A true heir of the Takemikazuchi bloodline, Yuki (newcomer Yumiko Shaku), discovers the secret behind the death of her mother, Princess Azora, thus turning her against her fellow tribe in order to find the truth and kill those who dishonored her family. Along the way, she finds comfort in an activist and governmental terrorist who is also riding along the sharp, stinging moral edge of life.

Review: SHURAYUKI HIME is a raw and powerful stroke of style and conviction, bordering aesthetic grittiness and raising the samurai drama to the next plateau. It is an interesting idea in remaking the Kazou Koike manga of the same name and launching it into a futuristic, darker Japan. Even in its shadowy setting, filled with an apocalyptic atmosphere and drenched in urban molestation, the themes and motifs of the old school samurai films of Kurosawa and Inagaki still remain.

Samurai films of the same kind have always shaped their characters with the ideas of nobility, pride, allegiance and honor. And while these samurais would die for their ideals, Princess Yuki in her betrayal discovers that there is more to life than her killing ways, that there are other, more profound reasons to die for than your loyalty. When she meets up with Takashi, played somberly by Hideaki Ito, she finds the beauty in a quiet, peaceful life while she recovers from a recent attack. While Takashi and Yuki never discover each other’s secret lives, it’s quite remarkable in how similar their lives have been up to that point. Just like Yuki, Takashi has participated in different types of assassinations, more in the form of terrorism against the State. His insecurities about his activist role arise when he begins criticizing Yuki for her own morals, when he realizes that she is a part of the infamous House of Takemikazuchi. The dualistic premise amongst these two characters is what drives the film from a harsh story about revenge to warmer states of escaping the realities of the world, yearning and dreaming for happier times.

With Donnie Yen in the mix choreographing the swordplay and action, it’ll definitely raise the bar of expectations for those who’ll see the film. Without a doubt, Yen does deliver as he throws the inferno gauntlet down for anyone who can try and match his inventive, anarchic sword work and almost anime-like agility in creating some masterful battles. Some of Yen’s trademark moves outline the duels with sliding sword strokes, descending and ascending the blades, and even grapples that utilize sheer dexterity in their execution in providing the ferociousness that contours the setting.

Though, for some, the expectations, due to what SHURAYUKI HIME may have indirectly promised from the trailer and box art, will lead others to believe that HIME is an all out swordplay spectacle, but in essence, moves along at a slower tempo than films like VERSUS per se. Simply because HIME carries within itself the samurai spirit of the older Japanese samurai films and focuses more on the human condition. The film does begin and end with an explosion of action sequences, but the middle is almost muddled with exposition and character development that strays away from the initial premise of vengeance. But the political side story in there is still significant in reflecting on the sign of the times and the dualistic comparison of Princess Yuki’s existence.