Blog 7: Hero's Quest and Film

Azumi is a historical Japanese fiction film based on the original manga created by Yu Koyama. The film was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura and released in 2003. The setting takes place after the battle of Sekigahara in the 1600s and Tokugawa Ieyasu being the victor, created the Edo period of Japan later. The hero's story begins during the beginning period of Tokugawa. 'Azumi' is a female assassin raised and trained by an old man along with 9 other orphaned children of war (all male). In her journey, she faces many trials and challenges that tests her ability as an assassin. In time she begins to truly understand the importance of the task given to her by her master. 'Azumi' and her companions must eliminate 3 warlords who are in the midst of planning a war against Ieyasu. It is her ultimate destiny as an assassin to eliminate this threat and save Japan from destruction.

Departure- 'Azumi' and her 9 comrades finish their training and is given a final test before they leave the mountain and start their true mission. The final test of the chosen 10 assassins: pair up with a close comrade or friend and slay each other. An order that the master himself had announced. This test was one of many beginning hardships that the remaining 5 had to face. An assassin is unable to choose whom he must kill and completing the mission is far above anything else.

Initiation- Once they leave the mountain, Azumi, her friends and the master come across a nearby village. There they witness the killing and deaths of the villagers as the bandits mercilessly take the lives of anyone standing in their way. Azumi and her companions cannot bear to watch but they endure and are told to not save the villagers. On their way to meet a fellow assassin, the master tells the group that their primary mission is to exterminate three warlords planning on creating a war against the current rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Azumi and her comrades face other assassins and swordsmen hired by warlords. In the beggining of their mission, they succeed in taking the life of one warlord and the second becomes much harder to pursue and kill. The group becomes targeted yet knowing that their mission increases in difficulty, they accept to fulfiill it as their master had ordered.

Return- At this point most of Azumi's comrades had been slain and she witnessess the passing of her own master which was like the father figure who had raised her. After the final battle against an insane narcisstic killing swordsman named Bijoumaru, Azumi understands that preserving the peace of Japan is what really mattered to her and not just senseless slaughter of what an ordinary assassin would do. She has not just become an assassin but a protector of the people who are suffering during this era. As, the second warlord escapes by boat, it's not long until Azumi finds and kills him. To her surprise only one of her comrades remains alive, Nagara, both assassins realize that the price to be paid for their success was too high but their mission was not over just yet, they had one final warlord to take care of. Thus, this is the end of the first film in Azumi.


Image Link: http://www.tvfun.ma/film_gharbi/img/azumi-1.jpg