View source for Ashura (film)

{{one source|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Ashura
| image          = Ashura film Theatrical release poster (2005).jpg
| caption        = 
| director       = [[Yōjirō Takita]]
| producer       = [[Shochiku]]
| writer         = 
| starring       = [[Ichikawa Somegorō VII]]<br>[[Rie Miyazawa]]<br>[[Kanako Higuchi]]<br>[[Atsuro Watabe]]<br>[[Takashi Naito]]<br>[[Erika Sawajiri]]
| music          = [[Yoko Kanno]]
| cinematography = 
| editing        = 
| country        = Japan
| language       = Japanese
| distributor    = [[Shochiku]]
| released       = {{Film date|2005}}
| runtime        = 119 minutes
}}

{{Nihongo|'''''Ashura'''''|阿修羅城の瞳|Ashurajō no Hitomi|{{lit}} "Eye(s) of [[Asura]] Castle"}} is a 2005 Japanese horror film, starring [[Ichikawa Somegorō VII]], [[Rie Miyazawa]] and [[Kanako Higuchi]].<ref>{{Cite journal | date = 2005-05-01 | journal = Spaceship | volume = 118 | issue = May 2005 issue | publisher = [[Asahi Sonorama]] | id = Magazine Code: 01843-05 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ehills.co.jp/rp/dfw/EHILLS/event/cinema/050401/index.php|title=阿修羅城の瞳 ［試写会日記］／eHills Club|website=www.ehills.co.jp}}</ref> Directed by [[Yōjirō Takita]], it is a film adaptation of a 1987 [[Kazuki Nakashima]] play set in the [[Sengoku period|16th century.]] It was released on [[DVD-Video]] as in the United Kingdom by Yume Pictures in 2006 and in the United States by [[AnimEigo]] in 2007.

== Story ==

A beautiful [[Oni (folklore)|oni]] named Bizan appears on Earth. She wants to bring demon queen Ashura back to life, so the demons can take over the world beginning in [[Edo]] (modern day Tokyo). Opposing her is the Oni Makado, an army of demon slayers that was created by the Japanese government. Izumo once fought with the Makado, but resigned to become a [[kabuki]] actor after he thought he accidentally killed a young girl. After 5 years, Izumo encounters Tsubaki, who is a member of an all-female acrobatic troupe who rob the citizens of Edo during the night. Falling deeply in love, Izumo notices a red, ugly scar on Tsubaki's shoulder, which is the mark of Ashura. Meanwhile, Jaku, one of Izumo's ex-comrades, falls for Bizan, leading the Oni Makado over to the dark side.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=143655&buy=closed&PID=10125928&Tab=reviews&CID=18 |title=Ashura (2005)|website=Reel.com |date= |accessdate=2016-11-17 |archive-date=28 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228231417/http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=143655&buy=closed&PID=10125928&Tab=reviews&CID=18 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Jaku desires the power of Ashura and captures Tsubaki, but Izumo rescues her. The passion between Izumo and Tsubaki eventually causes the spirit of Ashura to awaken within the latter. After introspection, both Izumo and Tsubaki recall the event they were unable to remember from 5 years ago. This explains why their supposedly chance meetings always invoked a feeling of familiarity.

With great disdain for the transgressions in her human life, Tsubaki leaves for the demon world to fulfill her destiny as their queen. In forlorn pursuit, Izumo arrives at Ashura's inverted sky castle of the demon world and slays Jaku, and then Bizan. Eventually Izumo finds Ashura and fights to the death.

== Cast ==

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
*[[Ichikawa Somegorō VII]] as Izumo
*[[Rie Miyazawa]] as Tsubaki
*[[Kanako Higuchi]] as Bizan
*[[Atsuro Watabe]] as Jaku Abe
*[[Takashi Naito]] as Nobuyuki Kuninari
*[[Erika Sawajiri]] as Yachi
*[[Fumiyo Kohinata]] as Nanboku Tsuruya IV
*[[Yukijiro Hotaru]] as Magotaro
}}

== Music ==

The music for the movie was composed and scored by [[Yoko Kanno]]. The theme song for the English-dubbed version is "[[My Funny Valentine]]", which is performed by [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] and features piano playing by [[Herbie Hancock]].

== Release ==
The two-disc set<!-- Which two-disc set? When was it released, in which countries and by which company? --> contains special features on the second disc. Two [[featurette]]s are included: "The Making of ''Ashura''" and "The Visual Effects of ''Ashura''." The first featurette, running 25 minutes, is a production documentary with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew. The special features documentary is 15 minutes long. Also included are a photo gallery, which is viewed without a remote, trailers for other releases from the same distributor and production notes for ''Ashura''.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|tt0459744}}

{{Yōjirō Takita}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashurajo No Hitomi}}
[[Category:2005 films]]
[[Category:2005 horror films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Yōjirō Takita]]
[[Category:Films set in the 16th century]]
[[Category:Japanese horror films]]
[[Category:Jidaigeki films]]
[[Category:Shochiku films]]
[[Category:Tokusatsu films]]
[[Category:2005 Japanese films]]
[[Category:Demons in film]]
[[Category:Films scored by Yoko Kanno]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Ashura (film)|access_date=2026-02-26}}