost. The belief of ''shikigami'' originates from ''Onmyōdō''. Accor ...

'' in human form, one of whom was Mitsumushi, the butterfly he had killed (and subsequently revived) earlier. Seimei joins Hiromasa in inspecting a mysterious

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earli ...

growing from a pine tree in Lord Kaneie's house; Seimei reveals the gourd to have been caused by a curse cast by a former lover of Kaneie who committed suicide. One night, Hiromasa impresses an unseen lady on an oxcart with his flute playing. Unbeknownst to him, this woman is Sukehime,

Minister of the Right was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administr ...

Fujiwara no Motokata's daughter and one of the current emperor's wives, who is worried that she is losing the emperor's favor as another wife, Lady Tōko, the daughter of

Minister of the Left The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

Fujiwara no Morosuke , also known as Kujō-dono or Bōjō-udaijin, was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the middle Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Considered a learne ...

, had just given birth to a baby boy, who is to be the heir to the throne. Meanwhile, the head ''onmyōji'' of the imperial Bureau of ''Onmyō'', Dōson, is secretly plotting to overthrow the emperor by trying to awaken the

vengeful spirit In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crem ...

Prince Sawara (750? – November 8, 785) was the fifth son of Prince Shirakabe (later Emperor Kōnin), by Takano no Niigasa. Biography In 781 he was named heir-presumptive after his elder brother succeeded the abdicated Emperor Kōnin as the Emperor Kanmu. In ...

, who had died 150 years ago. Wrongfully accused of treason by his brother, the

Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...

, Sawara committed suicide, but not before swearing eternal vengeance on the

Son of Heaven Son of Heaven, or ''Tianzi'' (), was the sacred monarchical title of the Chinese sovereign. It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven. Since the Qin dynasty, the secula ...

(i.e. the

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

). When Dōson curses the emperor's newborn son, Prince Atsuhira, to be possessed by an evil spirit, Seimei combats his spells and drives the demon away with the help of Hiromasa and the immortal Lady Aone, who was ordered by Kanmu to guard the burial mound where Prince Sawara's spirit is sealed away. Hiromasa once again meets Sukehime (again unseen by Hiromasa) on the oxcart. He confesses his feelings for Sukehime, who he calls 'Lady of the Full Moon' (望月の君 ''Mochizuki no kimi''), but Sukehime, who still loves the emperor, rejects his advances. Both Seimei and Aone are put under arrest by Motokata and accused of cursing the infant prince. They are saved in the nick of time by Morosuke, who points out it is unlawful to kill a court ''onmyōji'' without imperial permission. Dōson, who is implied to be behind the allegation, enchants one of the imperial police to attack the two; Aone is severely wounded, but proves to be unharmed due to her immortality. Taking advantage of Sukehime's jealousy against Tōko, Dōson uses his powers to turn her into a ''namanari'' (a woman halfway to becoming an ''

oni An is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. Oni are mostly known for their fierce and evil nature manifested in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. Notwithstanding their evil reputation, oni possess i ...

'') that harasses both Tōko and the newborn Atsuhira. Seimei uses ''onmyōdō'' to transform straw effigies into the likenesses of the Emperor and the infant prince. Sukehime arrives and assaults the effigies, thinking them to be the real emperor and Atsuhira. The emperor, moved by a ''

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

'' poem she recites (the same poem Hiromasa hears the lady on the oxcart recite earlier), speaks out loudly, breaking Seimei's spell. Hiromasa, recognizing Sukehime to be his 'Lady of the Full Moon', steps in to accost her. Sukehime briefly comes back to her senses when Seimei removes a paper talisman attached to her back, but Dōson doubles his efforts, and she completely transforms into an ''oni''. When Hiromasa sacrifices himself by allowing her to bite on his arm, Sukehime comes back to her senses once more and kills herself with Hiromasa's ''

tachi A is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and ''katana'' generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on t ...

