Japan Cuts XV Review: Takashi Miike’s THE GREAT YOKAI WAR: GUARDIANS Takes You To Yokai Church
My first exposure to Takashi Miike began less than twenty years ago, eyeing Suncoast’s DVD kiosks where I would nab copies of some of their Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock titles. His range of directing proved to me to be as unique as it is versatile, exuding a style that rightfully stirred the pot at times and peppered it beautifully at others. 2005’s The Great Yokai War certainly fit the bill, catapulting viewers into a world where Jim Henson meets Japanese folklore, steampunk and mysticism. I’m not at all sure when Miike decided to make a sequel, though I have to say that last year’s breaking news about the film’s pending release was exciting, particularly since I hadn’t seen the first film until recently. Returning to the genre brings viewers back into the hidden world of the yokai where young Kei (Kokoro Terada) finds himself thrust into an adventure of supernatural creatures […]