""The Yin-Yang Master" film Partners Present" "In reverence and awe we lay the sword and effigy of our greatest general here in "Shogun's Mound" and pray it will quiet the spirit of Prince Sawara." "We make this a holy precinct guarded by the eastern dragon, western phoenix, southern tiger and northern tur t I e." "1200 years ago in the reign of Mikado Kammu, the Prince Sawara laid his capital, Nagaoka, under a curse." "To escape it, the Mikado and his court sought tranquility in a new capital city." "May they guard and protect the new city we build here." "150 years later" "Heiankyo (Kyoto)" "In the Heian Era man lived together with demon." "Spirits and apparitions hid in the dark crept into fearful human hearts and breathed there." "would you leave me behind again?" "I don' t know you!" "Begone!" "Demons would appear to unsettle the minds of those who saw them." "Those wise in their ways who commanded demons served the Cour t." "They foretold the future performed incantations and prayers observed the heavens made calendars, calculated hours and knew the lore of all creation." "It was they who mediated between this world and the next." "Theirs were the secrets of yin and yang." "THE YIN-YANG MASTER" "The storm damaged a building at the palace north east the inauspicious quadrant." "Converging northeast influences make this a year of retribution." "Thus repairs should await the day of pilgrimage." "Minister of the Left?" "I agree." "The materials should be carried into the west and brought in through the Upper West Gate." "Do you agree, Minister of the Right?" "completely." "If I may I would Iike also to speak of what the stars have shown." "Of late His Majesty goes only to Lady Toko." "could his heart have flown from me?" "Seimei can you not turn the Mikado' s heart back to me?" "I cannot." "A heart is not a ball that comes rolling back." "That is why I ask you." "Hmm..." "Are you quite certain, Doson?" "calendar, coins and directions..." "all give the same result." "It means a defender of the city is about to appear." "Doson, by this prophecy do you mean an unborn prince?" "splendid, Morosuke." "Yes, sire!" "Abe no Seimei!" "Where were you?" "With the Lady Ayako." "AII Yin-Yang Masters must attend the royal audience!" "How dare you!" "She insisted." "Show Head Master Doson more respect!" "Don' t be tiresome." "He's an excellent magician." "That's right!" "But it's not how much you know." "It's how powerful you are." "Seimei... we've heard a great deal about you lately." "They say you're very good." "Seimei kill that butterfly without touching it." "I'd like to see your skill in action." "Tadamasa!" "Don't ask him to do that!" "Look!" "It's beautiful!" "It's past the season for butterflies." "You ask me to commit a sin." "Can't you do it?" "I've done a terrible thing." "First I saw a demon, and now this!" "A gourd in a pine tree..." "please, Hiromasa!" "call Abe no Seimei for me!" "But Lord Kaneie I'm not comfortable with yin yang masters." "And, they say Abe no Seimei isn't even human!" "His mother was a fox, and as a baby he could see demons!" "AII the more proof he is a great yin yang master!" "Oh." "Hiromasa!" "please!" "Why am I doing this?" "MiIord..." "Don't be afraid." "He's just a magician." "My master awaits." "well!" "Lord Hiromasa!" "You know my name?" "And anyway, who told you I was coming here?" "You were muttering to yourself all the way from Ichijo Bridge." ""Why am I doing this?"" "You heard me?" "And do you really think I Iook that much like a fox?" "I'm sorry, but could I have a word in private?" ""Servant gods"." "They help me out around the place." ""Servant gods"?" "Don ' t t e I I me tha t g i r I is a servant god, too..." "Oh, her?" "You've met her before, you know." "I have?" "Yes." "Mitsumushi." "So you didn't kill it!" "Those butterflies are sacred." "The priest Kukai brought them with Buddhism from China." "I wouldn't dare kill one." "I see..." "Have a drink." "I'm not here to drink sake." "I have a favor to ask." "I know." "A splendid gourd..." "There's a spell on it." "A spell?" "!" "Yes." ""spell "." "Hiromasa..." "There's the spellin material form." "Someone put that snake there." "And if I'd tried to eat it..." "It would've dined on your innards." "This is the work of a demon!" "Lord Kaneie, do you have any idea why?" "Of course no t!" "Why would anyone curse me?" "Why don't we let this snake t ell us?" "This "spell " you were talking about, what is it exactly?" "well, I'd say the