''. In her final moments, Sukehime - now a human once more - begs to hear Hiromasa's flute one last time. Seimei shoots an arrow with the paper talisman towards the sky, ordering the curse to go back to its sender. The arrow, now on fire, lands in Dōson's secret lair, burning it to the ground. Dōson, swearing vengeance on Seimei, finally releases the spirit of Prince Sawara from its confinement in the burial mound. Sawara's ghost enters Dōson's body and summons a horde of vengeful spirits to attack Heian-kyō. Aone reveals to Seimei that he and Hiromasa are foretold by the stars to become the two protectors of the city: one cannot survive without the other. She, Seimei and Mitsumushi then go off in search of Hiromasa. Dōson makes his way to the imperial palace. Hiromasa tries to stop him in his tracks, but he is no match for his superhuman abilities; he is mortally wounded when Dōson throws back an arrow Hiromasa shot towards him. Seimei and Aone find him, but it is too late. Aone suggests that Seimei resurrect Hiromasa by performing the rite of Taizan-fukun, the Chinese

god of the dead Many have incorporated a god of death into their mythology or religion. As death, along with birth, is among the major parts of human life, these deities may often be one of the most important deities of a religion. In some religions in which a ...

(泰山府君祭 ''Taizan-fukun no matsuri''), offering to sacrifice her immortality and life to do so. Hiromasa, brought back to life by the ritual, and Seimei go to face Dōson. Aone's spirit, speaking through Hiromasa's body, convinces Sawara to give up his hatred. While Sawara at first refuses to do so, he is finally moved by the prospect of being with Aone - who was the prince's lover during his lifetime - forever; he then passes peacefully with Aone into the afterlife. Although now without Sawara's spirit to empower him, Dōson resumes the fight. Seimei, using his wits, traps Dōson within a magical barrier. Finally admitting defeat, Dōson slashes his throat with the sword from Sawara's burial mound. At the end of the movie, Seimei and Hiromasa drink

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

together in Seimei's house. Hiromasa teases Seimei for crying when he died and reflects on what Seimei said to him earlier: that the human heart can turn one into a demon or a buddha. Seimei tells Hiromasa that he is a 'very good man'; Hiromasa answers, "So are you." The two share a laugh together.

Cast

Mansai Nomura is a well known Kyogen stage actor, and film actor. He played Abe no seimei in '' Onmyoji'' and ''Onmyoji 2'', an original work by Baku Yumemakura. He received the Best Actor prize at the Blue Ribbon Awards for his work in '' Onmyoji''. Career ...

(安倍晴明): An exceptionally talented ''onmyōji'' whose very origins are shrouded in mystery. Although an ''onmyōji'' of the imperial court, he initially shows little regard for it or Heian-kyō itself, preferring instead to stay home with his ''

'' and drink

, yet eventually finds himself fulfilling his destined role as the capital's protector along with Hiromasa. *

Hideaki Itō is a Japanese actor. Biography Ito is best known for starring in the hit franchise ''Umizaru'' film series which consistently topped the Japanese box office of the year. He has also head-lined many other major Japanese films such as Takashi M ...

(源博雅): A nobleman in the court with a bumbling personality skilled in playing the flute. Although wary of ''onmyōji'' at first, he eventually becomes close friends with Seimei, being destined to become the guardian of Heian-kyō along with him. *

Eriko Imai is a Japanese pop singer, actress and politician. She made her debut in the early 1990s as part of the group Speed, which disbanded in March 2000. Eriko began her work away from Speed during 1998, performing "Tsumetaku Shinai de", under the st ...

as Mitsumushi (蜜虫): A

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

apparently killed by Seimei as a display of his power and subsequently brought back to life. She serves him as one of his ''

''. *

Hiroyuki Sanada is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...

as Dōson (道尊): The head of the Bureau of Onmyō (陰陽寮 ''Onmyō-ryō''), he secretly plots the downfall of the imperial line and attempts to use the

of Prince Sawara to further his goals. *

Ittoku Kishibe , born , is a Japanese actor and musician. Career He originally entered show business as the bassist for the Japanese rock bands, The Tigers and Pyg, but later switched to acting. The veteran of over 115 films, he won the Best Actor Japanese Ac ...

as the Emperor (帝 ''Mikado''): Loosely based on the historical

Emperor Murakami was the 62nd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 村上天皇 (62)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967. Biography Before he ascended to ...

(reigned 946–967), who was the reigning emperor in the year the story takes place (944 CE). The emperor's newborn son and heir is named 'Atsuhira' (敦平) in the film, which is actually the name of a later emperor ( Go-Ichijō, reigned 1016-1036). The historical son and successor of Murakami,

Emperor Reizei was the 63rd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 冷泉天皇 (63)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement. ...

