Onmyoji

A 2001 Japanese fantasy film about Abe no Seimei. The sequel, imaginatively named Onmyoji 2, came out in 2003.

Set during the Heian Period (or a fantasy version thereof), Onmyoji begins with the story of how Prince Sawara was banished for a crime he didn't commit, and how he swore eternal vengeance. Cut to a long, long time after, when Douson is leader of the Emperor's onmyoji, and Abe no Seimei is an ostracised (but powerful) loner. A mysterious lady pleads with Seimei for a love spell that will bring the Emperor back to her, but he refuses. Meanwhile, young court noble Minamoto no Hiromasa is in love - and also beginning a close friendship with Seimei.

What none of them know is that Douson is planning to bring down the Emperor. And then the newborn prince is cursed, Seimei is arrested and a demon stalks the Imperial Palace...

Onmyoji 2 is set some time after the events of the first movie and touches a bit more on Japanese Mythology, namely the gods and goddesses and the Izumo and Yamato clans. A demon is running loose in the captial, killing members of the nobility at random. What sets these murders apart from others is that one body part (an eye, the nose, a leg, etc...) on each victim is devoured for some unknown purpose. Fujiwara no Yasumaro, the current Right Minister to the Emperor, is worried about his daughter, Himiko, being possessed by the demon as she's been sleepwalking at night at the same time the killings began. The Emperor tasks Seimei with finding and exorcising the demon. Meanwhile, Hiromasa finds a new friend in Susa, a peasant boy, after following the sound of the latter's biwa melody. In the middle of all of this is the story about an Izumo village that was destroyed 18 years ago and the mysterious sword, Ame no Murakumo.

Behind the scenes, a mysterious man named Genkaku is employed by other members of the Emperor's court due to his "god-like" powers in a political gambit to bring disfavor to Seimei. However, Genkaku seems to be interested in other things...


 * Above Good and Evil: A rare example of a True Neutral character using this argument.
 * Asian Rune Chant: Seimei and Douson in the first film. Genkaku and Seimei in the sequel.
 * The Atoner: Fujiwara no Yasumaro
 * Artefact of Doom: The sword, Ame no Murakumo.
 * Break the Cutie: Hiromasa has horrible luck when it comes to his romantic relationships.
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome: Hiromasa.
 * Complete Monster: Genkaku has absolutely no problems with using
 * Crapsack World: The only two characters in the film who are actually good people are Hiromasa and Lady Aone. Himiko and Susa from the sequel are also fairly good people.
 * Demonic Possession:
 * Died in Your Arms Tonight:
 * Dragon-in-Chief: Prince Sawara is only theoretically the main villain.
 * Duel to the Death: Seimei and Douson, eventually.
 * Genkaku and Seimei have a duel at the climax of the sequel.
 * Dying as Yourself:
 * Evil Is Hammy: Douson and Genkaku like to occasionally snack on the scenery.
 * Evil Is Not a Toy: Genkaku calls upon the powers of the gods,, to help him with his revenge.
 * Evil Laugh: Genkaku oh-so-much.
 * The Four Gods: Seimei invokes these at one point.
 * Gorgeous Period Dress: Seimei is usually beautifully and colourfully dressed, as is Mitsumushi; most of the other characters, however, dress quite plainly.
 * Heroic Spirit: Hiromasa. He tries so hard.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Ujio/Kenji plays Douson.
 * Ho Yay: Seimei and Hiromasa. Seimei and Hiromasa. "Oh, I don't care about the world, but I'll save it if you really want me to."
 * Comes up in the sequel too. They really don't want each other to die.
 * Ironic Echo: "When it is time to perish, we will all perish."
 * Japanese Mythology: Features prominently throughout, but notably in the second film.
 * Loves the Sound of Screaming: Douson.
 * Manly Tears:
 * Meaningful Name: Susa.
 * Mooks: The Imperial soldiers Douson has possessed by demons.
 * Moral Event Horizon:
 * Morality Pet: Seimei really doesn't care about the human world that much; Hiromasa is the one exception.
 * Music Soothes the Savage Beast: Hiromasa's flute playing help stop the in his tracks on more than one occasion.
 * Mythology Gag: Seimei often looks faintly vulpine; this is a reference to his mythological background where he was the son of a kitsune. Specifically referenced by Hiromasa in-universe; upon first being introduced to each other, Seimei playfully teases Hiromasa about the myth.
 * Seimei's possible ancestry is brought up again in the second movie. Upon meeting Seimei for the first time, Himiko tells him that he looks like "a white fox."
 * Noblewoman's Laugh: Seimei.
 * Not So Different: Interesting example, in that Seimei acknowledges the similarities calmly enough. He's just angry that
 * Not So Stoic: While Seimei doesn't precisely count as The Stoic, one of the very few times we see him lose his composure is
 * Onmyodo
 * Parental Abandonment: Himiko's
 * The Power of Love:
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge:
 * Sealed Evil in a Can: Prince Sawara.
 * Self-Disposing Villain:
 * Seppuku:
 * Slashed Throat: A favourite method of death for the characters.
 * Spirit World: Or wherever the hell Seimei goes.
 * It comes up again in the second movie when
 * Tomboy Princess: Himiko, to the chagrin of her father and handmaiden.
 * Before that, he's shown to be a gentle husband and a good father.
 * Who Wants to Live Forever?: Aone.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: Hiromasa, especially when compared with Seimei.
 * Woman Scorned: Sukehime.
 * Spirit World: Or wherever the hell Seimei goes.
 * It comes up again in the second movie when
 * Tomboy Princess: Himiko, to the chagrin of her father and handmaiden.
 * Before that, he's shown to be a gentle husband and a good father.
 * Who Wants to Live Forever?: Aone.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist: Hiromasa, especially when compared with Seimei.
 * Woman Scorned: Sukehime.
 * Woman Scorned: Sukehime.