Azumi 2: Death or Love
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| Azumi 2: Death or Love | |
|---|---|
 UK DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Shusuke Kaneko |
| Produced by | Toshiaki Nakazawa Mataichiro Yamamoto |
| Written by | Yū Koyama (manga) Mataichiro Yamamoto Yoshiaki Kawajiri |
| Starring | Aya Ueto Yuma Ishigaki Chiaki Kuriyama Shun Oguri |
| Cinematography | Yoshitaka Sakamoto |
| Editing by | Shuichi Kakesu |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date(s) |  March 12, 2005 |
| Running time | 108 min. 112 min. (UK DVD) |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Preceded by | Azumi |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
Azumi 2: Death or Love is the sequel to Azumi based on the manga by Yū Koyama.
Azumi 2 continues shortly after the end of the previous film with Aya Ueto returning in the title role of a young assassin charged with keeping the nation from falling into civil war. Her main opponent is a daimyo named Masayuki Sanada (Mikijiro Hira) who employs a special ninja squad.
[edit] Plot synopsis
After the end of Azumi, Azumi and her only remaining colleauge Nagara find themselves hunted for the assassinations they've carried out. After a battle with ninja recruited by Kiyomasa'a retainer, Kanbei, Azumi and Nagara escape and hide temporarily in a temple so Nagara can heal. While Azumi goes to buy food, she comes across some bandits in a teahouse led by Ginkaku, a young bandit who bears a striking resemblance to Azumi's former friend (and love interest) Nachi. Later Azumi and Nagara are found by ninjas working for tessai the priest, upon whose orders the assassins initially began their mission. After discussing with Tessai, Azumi and Nagara leave to seek out their final target, Masayuki Sanada. A group of government ninja also accompany them, among them Kozue (Chiaki Kuriyama).
Meanwhile Kanbei assembles a large force of mercenaries and bandits to try and take down the assassins. Amongst them are Ginkaku and his brother, Kikkaku. After ambushing Azumi and the others in a deserted town, kanbei's ninjas attack but Ginkaku and the others change sides in order to protect Azumi. The ninjas, including their leader, are killed. Azumi and the others return to Ginkaku's family, where they are looked upon with distaste for their occupation. Azumi is torn by her attachment to the Nachi-resembling Ginkaku, but on Nagara's urging they depart.
While travelling, Kozue convinces Nagara that Azumi no longer wishes to fulfill her mission and should be talked out of it. Nagara tells Azumi he is fed up and wants to start a new life with Kozue, and that Azumi should go and live with Ginkaku, and they part ways. Azumi, still intent on carrying out the mission, attempts to locate Masayuki in his mountain temple only to discover he has left with his army to kill Tessai. Meanwhile Tessai and his entourage have departed for safety, but are soon tracked down by Roppa, a member of the bloodthirsty Ueno Koga clan working for Masayuki. Most of Tessai's guards are killed until Azumi arrives, as do Ginkaku and his brethren who had been following her. Roppa is killed, as are Kikkaku and several of Ginkaku's brothers.
Meanwhile, Nagara and Kozue begin their search for Masayuki, but once they are alone Kozue reveals herself to be a hidden member of the Ueno Koga clan and kills Nagara. Coming across Azumi later, she tells her that she and Nagara were separated. However when she attempts to kill Tessai Azumi, realising the truth of Nagara's fate, kills Kozue. Then in anger she states she will go after Masayuki alone. in the forest, Tsuchigumo, another Ueno ninja attacks Azumi and leads her into a trap of poisoned wires. Tsuchigumo is killed in the duel but Azumi is cut and falls into a paralytic sleep. Sanada's concubine and the true leader of the Ueno clan, Kunio, stepped out to finish the incapacitated Azumi off, but Ginkaku appeared and took the fatal thrust intended to Azumi, in the process mortally injuring Kunio. For some unknown reason, Ginkaku managed to dampen the poison on Azumi and he died afterwards.
When Sanada heard about Kunio's death he became enraged, so when Azumi fought her way to in front of him, Sanada is eager to kill Azumi by himself. He decided to challenge her to a single duel, and also stated that whatever the result of the duel is they will no longer bother the Tokugawa regime ever again. Azumi, saddened by the death of her loved ones, accepted the duel. During the duel, they appeared to equal each other in terms of skill until Azumi broke Sanada's spear. Sanada took another weapon, but got slashed even before he managed to use it. It appeared that he already received the blow during the time his weapon got broken, but the wounds did not took effect immediately. The duel concluded with Sanada's death and Azumi, being unable to escape her destiny to kill, decided to leave the place to live alone. ..
[edit] Cast
- Aya Ueto as Azumi
- Yuma Ishigaki as Nagara
- Chiaki Kuriyama as Kozue
- Shun Oguri as Ginkaku / Nachi
- Kazuki Kitamura as Kanbee Inoue
- Kenichi Endo as Kinkaku
- Kai Shishido as Hanzo
- Tak Sakaguchi as Tsuchigumo
- Shoichiro Matsumoto as Saburota
- Kenji Takechi as Kiheita
- Ai Maeda as Chiyo
- Toshie Negishi as Yone
[edit] External links
- (Japanese) Azumi 2 official site
- Azumi II: Death or Love - discussing the movie from the historical perspective
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