This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray from Arrow Video is currently available for purchase.
If you have read any Blu-ray reviews from this site over the past couple of months, you’ll know that Arrow Video have recently been putting out several J-Horror pictures. For those unfamiliar with this massive cinematic trend in Japan, horror pictures in the country began being produced in large quantities in the 1990s, but almost exclusively for the home video market. In 1998, Ringu aka The Ring was released to theaters and became a massive success. The next several years saw a huge increase in genre films actually being put in cinemas and drawing audiences.
One of the first that came on the heels of Ringu was Tomie. While this movie didn’t make as big an impression in North America as that international hit, it was still hugely successful in its homeland. So much so that it has since spawned eight follow-ups. Now, Arrow Video is releasing a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray of the original movie so that the series can be introduced to viewers in this part of the world.
Based on the manga comic of the same name, the plot follows Tsukiko Izumisawa (Mami Nakamura), a young woman suffering from amnesia. Detective Harada (Tomoro Taguchi) who is looking into a strange case begins filling in details. He’s investigating the murder of a female friend of Tsukiko, as well as the slaughter of several other students whom the lead can no longer remember. Bizarrely, he learns that this deceased girl, Tomie Kawakami (Miho Kanno), was also murdered three years earlier in a different district. He has discovered that Tomie has the power to regenerate herself and has done so regularly over the past century. It seems that the supernatural figure ends up leaving most acquaintances dead in her wake. Of course, it isn’t long before a strange mass begins growing in Tsukiko’s neighboring apartment and the protagonist soon comes face to face with a brand new Tomie.
The film tackles teenage themes involving coming-of-age, not to mention feelings of disassociation from humanity. It seems that every time Tome regenerates, she’s even more detached from the people she encounters and has become little more than a self-centered and menacing force (with a particularly unsettling smile). As mentioned, the screenplay also deals with Tsukiko attempting to find her identity, as well as deal with threatening forces that surround her, both supernatural in normal life (her boyfriend even becomes a target of Tomie).
There’s a generally eerie mood to the piece. It is slow-moving at times, but one can see the story develop and build up a creepy and menacing tone. The film was noted and occasionally criticized during its original release for shying away from the more graphic aspects of the manga books. Yet there are numerous disturbing scenes that include a nasty decapitation, as well as the sinister villainess trapping Tsukiko and attempting to feed her cockroaches. There are plenty of deranged moments, and although the story doesn’t always make sense, it works well enough as a surreal horror film to keep viewers entranced.
This Blu-ray presents a high-definition presentation of the film. Like other titles from this era, it’s not a big budget movie and many of the dark interiors appear somewhat grainy. It’s still a much better presentation than hard-to-find earlier releases of the film. And the shots taking place in daylight are very clean and nice to look at. A few shots of the lead biking down the street, and a later scene that is set in a harbor look excellent. In the end, this is a much-improved presentation.
The disc includes an Amber T. film historian commentary that gives background information on the production and delves into the deeper meaning and themes of the film. It seems that the manga this movie is based on was primarily aimed at teenage girls and some of the insecurities that they feel during this period in their lives. This speaker describes many of the female-centric issues and allusions in the movie and is surprised that writer/director Ataru Oikawa handled so many of them so well. It’s an intriguing and informative listen.
There is also an interview with the director himself, who looks back on the production and turning a manga comic into a feature film. He admits to wanting to avoid depicting the graphic violence in the source material, instead preferring to use a surreal and atmospheric approach to send chills down the spines of viewers. He talks about meeting and getting along well with the author of the manga, even agreeing with his casting suggestion for Tomie.
The disc also contains an interview with Mami Nakamura, who shares her experience working on the picture and playing the lead. She (as well as the director in his discussion) go into how some of the creepy bits were shot and some of the ideas they were trying to communicate. It seems as though the production went very smoothly and everyone was happy with the results.
Another bonus is also a talk with producer Mikhiko Hirata who explains how he met director Oikawa and got involved in the production. There is also an archival interview with the creator of the manga series talking about this version of the character and what she represents. He also notes how he ended up making an amusing cameo in the film. A trailer for the movie and an image gallery is also included.
And if that wasn’t enough, a collector’s booklet is included in the packaging that has more writing on the movie from critics specializing in Japanese cinema. There is also a reversible sleeve on the disc featuring new and original art for the film.
Tomie is an odd but effectively eerie film that features a strange, creepy and quite unique teenage monster. The sequels that have followed have reportedly all put their own different spin on the character, but his initial outing ranks as one of (if not the best) efforts in the series. There are some disturbing and surreal moments that do make a lasting impression. If you like J-Horror, then you’ll certainly want to pick this “Limited Edition” Blu-ray up and add it to your collection.