, was named 'Norihira' (憲平). *

Ken'ichi Yajima is a Japanese actor. Career Graduating from Meiji Gakuin University, Yajima debuted as an actor in 1981. A frequent player in the films of Masato Harada, Yajima often plays yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organize ...

(藤原師輔): The Emperor's

. The historical Morosuke was in reality Emperor Murakami's

. *

Akira Emoto is a Japanese actor. Career In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Dr. Akagi''. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for ''Dotonbori River'' and '' Hearts and Flo ...

as Fujiwara no Motokata ( 藤原元方): The Emperor's

, who, at Dōson's instigation falsely accuses Seimei of cursing the newborn Prince Atsuhira (which was actually Dōson's doing). The historical Motokata had been a ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'' under Murakami. *

Sachiko Kokubu is a Japanese actress and fashion model. She has starred in several TV dramas and movies, including the 2004 horror film ''Tokyo Psycho''. Biography Kokubu was married in 2011 and had her first child in 2016. Filmography * ''Nurse no osigoto 3'' ...

as Tōko (任子): The Emperor's consort and Morosuke's daughter who bears him Prince Atsuhira. Based on the historical

Fujiwara no Anshi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor Murakami of Japan. She was the daughter of Fujiwara no Morosuke (藤原師輔) Fujiwara no Anshi managed to acquire great influence over the Emperor, and has been called the most i ...

(aka Yasuko). *

Yui Natsukawa is a Japanese actress. She co-starred with Hiroshi Abe in the 2006 Japanese drama Kekkon Dekinai Otoko and in Hirokazu Kore-eda's 2008 film '' Still Walking''. Filmography Film * ''Sora ga Konnani Aoi Wake ga Nai'' (1993) - Kaoru Aoki * ''Yoru ...

as Sukehime (祐姫): Motokata's daughter and one of the Emperor's wives. Her son, Prince Hirohira, was originally supposed to be the heir to the throne; the birth of Atsuhira, however, caused her to be sidelined. She is enamored by Hiromasa's flute playing; Hiromasa, in turn, falls in love with her, unaware of her true identity. Dōson later takes advantage of her jealousy against Tōko and Atsuhira to turn her into an ''

''. *

Masato Hagiwara is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and professional mahjong player. Biography When Hagiwara was three years old, his parents divorced and he was taken in by his father. However, his father died when he was in the fourth grade, and was th ...

(早良親王 ''Sawara-shinnō''): An imperial prince who died swearing vengeance on the imperial throne 150 years before the story takes place. Dōson seeks to awaken and harness his spirit in order to depose the current emperor. * Hōka Kinoshita as

(桓武天皇 ''Kanmu-tennō''): Prince Sawara's elder brother who charged him with treason, driving Sawara to suicide. Fear of Sawara's

restless spirit In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crem ...

led Kanmu to move the capital from

Nagaoka-kyō was the capital of Japan from 784 to 794. Its location was reported as Otokuni District, Yamashiro Province, and Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, which took its name from the capital. Parts of the capital were in what is now the city of Nagaokakyō, while ...

and to pacify Sawara's ghost by sealing it inside a burial mound. *

Kyōko Koizumi (born February 4, 1966) is a Japanese singer and actress. She is signed to Victor Entertainment. Career In 1981, Kyoko Koizumi participated and won the Star Tanjo! programme and released her 1st single in March 1982. She gained her first num ...

as Aone (青音): A woman who was Prince Sawara's lover in life. Rendered immortal by consuming the flesh of a

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

150 years ago, she was appointed by Kanmu to ensure that Sawara's spirit will never reawaken. * Ken'ichi Ishii as

Fujiwara no Kaneie was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Kaneie" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He also was known as Hōkō-in Daijin and Higashi-sanjō-dono. Career Kan ...