shortest spell there is in the world is a name." "A name?" "Like "Seimei" or "Hiromasa"?" "Yes." "A spell is something that binds what it's cast upon." "Something that binds?" "In your case, you're bound by the name "Minamoto no Hiromasa"." "Without that name..." "I'd disappear?" "!" "No." "Even without it you wouldn't disappear from this world." "I don't understand." "There." "I imagine she was spurned and drowned herself." "Perhaps a bitter heart is a spell all of its own." "So that's the true form of the demon?" "A single human heart can turn devil or saint." "Is that her?" "Who is "her"?" "Can't you see?" "See what?" "Is anyone there?" "Yayoi!" "It's been so long!" "She's happy just to be with him." "Give her a funeral, and she'II vanish." "There's trouble coming." "Why did you stop?" "Did I imagine it?" "I thought there were two stars together up there..." "Maybe if one star wants to, two can become one!" "Don't you think so?" "No." "It means that one of the stars has reached the end of its days." "What, and left the other all on its own?" "Be that as it may, your flute sounds very beautiful tonight." "Today I saw the skeleton of a poor abandoned woman." "Tonight I play to mourn her." "I'm sure your kindness will reach across to her." "please!" "On this of all nights..." "may I ask your name?" "A prince is born." "Is that so?" "Is that so?" "We congratulate you." ""Even the full moon..."" ""As its time passes away..."" ""DecIi nes to nothing. "" ""Together let us journey..."" "Poor Hirohira!" "They said when you were born that you would be Mikado..." "Why this?" "!" "Sukehime Morosuke's daughter has a son." "Why, Sukehime?" "Wasn't it you who found favor with the Mikado?" "!" "Put that thing down!" "Damn that Morosuke!" "Who's there?" "Doson?" "Lord Motokata..." "Now there is a look I Iike t o see!" "The subjects of the realm pray for health and eternal prosperity for the Mikado and Prince Atsuhira." "Atsuhira!" "Atsuhira!" "Atsuhira!" "Seimei!" "Are you here?" "You can all stay." "Seimei, I need your help." "Can you come with me?" "Who's making all that noise?" "Seimei!" "This is no time for jokes!" "What's happened?" "Prince Atsuhira is ill." "Isn't the Head Yin Yang Master looking after him?" "Nothing seems to be working." "You're the only one who can help him." "Why is that?" "I don't know... but I know." "What are we doing way out here?" "Don't be impatient." "Do you think I couId hear your famous flute?" "A beautiful sound..." "She's here." "It's been a Iong time, Seimei." "Yes... how long?" "3O years?" "3O years?" "You've grown into a fine man." "I heard a flute..." "This is Minamoto no Hiromasa." "This is the Lady Aone." "That was a beautiful melody." "Thank you." "shall we go?" "Yes, Iet's." "A powerful spell has been placed on Prince Atsuhira." "May I have a writing brush?" "Aone!" "Is it done?" "No." "There's still work to do." "Bring Lady Aone to my house." "Lady Aone..." "Hiromasa, would you draw your sword?" "AIIrigh t." "Why?" "The spell will be violent." "It will?" "Hey!" "Here it comes!" "Now!" "Strike!" "quickly!" "Strike!" "Me?" "Swing, damn it!" "OK!" "Seimei... was that the spell?" "Yes." "Did you see where it came from?" "No." "No?" "You should rest." "What do we do now, Doson?" "Prince Atsuhira is alive and well." "First we must decide what to do about this interloper." "Seimei?" "Damn him!" "There's that look I Iike so much!" "Seimei can a spell bind someone's heart?" "A heart?" "Have you fallen in love?" "It would seem so." "No!" "Don't you go looking into my heart." "well, have you?" "A woman becomes dear to a man." "A man becomes dear to a woman." "We bind that feeling with a name: "love"." "Is that it?" "Yes." "But you know, Hiromasa, you can use a spell... . ." "To give the moon to the woman you love." "The moon?" "How?" "You point at it and say this:" ""O my beloved, I will give you the moon."" "If she says "yes", then the moon is hers." "I couId never say that!" "You couldn't?" "You couldn't?" "Not if my Iife depended on it." "Again tonight your flute sounds so beautiful..." "Um..." "Yes?" "Look in the sky at the beautiful moon." "I, Hiromasa, to make you happy again will give it to you." "That beautiful moon is yours." "What ever's wrong?" "I was once given a moon poem." ""Even the full moon..."" ""As its time passes away..."" ""declines to nothing. "" ""Together let us journey..."" ""O dew of the early dawn. "" "Do you grieve now because you cannot forget the man who sent you that poem?" "Lady of the full Moon, I want to free you from that grief." "I want to hear you laugh!" "Hiromasa the sound of your flute is a great comfort to me." "Then forget the past, and let me..." "MiIady!" "Hiromasa we should have met long before this." "Two stars?" "Now I understand!" ""O demons new and ancien t..."" ""...sink in a sea of blood and tears..."" ""...and accept this offering of my bones."" