The beautiful Ueto Aya returns for more blood-spurting ninja violence in
Azumi 2: Death or Love, the much-anticipated
sequel to director Kitamura Ryuhei's action-packed 2003 original. While Kitamura-san chose to bow out for the 2005 follow-up,
the directorial reins have been passed on to the capable hands of one Kaneko Shuzuke, a veteran filmmaker who definitely knows
a thing or two about helming sequels - the man has no less than three
Gamera movies and one
Godzilla film under
his belt as a director!
Based on the popular manga by Koyama Yu, Azumi 2: Death or Love picks up where the last film left off, with the
title character wandering around Japan with her good friend Nagara (Ishigaki Yuma, from Battle Royale II) in tow. But
in her travels, Azumi's life is interrupted by violence once more. This time around, Azumi has found herself caught in the
thick of some major internal strife within the Japanese government and is enlisted by a lord to dispose of a rival official,
the evil Sanada Masayuki (Hira Mikijiro, from Suzuki Seijun's Pistol Opera). With no other choice left to her, Azumi
must unsheathe her sword once more and mete out bloody retribution. But things get complicated when she meets up with a motley
band of crooks that just so happen to have a member who bears an uncannily resemblance to Azumi's former best friend, Nachi
(a returning Oguri Syun). Is there romance in the cards for Azumi or only death and destruction? Featuring Kuriyama Chiaki
(late of Kill Bill and the original Battle Royale) in a supporting role, Azumi 2: Death or Love amounts
to a highly entertaining, fight-filled popcorn flick that is sure to lure viewers both old and new!
DVD FEATURES:
- Language(s): Japanese
- Subtitle(s): English
- Special Feature(s): Trailer; Cast & Crews
