The Great Yokai War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Great Yokai War
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Takashi Miike
Produced by	Fumio Inoue
Written by	Novel: Hiroshi Aramata Screenplay: Takashi Miike Mitsuhiko Sawamura Takehiko Itakura
Starring	Ryunosuke Kamiki Hiroyuki Miyasako Mai Takahashi
Music by	Kōji Endō
Studio	Kadokawa Pictures Shochiku
Distributed by	Tokyo Shock (United States)
Release date(s)	August 6, 2005 (2005-08-06)
Running time	124 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Money made	$15,787,492

The Great Yokai War (妖怪大戦争, Yōkai Daisensō, lit. Yokai War) is an exciting Japanese fantasy film released in 2005. It was directed by Takashi Miike and made by Kadokawa Pictures. The movie is known internationally as The Great Yōkai War.

This film is all about amazing creatures from Japanese mythology called yōkai. Yōkai are spirits, goblins, or monsters. They became very popular during the Edo period in Japan, thanks to stories by Toriyama Sekien. The movie also gets ideas from Hiroshi Aramata's book Teito Monogatari. The bad guy from that book, Katō Yasunori, is also the main villain in this film.

The Great Yokai War is a bit like a new version of an older 1968 movie called Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare. It also takes inspiration from Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitarō manga series. These stories often retell the famous Japanese tale of Momotarō. In that tale, a hero drives away demons with the help of animals. While older versions often showed Japanese yōkai fighting against invaders, The Great Yōkai War shows a different kind of fight. It's about the clash between Japan's old traditions and its modern way of life. This is shown through "machine monsters" called kikai. These kikai are created when Katō mixes yōkai with machines.

Shigeru Mizuki, a famous expert on yōkai, helped with the film. He even made a special appearance as the Great Elder Yōkai. His role in the movie shows how important he is in the world of yōkai stories. His message in the film is also similar to the themes in his own manga. Mizuki's role as a peace-keeper comes from his own experiences in real wars.

Story of the Great Yokai War

Tadashi Becomes the Kirin Rider

The story begins with a young boy named Tadashi Ino. He moves to a new town after his parents get a divorce. At a local festival, Tadashi is chosen to be the Kirin Rider for the year. The Kirin is a legendary creature from Chinese myths. It is known as a protector of all good things.

Tadashi soon learns that his new title is very real. A powerful and evil spirit named Yasunori Katō appears. Katō is a demon who gets his powers from his anger. He is angry because modern Japan has forgotten its old traditions and treated the yōkai badly. Katō wants revenge on modern Japanese people.

Katō's Evil Plan and the Kikai

To get his revenge, Katō teams up with a yōkai named Agi. Together, they summon a fiery spirit called Yomotsumono. This spirit is made from all the bad feelings of things that humans have thrown away. Katō feeds yōkai into Yomotsumono's flames. This mixes the yōkai with discarded tools and items. This creates scary "machine monsters" called kikai.

These kikai are controlled by Katō. They capture other yōkai to make their army bigger. They also attack and kill humans. One small yōkai, a sunekosuri, manages to escape. It befriends Tadashi. Tadashi then tries to get a special sword called the Daitenguken from a mountain. This is a test for him to become the true Kirin Rider.

Tadashi's Journey and Challenges

Tadashi is scared by the stories about the mountain. When he gets there, he tries to run away. But a sea spirit named Shōjō tricks him. Shōjō had chosen Tadashi to be the Kirin Rider. Tadashi manages to pass a test to prove he is worthy.

With Shōjō, Kawahime, and Kawatarō by his side, Tadashi goes to the Daitengu. The Daitengu gives him the sword. But then, the kikai attack and take the Daitengu away. Tadashi tries to fight, but the sword breaks. Agi captures the sunekosuri, and Tadashi is knocked out.

Help from the Yōkai

When Tadashi wakes up, he is with many yōkai. They talk about how to fix the broken sword. They decide to ask the blacksmith Ippondatara for help. But then they learn that Ippondatara has also been captured. General Nurarihyon and his group leave to find him. Kawataro holds back an ittan-momen. He praises the clumsy Azukiarai, not knowing Azukiarai only stayed because his foot was numb.

The Final Battle in Tokyo

Katō's giant flying fortress heads towards Tokyo. Tadashi and his friends chase after it. They arrive just after the fortress swallows the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Tokyo. Inside, they find Ippondatara, who fixes the sword. Ippondatara is ashamed because the sunekosuri took his place and became a kikai.

Tadashi and his friends put on new clothes and get ready for battle. They are greatly outnumbered. But then, thousands of yōkai arrive, thinking they are coming to a party! Their big fight with the kikai allows Tadashi and Kawahime to enter the fortress safely. A reporter named Sata, who loves yōkai, follows them. Kawahime had saved him before.

Tadashi is forced to destroy the kikai that the sunekosuri became. This turns the sunekosuri back to its original form, but it is badly hurt. Tadashi is filled with rage and fights Agi. But Katō calls Agi back to start the final part of his plan. She is to join with Yomotsumono. Katō is too strong for Tadashi. Kawahime tries to protect Tadashi. She says she hates humans for abandoning her, but she doesn't want revenge. She sees revenge as a human feeling. Katō ignores her and defeats both of them. Azukiarai then awkwardly arrives.

Katō calls Agi to join him. But her love for him stops the process. So, Katō kills her instead. He then enters the oven to become one with Yomotsumono. However, because of Sata's actions, one of Azukiarai's adzuki beans falls into the mix with Katō. This causes a chain reaction of positive feelings that destroys Yomotsumono.

After the yōkai leave, Tadashi and Sata find themselves on the street. Tadashi tells his first small lie to the reporter about Kawahime's feelings for him. Years later, Tadashi is an adult. He has lost the ability to see yōkai, even the sunekosuri. The movie ends with the sunekosuri meeting a version of Katō with adzuki bean eyes.

Main Characters and Actors

Role	Actor (Original)	English Language Dubbing
Tadashi Ino	Ryunosuke Kamiki	????
Sata	Hiroyuki Miyasako	????
Kawahime	Mai Takahashi	????
Shōjō	Masaomi Kondo	????
Kawataro	Sadao Abe	????
Azukiarai	Takashi Okamura	????
Ippon-datara	Hiromasa Taguchi	????
Yasunori Katō	Etsushi Toyokawa	????
Agi, The Bird-Catching Sprite	Chiaki Kuriyama	????
Shuntaro Ino	Bunta Sugawara	????
Youko Ino	Kaho Minami	Stephanie Sheh
Tataru Ino	Riko Narumi
General Nurarihyon	Kiyoshiro Imawano	????
Abura-sumashi	Naoto Takenaka	????
Oh Tengu	Kenichi Endō	????
Great Yōkai Elder (cameo)	Shigeru Mizuki	????

Featured Yōkai in the Film