Onmyoji (film)

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Onmyoji (Also known as:"The Yin Yang Master")
Directed by	Yojiro Takita
Produced by	Kazuya Hamana Tetsuji Hayashi Nobuyuki Tohya
Written by	Baku Yumemakura
Starring	Mansai Nomura Hideaki Ito Eriko Imai Yui Natsukawa Mai Hosho Kenichi Yajima Kenjiro Ishimaru Kenichi Ishii Houka Kinoshita Sachiko Kokubu Kenji Yamaki
Music by	Shigeru Umebayashi
Cinematography	Naoki Kayano
Running time	112 min.
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Followed by	Onmyoji II
IMDb profile

Mansai Nomura as Seimei in the 2003 film Onmyoji II

A movie was released in 2001 and brought to the US in 2004. Directed by Yojiro Takita, it tells of the exploits of Abe no Seimei, the Onmyoji (also known as:The Yin Yang Master) from the court of the Mikado. He was befriended by bungling swordsman Minamoto no Hiromasa, who enlists his aid to defend the Heian emperor. Meanwhile, the Onmyoji Doson is plotting the downfall of the emperor, attempting to frame Seimei in the process while unleashing a horde of youkai to do his bidding.

There are some modern depictions of Onmyoji magic involving divination, transforming paper cutouts into beautiful maidens, and the like. Mansai Nomura is a famous kyogen actor, a type of traditional theater related to noh but of a more comic nature, and this role is considered something of a big transition for him. His portrayal of Abe no Seimei has been described as including a number of 'foxy' looks, perhaps in acknowledging the folklore describing Abe no Seimei's mother as a kitsune. The lead actress, Eriko Imai, a pop singer, has very few lines and little involvement with the plot.

A sequel, Onmyoji II, appeared in 2003.