Teito Monogatari Gaiden
Encyclopedia
Teito Monogatari Gaiden is a tokusatsu
horror
/fantasy
film. It is the final entry in the series of cinematic live action
adaptations of the Teito Monogatari
franchise (the anime
Doomed Megalopolis
was technically the third adaptation, but it was essentially a remake of the first film Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
). It is technically not based on a novel from the main Teito Monogatari series, but rather adapted from a side story
novel, Karakuri Doshi (which occurs in contemporary times after the main series). Unlike its predecessors it was not released theatrically, but rather through V-Cinema
.
apart from the chronology of the main series. Several characters from the main series make an appearance in this movie, although their histories have been completely changed.
In 1995, a mental hospital
is erected near the Japanese Ministry of Finance, located adjacent to the grave of Taira no Masakado
. A young male nurse by the name of Jin’ya Yanase is obsessed with the legend of Taira no Masakado
and more importantly, the spirit of his evil subordinate Yasunori Kato
. Slowly, he becomes possessed by Kato's spirit, who wants to use him as a new host to revive in the modern world. Keiko Tatsumiya (the heroine of Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
/Doomed Megalopolis
), is an old woman living homeless on the streets of Tokyo. When she senses the presence of Yasunori Kato, she must regain her resolve to face the demon-god and vanquish his spirit once and for all.
After this film, the character of Yasunori Kato
has not been used again for any other movie based on the Teito Monogatari
series. He did, however, make an appearance as the main villain of the 2006 fantasy film
The Great Yokai War, directed by Takashi Miike
with a novelization by Hiroshi Aramata
.
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
film. It is the final entry in the series of cinematic live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
adaptations of the Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
franchise (the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Doomed Megalopolis
Doomed Megalopolis
is an anime rendition of the Japanese historical fantasy epic Teito Monogatari . Like it's live-action predecessor, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, the anime is only an adaptation of the first 1/3rd of the original novel. It was released by Toei in 1991 as a 4-part OVA...
was technically the third adaptation, but it was essentially a remake of the first film Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
is a tokusatsu historical fantasy film produced in 1987 by Exe and distributed in 1988 by Toho Studios. It is the first live-action adaptation of the Teito Monogatari series by Hiroshi Aramata.-Plot:...
). It is technically not based on a novel from the main Teito Monogatari series, but rather adapted from a side story
Side story
A side story is a story that occurs alongside established stories set within a fictional universe. As opposed to a prequel, sequel, or interquel, a side story takes place within the same time frame as an existing work....
novel, Karakuri Doshi (which occurs in contemporary times after the main series). Unlike its predecessors it was not released theatrically, but rather through V-Cinema
V-Cinema
Japanese is the direct-to-video industry that appeared in Japan in the 1980s. The term is a trademark of Toei Company but is widely used in the West to describe any Japanese direct-to-video release. In Japan the term used is...
.
Synopsis
Teito Monogatari Gaiden is set in an alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
apart from the chronology of the main series. Several characters from the main series make an appearance in this movie, although their histories have been completely changed.
In 1995, a mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
is erected near the Japanese Ministry of Finance, located adjacent to the grave of Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado
was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
. A young male nurse by the name of Jin’ya Yanase is obsessed with the legend of Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado
was a samurai in the Heian period of Japan, who led one of the largest insurgent forces in the period against the central government of Kyoto.-History:...
and more importantly, the spirit of his evil subordinate Yasunori Kato
Yasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
. Slowly, he becomes possessed by Kato's spirit, who wants to use him as a new host to revive in the modern world. Keiko Tatsumiya (the heroine of Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis
is a tokusatsu historical fantasy film produced in 1987 by Exe and distributed in 1988 by Toho Studios. It is the first live-action adaptation of the Teito Monogatari series by Hiroshi Aramata.-Plot:...
/Doomed Megalopolis
Doomed Megalopolis
is an anime rendition of the Japanese historical fantasy epic Teito Monogatari . Like it's live-action predecessor, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, the anime is only an adaptation of the first 1/3rd of the original novel. It was released by Toei in 1991 as a 4-part OVA...
), is an old woman living homeless on the streets of Tokyo. When she senses the presence of Yasunori Kato, she must regain her resolve to face the demon-god and vanquish his spirit once and for all.
After this film, the character of Yasunori Kato
Yasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
has not been used again for any other movie based on the Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
series. He did, however, make an appearance as the main villain of the 2006 fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
The Great Yokai War, directed by Takashi Miike
Takashi Miike
is a highly prolific and controversial Japanese filmmaker. He has directed over seventy theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. In the years 2001 and 2002 alone, Miike is credited with directing fifteen productions...
with a novelization by Hiroshi Aramata
Hiroshi Aramata
is a Japanese author, translator, and screenplay writer, as well as a specialist in natural history and cartography.His most popular novel was Teito Monogatari , which has sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan alone. He also wrote Alexander Senki, a novel which eventually evolved into the anime...
.
External links
- Teito Monogatari Gaiden at Japanese Horror Movie Database