Dororo (2007)

  This was the first foreign film I think I've ever watched streaming.  The placement of the subtitles was in the middle left of the screen, which was disorienting.  They were also in a very tiny white print, which did not contrast well with the background in some scenes.  I don't have any experience with audio or subtitle options while streaming so I don't know if I could have adjusted them.  It made for a frustrating experience and detracted from what turned out to be a very interesting movie.

After facing a crushing defeat from a neighboring clan, warlord Daigo (Kiichi Nakai) promises to sacrifice his infant son to 48 demons in return for power.  The boy is born horribly deformed but somehow still alive.  Daigo's wife (Mieko Harada) prevents him from killing the child outright and puts him in a basket to float down the river.  He is found by a shaman (Yoshio Harada), who crafts the boy fake Frankenstein-esque limbs that enable him to pass as fully human.  Armed with a blade that kills demons, Hyakkimaru (Satoshi Tsumabuki) travels around the country killing evil things and reclaiming his lost parts.  A young thief (Ko Shibasaki) begins following him from town to town hoping that he will assist her in her quest for vengeance against Daigo, who has become a power-hungry madman.

I was curious while watching as to what the title meant, since it's not the name of the main character.  In case you want to know but don't feel like watching it (though you really should) it means "little monster" and it's the name the thief adopts while traveling with Hyakkimaru.

The CGI is a little off but I felt like it actually added to the weird gross qualities of the monsters.  There are a couple that are clearly man-in-suit types but it's forgivable.  The action is good and it's interesting to see other mythologies' fantasy aspects.  A lot of the demons here are clearly inspired by Japanese wildlife, from crabs to cherry blossom trees.  It showcases a lot of creativity.  There's a little too much melodrama for me to buy it outright but it's definitely worth a watch.

Also, remember in my Kamikaze Girls post where I said that Anna Tsuchiya had a really distinctive voice?  She's in this movie as well, playing the wife of a man whose town has been taken over by monsters.  She looks completely different but there's no mistaking that voice.