An engaging and exciting fantasy-adventure, Onmyoji transports the viewer to Japan's Heian period for a classic tale of good vs. evil! Set in the dark days of Ancient Japan, the film tells of the Onmyoji, an order of wise mystics who serve as counsel to the Heian Emperor. Seimei (Mansai Nomura) is the most talented onmyoji in the Emperor's court, but it's rumored that he's not actually human, and is instead a sort of half-breed demon. But as the birth of the Emperor's heir grows closer, intrigue and political strife within the kingdom threatens to tear the Emperor's family apart! It's up to Seimei to root out and subdue the potential threats, which may include his own master Doson, played by acclaimed actor Hiroyuki Sanada of The Last Emperor and Twilight Samurai. Ancient mysticism and a historical setting combine to dazzling effect as the tale of Onmyoji unfolds!
Based on famous serial novels by Baku Yumemakura, Onmyoji utilizes state-of-the-art special effects, gorgeous period detail, and a stripped-from-anime sensibility to create a crowd-pleasing spectacle of the first order! Released in Japan in 2001, Onmyoji went on to gross more than 3.1 billion Yen, and was only outperformed at the box office by the Hayao Miyazaki animated film Spirted Away. In 2003, a sequel to Onmyoji was released, fittingly titled Onmyoji 2. |