Yôkai daisensô (The Great Yokai War)

Fanfan · Post by **Fanfan** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:20 -0700

humhum... i know this movie was released in 2005 but i just saw it in a weird movie festival (Festival de l'Etrange) in Paris (and it is the first diffusion in France).

I wanted to see this movie since i heard of it, because i like or at least find interesting Takeshi Miike's movies, and the second point is that i am a big fan of yokai (the title of the movie is taken from a 1968 movie of Yoshiyuki Kuroda, and get other inspiration like Kimiyoshi Yasuda's Yôkai hyaku monogatari )

I am not sure but i think it was a special movie for the 60th anniversary of the Kadokawa.

we see in this movie both yokai and o-bake-mono (pure supernatural being and transformational thing). If you like japanese folkloric and fantastic bestiary, you will probably like this movie. It is somekind of tale with some Miike thematic. The end of the movie is a huge matsuri with all monsters of all Japan who come to Tokyo for a party.

Oh i have forgoten to tell a little about the story... a young boy has been chosen during a festival to become a knight for one year, and at the same time a very evil spirit kidnapped yokais to make them merge with all things that human people throw away and they become devil things, the young boy will find bravery thanks to his grandfather and a very kawai yokai, a kappa will go along with him, a princess of the water too, he need to find the sword the great tengu kept for him.

Of course, a great sense of humor is required to watch this movie ^_^ !

Trailer :
http://www.filmhorizon.com/fh-media/yokaiE_700.wmv

teaser :
http://www.filmhorizon.com/fh-media/yokai_700.wmv

a DVD has been released with english subtitles.

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:31 -0700

I have the original on video tape, and have this remake on order. The tape was sent to me by UY reader Bill Mimbu, who has an interest in yokai--especially the rokurokubi (that long neck woman. I'm looking forward to seeing the new one, because the special effects should be much better.

Yes, you do need a sense of humor while watching it.

Azraelito · Post by **Azraelito** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:39 -0700

wowwwwwwww...

the trailer is great!!I dont have words in english or spanish to describe this..

I hope to find a place here in buenos aires who has that...

saludos

Fanfan · Post by **Fanfan** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:17 -0700

I hope to find a place here in buenos aires who has that...

or try amazon.com....

Stan, i hope you will enjoy and tell us when you will have watched it.

Bill Mimbu should see it, there is a great scene with rokurokubi ...

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 13:35 -0700

Oh, I am so going to see this movie.

It sounds like a classic monster mash, except with Japanese ghosts 'n' goblins. Sounds like a blast. The premise actually reminds me of another movie from the '80's called THE MONSTER SQUAD, where a group of kids had to fight Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, etc.

khyron82 · Post by **khyron82** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 22:28 -0700

Didn't intend to revive an old thread, but couldn't help myself with my name and the word rokurokubi being mentioned at the same time!

Yes, I have seen 'Great Yokai War' (own the DVD as well), and thought it was nice homage to all of Shigeru Mizuki's yokai manga works (he makes a cameo at the end of GYW as "The Head In The Box").

For something a little more up-to-date, another anime version of Mizuki's famous 'GeGeGe no Kitaro' been running on Japanese TV since Spring 2007, and the rokurokubi has been a reoccurring character...

Been following the series via this Japanese blogger (posts scans from the show on a weekly basis):

http://blog.livedoor.jp/fxnhe622_fxhnx8 ... 09920.html