Eko Eko Azarak: Misa the Dark Angel (1998)

Very well executed

Undescribable Perfection

one of my absolute favorites!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

In part 3 of the EKO EKO AZARAK movie series, Hinako Saeki plays the part of Misa Kuroi (also in a 1997 TV series around the same character). She plays the role quite well in my opinion. The reason why this episode of the series is clearly not as good as the others is the less convincing story, in which a group of girls practices for a theatre play, but the play is just a disguise for a magic ritual. Misa sceptically says in the movie, if it was a real ritual, she would have known, and the viewer involuntarily shares her lack of belief. Besides, the long winding finale which consumes no less than the whole last third of the movie needs editing. Its timing is poor compared to the dynamic climax in part 1, "Wizard of Darkness". Voted 7/8/5/6 for part 1-4.

This excellent film is visually very similar to the works of Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson. It is creepy, and I love the use of the Elder Gods from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. In addition to being involving and genuinely scary, it has that certain undefinable "cool," just the right dynamic camera angles and groovy exaggerated sound effects, a few good blasts of blood, all mixed together in just the right proportions.

This has got to be one of the DUMBEST movies I've ever seen! Even for a cheesy Japanese splatter-flick it's bad! And it's not even a splatter flick - it sells itself on the "Maximum Gore Dangerous Little Gal" ticket but for all of its boasting I've seen bloodier episodes of Mattlock.In a nut-shell: Mix two parts Buffy The Vampire Slayer, one part Sailor Moon and a splash of IMPLIED oh-so-chic girl-on-girl action. Add a deserted school dorm, someone's overgrown garden and seven young gals who should have been in school that day and BINGO - you've got Misa: Dark Waste of Time.It's horribly shot. The music is dreadful. There isn't a character in the script. The plot is non-existent. And the 'actors' (and I use that term loosely) should go back to their day jobs.Basically a movie made to cater to Japanese salary-men and their unending desire to see girls in high school uniforms. If that's what butters your toast, go for it. If you expect something more - forget it!!

This movie is based on 70's famous comic EKOEKO AZARAK by Shinichi Koga, as well as the T.V. series of the same title in 1997. The movie is basically the movie version of the T.V. show, so it is more joyful if you watch EKOEKO AZARAK The Series and EKOEKO AZARAK The Second before you watch this movie. The movie itself is, however, overwhelmed by the charm of Hinako Saeki, the young actress who played the role of Misa Kuroi, the most formidable high school witch, while the motif of Cthulhu Mythos (originally constructed by H. P. Lovecraft) and other elements are losing its power due to its low production cost. So it's the best to enjoy Hinako Saeki's atractiveness rather than waiting for a flashing SFX or CG effects.  The story line of the movie is focusing on the traumatic events of the young girls who are killed for the dark ritual. Then Misa Kuroi, the most powerful high school witch (also called Misa The Dark Angel), has to fight with her black magic power to protect her friends. So the story line is not truly matching with the motif of Cthulhu Mythos, so the image is simply used as another force of darkness that tries to devour the dark power of Misa, rather than the dry and mindless terror that Lovecraft has meaned. This is certainly watched as Another Tragedy of Misa, so it should be watched rather as a superheroine's tragedy than horror. This became the very last movie of Bang-Ho Chou, who played the role of Satoru Kuroi, the uncle of Misa and the master of surgery by magic. His serious and sometimes comical act has deepened the emotional side of the movie, as he portraited a hospitable uncle for Misa. The original comic by Shinichi Koga also has featured the surgeon uncle, since the character has been a loving one for the author. In conclusion, this movie is a good chance for the U.S. and European fans to watch a heroine figure that is totally different from Ripley in Alian series or Bond Girls in 007.ZUMMUD (Ji-Mudou)