(藤原兼家): A nobleman who finds a gourd growing out of a pine tree in his house, which was actually the manifestation of a curse laid by a jilted lover of his who had killed herself. * Kenji Yamaki as Tachibana no Ukon (橘右近): Captain of the imperial police force, the ''Kebiishi'' ( 検非違使), who arrests Seimei. He is later seen fighting his men who have been possessed by spirits summoned by Dōson. * Hitomi Tachihara as Ayako (綾子): Another one of the Emperor's wives worried that he is spending more time with Tōko. * Ni'ichi Shinhashi as Nagamasa (長正) *

Kenjirō Ishimaru is a Japanese actor and TV narrator. He is best known for his role in Kamen Rider series ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' as the owner of the DenLiner. He has also appeared in multiple competitions of ''Sasuke'' as a competitor and during that time has ...

as Kanmu's head ''onmyōji'' *

Masane Tsukayama is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from Naha, Okinawa. His wife is opera singer . He is best known for dubbing over Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne. Filmography Film * ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo' ...

as Narrator

Dub cast

Terrence Stone Terrence Stone is voice actor who is also known as Terry Stone. He is well known for voicing Zhao Yun in ''Dynasty Warriors'' series until the eight installment and ''Warriors Orochi'' series up to its sequel. Filmography Animated * '' Ci ...

: Abe no Seimei *

Lex Lang Lex Lang (born November 12, 1965) is an American voice actor and voice director, who has provided voices and served as a director for a number of animations and video games. He is best known for voicing Doctor Neo Cortex in the ''Crash Bandicoo ...

: Minamoto no Hiromasa * Steve Kramer: Dōson *

Simon Prescott Simon Prescott is an American voice actor who is best known for his work in the anime and film industries. Notable roles include Dr. Laughton in ''Metropolis'' and Aritomo Yamagata in ''Rurouni Kenshin''. Filmography Anime *'' Akira'' – Dr. ...

: Emperor *

Richard Cansino Richard Elias Cansino (born August 10, 1953) is an American voice actor. He is also known as Richard Hayworth because he is the nephew of Rita Hayworth. Richard is best known for his voice work as Kenshin Himura in the anime adaptation of ''Rurou ...

: Fujiwara no Morosuke * Tom Wyner: Fujiwara no Motokata *

Ellyn Stern Ellyn Stern is an American voice actress and voice director. The wife of fellow voice actor Richard Epcar, she has worked on various shows, including '' Genma Wars'', ''Noein'', and ''MÄR''. She also voiced Masaki Kurosaki in the hit anime se ...

: Tōko *

Mona Marshall Mona Marshall is an American voice actress, known for her work in a number of cartoons, anime shows, films and video games. Her major credits include ''South Park'', where she voices many of the female characters on the show; '' Fraggle Rock: The ...

: Sukehime *

Tony Oliver Tony Oliver is an American voice actor best known for voicing Rick Hunter from ''Robotech'', Lancer from ''Fate/stay night'', and Arsène Lupin III from ''Lupin the Third''. He helped produce the live action shows ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ...

: Prince Sawara *

Kari Wahlgren Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...

: Aone *

Bob Papenbrook Robert DeWayne Papenbrook (September 18, 1955 – March 17, 2006) was an American voice actor. Career Fellow voice actors often nicknamed him "Pappy". He was very well known in the worlds of anime and video game voice-overs for his voice acting o ...

: Tachibana no Ukon * Jim Taggert: Nagamasa

Release

''Onmyōji'' was released theatrically in Japan on October 6, 2001 where it was distributed by

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

. The film was a commercial success, grossing ¥3,010,000,000 ($36,567,313) and becoming the fourth-highest earning Japanese production of 2001. The film was also giving a limited theater release in North America where it grossed $16,234 in three theaters. It was released in the United States on April 18, 2003, under the title ''Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master''. It was followed by the sequel '' Onmyōji 2'' in 2003.

Reception

The film won the awards for Best Sound Recording and the

Mainichi Film Concours The are a series of annual film awards, sponsored by Mainichi Shinbun (毎日新聞), one of the largest newspaper companies in Japan, since 1946. It is the first film festival in Japan. History The origins of the contest date back to 1935, ...

and Best Sound at the

Japanese Academy Awards The , often called the Japan Academy Prize, the Japan Academy Awards, and the Japanese Academy Awards, is a series of awards given annually since 1978 by the Japan Academy Film Prize Association (日本アカデミー賞協会, ''Nippon Akademii- ...

Footnotes

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Onmyōji (film) 2001 films 2000s Japanese-language films Films directed by Yōjirō Takita Toho films Jidaigeki films Films with screenplays by Yasushi Fukuda Films scored by Shigeru Umebayashi 2000s Japanese films