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" "Lady Aone... what are you thinking about?" "Hiromasa is a very good man, isn't he." "Yes..." "He puts the heart a tease." "Take good care of him." "He is important to you." "I will." "Abe no Seimei!" "You are a Yin Yang Master of this court, and yet to advance yourself you have laid a curse on Crown Prince Atsuhira." "Lord Motokata!" "That is not so!" "He sought to save Prince Atsuhira!" "He can easily undo the work of his own arts." "I see through his scheme." "What?" "!" "Seimei!" "This woman that you are using does not seem human to me." "She is a demon, born and bred." "A demon has been seen issuing from her mouth!" "Oh?" "Might I ask who saw this?" "This capital city of ours is certainly a strange place." "There is no basis to this charge." "If I st and in your way, Lord Motokata, have no fear." "I will leave the capital whenever it pleases you." "shall we go?" "Cut him down!" "Wait!" "Lord Motokata, would you cut down a Court Yin-Yang Master without the Mikado's approval?" "Seimei..." "I apologize for the trouble you have been caused." "Minister of the Left..." "Seimei!" "Lady Aone!" "Lady Aone!" "This capital city of ours is indeed a strange p I ace." "I'm sorry." "I was there, but did nothing to save her." "Why do you laugh?" "Watch." "Are you allright?" "You saved my Iife." "I was happy to do it." "Is this a spell, too?" "No." "Lady Aone does not age, and does not die." "She doesn't?" "Here at Shogun's Mound, on the order of Mikado Kammu late the flesh of the merman that brings immortaIit y." "15O years ago, when Heiankyo was founded." "At a ceremony to placate the spirit of Prince Sawara." "Prince Sawara?" "The man who destroyed the old capital, Nagaoka?" "No." "He was falsely accused." "His death was an injustice." "He became a vengeful spirit, laying curses of death on the Court spreading plague, causing the Yodo River to flood and bringing lightning down on the capital." "only ten years after its founding, the Mikado abandoned his capital." "So great was his fear he entombed a statue of general Sakanoue Tamura Maro and his sword to calm Prince Sawara's spirit and protect the new capital." "Why did you have t o eat the flesh of the merman?" "To guard this mound lest it be violated and the spirit of Prince Sawara rise again." "Lest his spirit rise again?" "Yes." "Then I must search out and assist the guardian of the city." "But 15O years?" "The worst thing is seeing the death of everyone you meet." "A sad fate..." "Lady Aone who is it that your heart broods upon?" "At tempting to have Abe no Seimei cut down was an act of great rashness, Lord Motokata." "The act of a fool." "If I am a fool, Doson, then why?" "Why come to me?" "In your heart, milord swirled envy and hatred for Lord Morosuke such as I couId find in no one else." "You have that greatest of all human capacities the capacity to destroy." "What is it you want, Doson?" "To be the Mikado's minister or rule in his stead as Mikado yourself?" "Mikado?" "What the Mikado can do amounts to very little." "Enough!" "I have no more to do with this." "Don't be absurd." "The next blow is being struck as we speak." "We must find the guardian of the city and eliminate him." ""Even the full moon..."" ""As its time passes away..."" ""declines to nothing. "" ""Together let us journey..."" ""O dew of the early dawn. "" "What's the matter?" "Seimei you said the sound of my flute was beautiful..." "It's very beautiful." "That's nice, but is that all it amounts to?" "I t does no good a t a I I." "You're a good man." "A good man." "Hurry!" "Somebody's coming." "help me, Seimei!" "The Mikado and the Prince are in danger again!" "The Mikado and Prince Atsuhira?" "Last night, as my daughter was putting him to sleep..." "Give me him!" "Give me the child!" "Give me Atsuhira!" "I will not give you the Mikado!" "There was a woman's head and those weird straw dolls!" "A demon?" "Those who saw described both a demon and a woman." "A namanari." "A what?" "A living woman who changes to a demon." "What can we do?" "We