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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).