Tôkaidô obake dôchû

Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969) is a Japanese Samurai Horror picture that I recently watched on Shudder. The storyline follows an old man who protects ancient lands filled with spirits. When a group of hoodlums kill the old man the spirits return to reality for revenge.

This movie is codirected by Yoshiyuki Kuroda (Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell) and Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Zatoichi and the One Armed Swordsman) and stars Kôjirô Hongô (Satan's Swords), Bokuzen Hidari (Seven Samurai), Saburô Date (Bullet Train) and Ryûtarô Gomi (Harakiri).

This movie is outstanding and easily the best of the trilogy. The attire, settings, props and depiction of the era were all perfect. The haunting scenes are very well done with good use of smoke machines and eerie background music. The masks and makeup used are very well done. The fight scene are excellent and entertaining - both the monsters vs humans and the samurai sword fights. The faceless children were a nice touch and I loved the twist at the end.

Overall, this is an underrated addition to the horror genre and a trilogy absolutely worth your time. I would score this picture an 8.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

'100 monsters' was an enjoyable, well made horror film that struggled somewhat with a lumbering pace. 'Spook warfare,' or 'The great yokai war,' was a surprisingly entertaining blend of dark fantasy and horror with a more playful levity. With the same folks behind these returning for the third entry in the series we are assured of the same level of quality, and the only question is what tone the tale will strike. As the title begins I think it becomes evident fairly quickly that it leans more toward the plainly serious side of things, like the first film, albeit while bearing remnants of the lighter edge seen in the second. 'Along with ghosts' sees the somber side borne out through a more substantial plot that carries harsh undertones, while the gentler side is seen in the sense of adventure characterizing the narrative as Miyo and Hyakasuro travel the countryside, and in the role of the titular spirits in serving as protectors of the land after a fashion. There's definitely a broad mix of flavors here, but I don't think there's much arguing that the picture's worth speaks for itself. Like its predecessors this may not demand viewership, but it's well deserving on its own merits.

It's very noteworthy that in this case the focus on plot and adventure translates to a little more of a straightforward period piece, with more action centering human characters and less emphasis on the yokai. The supernatural element doesn't even meaningfully crop up until a little less than halfway through, and still only arises only in fragments. Be that as it may the overall thrust of the proceedings remains, and the result is highly enjoyable. The sets are gorgeous and filled with outstanding detail; the filming locations are beautiful as we get select eyefuls. The stunts, effects, and action-oriented moments all look terrific - and once the fantasy rolls around, the imaginative puppetry and costume design are a delight. Meanwhile, Tetsuro Yoshida penned a compelling story of criminals roaming the countryside and a young girl seeking her father, and there's some especial small brilliance in the scene writing to consistently provide bursts of invigoration, including delicious tinges of horror. The direction and cinematography both reflect keen intelligence in capitalizing on all the minutiae in a given moment and making each as meaningful as they could be, and the cast likewise give admirable performances to bring the saga to vibrant life.

I do think there's an argument to be made that 'Along with ghosts' is marginally more scattered than its antecedents simply owing to the variety of aspects there are to the narrative. Effectively produced alongside the previous two films in Daiei's 'Yokai monsters' trilogy, there's no mistaking that the entities are reduced to supporting characters this time around, and mostly quite minor ones for that matter until the climax. Even setting that aside, there's a marked variability in tone here, with major facets of drama, action, horror, adventure, and humor cropping up in turn. Still, a complete narrative is imparted, and it's absorbing and satisfying when all is said and done. To whatever extent there are imperfections here, they are outweighed much more than not by the earnest skill, care, and intelligence that was poured into every corner. The end result may have benefited from more focus, but even as it stands this 1969 movie is really fun, and its strengths - including even the less prominent horror - outshine its weaknesses. It's not a feature one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you do have the chance to watch Along with ghosts' is a good time all on its own and earns a solid recommendation.

The closing instalment of the YOKAI MONSTERS trilogy is a very different beast, much more understated and subtle than the previous movies and more horror than fantasy. The monsters themselves are little seen here apart from in a couple of scare scenes but the rest is an engaging little story of criminal behaviour, treachery, and heroism. Appealing child actors, lots of action and movement and attention to detail make this a fair watch.

The first yokai movie, 100 Monsters, didn't have enough monsters for my liking, and the second film, The Great Yokai War, featured a pair of irritating kids and was aimed at a much younger audience. The final film, Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts, doesn't feature many monsters AND it features a cute little kid, but I actually found it to be the best in the trilogy, with a much stronger story, better fight scenes and a creepier atmosphere.

When members of the Higuruma crime syndicate ambush men carrying an incriminating document, they also kill Jinbei (Bokuzen Hidari), the elderly guardian of the Onizuka shrine, ignoring his warning that they will be cursed for spilling blood on sacred ground. Witness to the murders is seven year old Miyo (Masami Furukido), granddaughter of Jinbei, who runs into the woods with the document, pursued by the killers. With his dying breath, Jinbei tells Miyo to go to Yui to find her father. Meanwhile, ronin Hyakutaro (Kôjirô Hongô) is out to avenge his master's murder by the Higuruma thugs.

Most of the film revolves around Miyo trying to avoid capture, her search for her father, and Hyakutaro's vendetta, with very little time dedicated to silly spook shenanigans, and to be honest, the film is all the better for it: there's no puerile comedy and the monsters, when they do appear, are far more menacing than before. I still wouldn't go so far as to say that this is an unmissable classic of Japanese cinema, but it is a far more satisfying film than the others in the trilogy, delivering excitement, danger, pathos and a cute child character that isn't annoying.

Like said, it's an ok movie. It's decent and more of story rather then fights. It have a mixture of adventure and humor in it which i didn't mind at all. For being a supernatural/paranormal movie with japanese ghosts and demons it was not that much of it but it had its moments. But the story was ok, it had its twist and it build the characters.

I did enjoy the characters, how they acted and how it ended. The fights was ok, it's not a lot of them but i dont mind that at all when looking at the environments and building feeling of the country of Japan during the samuari ages.

If you want something with a lot of atmosphere, not too much fighting and some ghosts/demons this the movie for you. It's no the best one out there, but it's ok - enjoyable.