must conduct the woman to him." ""Him"?" "The man she said she would never give up." "You can't mean the Mikado!" "Come, Hiromasa." ""Meet her"?" "To protect Your Majest y and the Prince." "No." "There is no one alive bears us hatred." "Your Majesty, she is not human." "I have set up a holy precinct." "She will not see us." "But the sound of a voice breaks the spell and endangers you." "I ask that you remain silent." "A lock of hair, please." "tell me... where is he?" "tell me... where is he?" "tell me... where is he?" "Isn't that nice!" "Here you are!" "Hatred rises in me as I see you again at last." "Why did you spurn me?" "Why?" "Why?" "will your lips never again kiss mine?" "will you never care for me again?" "And here is your odious child!" "Have you forgotten?" "!" ""Even the full moon..."" ""As its time passes away, Declines to nothing."" ""Together let us journey, O dew of the early dawn."" "Have you forgotten?" "Have you forgotten?" ""Together let us journey..."" ""O dew of the early dawn..."" "Sukehime..." "Sukehime?" "That is the voice of the Mikado..." "This is not him!" "This is an effigy!" "villain!" "You've deceived me!" "Hiromasa!" "Hiromasa?" "Leave here, Lady of the full Moon." "You must not approach." "well, well, well!" "If it isn't Minamoto no Hiromasa!" "Die!" "No, milady!" "Wait!" "Death be on Hiromasa" "Hiromasa?" "What ever are you doing here?" "What is this?" "I am shamed!" "I am shamed!" "MiIady the man in your heart, then, was the Mikado..." "Forgive me, Sukehime." ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" "She's changing!" ""Begone, demon! "" "Seimei!" "I will never forgive you!" "Seimei!" "No!" "MiIady!" "Stop!" "Sire!" "This way!" "Bite this arm, if you must!" "Bite deep, milady." "I will not mind." "MiIady!" "MiIady why?" "Hiromasa you are the only man I did not want to see me this way." "Why do you weep, Hiromasa?" "Why do tears fall?" "I do not know." "MiIady you are dear to me." "I did not see how you suffered." "I couId not save you." "No." "Because of you I die with a woman's heart." "MiIady!" "Hiromasa..." "I am happy I met you." "MiIady!" "You mustn't die!" "Hiromasa one more time play for me on your flute." ""O soundIess, invisible God of woe..."" ""...may you reap all you have sown. "" "Damn you, Seimei!" "MiIord!" "Motokata!" "Doson did this!" ""Sink in a sea of blood and tears..."" ""...and accept this offering of my bones."" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" "Prince Sawara!" "The time has come!" "Now Doson will lift the spell that binds you!" "Together we will sate the malice of your raging heart of which generations have told." "well done, "Barbarian subduing general"!" "Wise was the Mikado who named you "Shogun"." ""Accept this offering of my bones!"" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" ""Hatred eternal on the Mikado and his line! "" "Prince Sawara!" "Return to life!" "My body and my soul I give over to you!" "The Mikado is terrified of Doson." "He needs your help." "The city will be ruined!" "I don't care!" "What?" "What does it matter if this capital is destroyed?" "You're not serious!" "I feel and think the same as Doson." "I have no interest in the fate of the city, or who is Mikado next." "Seimei!" "Rise, my followers, from your sleep in the ground." "Rise and requit e the hatred and regret you left in this world." "Seimei!" "What's happening?" "The holy precinct is broken." "The Shogun's Mound is open." "Doson?" "He's summoning Prince Sawara." "Why?" "To fill the city with ghosts." "But why?" "Perhaps to make this city ruler of both this world and the next." "And you're going to let him?" "!" "allright." "Seimei!" "I'II do it for you." "Good!" "Let's go!" ""Make Hiromasa pure. "" "Take this." "Tadamasa!" "Where are the Mikado and the Prince?" "We wouldn't know." "Ukon!" "To the Suzaku gate!" "I can't reestablish the precinct." "Then you must go into the city." "Hiromasa is in danger." "Why is that?" "There are two who must guard the capital: you and Hiromasa." "The two stars united beside the moon symbolize the meeting of the two of you." "should one be extinguished..." "So Doson wants Hiromasa's life..." "Go!" "Open your eyes!" "Takatsuna!" "Stand your ground!" "I will take the capital he made and cast it into eternal dark!" "Doson!" "please!" "Come to your senses!" "Nagamasa you need have no fear." "Doson!" "Ah, Hiromasa..." "Now I need not search." "shall I send you to join your beloved Lady Sukehime?" "But hurry." "Soon the Mikado will be coming t o j o i n you." "Was it you who did that to the Lady of the full Moon?" ""Lady of the full Moon"?" "She made herself a demon." "But go ahead, Hiromasa." "Hate me if you will." "Turn yourself into a demon, too." "Mikado?" "Doson!" "It doesn't work, Hiromasa." "Seimei help me!" "It's no use!" "Doson die!" "Minamot o no Hiromasa..." "this is the end." "Seimei!" "Mikado?" "Oh, Mikado!" "Mikado!" "Hiromasa!" "Hiromasa!" "Hiromasa!" "Hiromasa, don't die!" "Don't die!" "We've only just met!" "We've only just begun!" "You're the only one I couldn't bear to lose!" "Seimei I never thought you'd ever shed tears." "Don' t leave me!" "Open your eyes, Hiromasa!" "He's a good man..." "Hiromasa!" "He's a good man!" "I'm sorry, Hiromasa." "If you'd never met me..." "Seimei..." "You were fated to meet." "You must not I ament that." "It would be worse not to meet." "And you could not save the city." "It would be all the same." "Now there is no one t o save it!" "Seimei take my Iife, and give it to Hiromasa." "A Yin-Yang Master can give life with the rite of Taizanfukun." "Lady Aone!" "What are you saying?" "!" "It is my task to find the guardian of the capital and help him." "So take my Iife, and save Hiromasa." "It is also the only way I will ever be set free from immortal life." "Mikado!" "Mikado!" "Where are you?" "Enough." "Give us to him." "Never!" "We will go." "Never!" "Never!" "At long last I carry out my task." "Lady Aone..." ""Great Taizanfukun..."" ""...may Hiromasa be restored. "" "hold!" "Are you still alive?" "Thanks t o Taizanfukun." "Why, Seimei?" "He's just another court noble." "You wouldn't understand." "Those bells..." "Have you forgotten?" "That voice!" "Aone?" "So you remember me, Prince Sawara?" "could I forget?" "could I forget?" "Nor have I forgotten." "For 150 years I have waited for the day we would meet again." "150 years..." "Have you waited so long for me?" "Yes." "Your Highness, the Mikado entrusted a message to me should you ever return to life." "My brother?" "What would he say to me?" "That he is sorry." "That he was wrong." "He grieved that you died for a sin you did not commit." "How dare he beg my forgiveness now!" "He will not have it!" "Then does Your Highness intend to destroy this land and its people?" "This I and you always loved?" "Your Highness, come with me... . ." "To a new world." "Aone..." "And then forever I will always be at your side." "Forever..." "No, Your Highness!" "It is I, Doson, who stands with you!" "No." "Perhaps it is as Aone says." "I have had enough." "What are you saying?" "!" "Have you forgotten your rage?" "I have not forgotten, nor will I forget but I grow tired of hating." "folly!" "Do not speak like a fool!" "Together we will rule the capital!" "My heart is with Aone." "Your Highness!" "would you betray me?" "Your Highness!" "Your Highness!" "Lady Aone... now I understand." "I never thought Prince Sawara would be so sentimental." "No sense of vengeance!" "I'm disappointed." "Doson leave the capital." "You're no match for me now." "Mitsumushi!" "You've got nerve, I'II say that." "Stop this!" "silence!" "Have at me, then." "Come on..." "Come on!" "Look, Seimei!" "Eastern dragon!" "Join with me." "We can rule the city in our own way." "I have no interest in how the city is ruled." "Southern tiger!" "Why guard the city if you have no interest in how it's ruled?" "Western phoenix!" "Seimei do we not think the same way?" "That things of this world have no importance?" "Seimei!" "This world is not one I would throw away." "You disappoint me." "Then, Seimei, only one o f us will remain you or me." "Northern turtle!" "golden dragon!" "Die!" "Mitsumushi!" "Seimei!" "It ends here!" "Damn you, Seimei!" "Do you think you can lock me in here?" "So you are guardian of the city..." "well, it's been fun." "Seimei I'II be watching you." "But there's still something I don't understand." "What?" "How old are you?" "How old do you think?" "That's why I asked!" "Forget it!" "Your age doesn't matter." "You're still you." "But I remember." "I wasn't crying." "You were." "I wasn't!" "Mitsumushi, did he cry?" "Hiromasa!" "No changing her!" "I won't." "Seimei..." "What?" "A single human heart really can turn devil, or saint." "You're a really good man." "A really good man." "So are you." "Abe no Seimei Mansai Nomura" "Minamoto no Hiromasa Hideaki Ito" "Mitsumushi Eriko Imai" "Lady Aone Kyoko Koizumi" "Doson Hiroyuki Sanada" "Directed by Yojiro Takita"