Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Marvelous Videos scary movie video. In today’s episode, we will discuss a fantastic Japanese manga artist who is well-known and adored for his horror-themed works. Junji Ito is the one and only. He has created some intriguing and terrifying stories that have never failed to frighten horror aficionados.
Today, we are giving you an incredible adaptation of a famous horror manga that went on to become a full-fledged film series. Tomie is a brutally horrific and unsettling manga that filmmaker Ataru Oikawa translated into a film in 1998. It is the first picture of the Tomie film franchise, which now includes nine features. Isn’t it shocking? Junji Ito continued to provide us with outstanding body horror comic series that had to be adapted into films.
When it comes to Japanese horror films, Tomie stands out both as a film and as a character, as a young woman with many riddles surrounding her. It turned out to be a superb adaptation that, based on how well it followed the manga, definitely thrilled all manga aficionados. Tomie has a lot of uncertainty and blood-dripping cries to give even the casual viewer.
So, let us get started with the plot of the movie’s happenings. You will be able to judge for yourself how terrifying Tomie was at the end of this video.
Tomie will not die! – Tomie (1998)
The film begins with a rather horrific detail when we see a guy with an eye patch carrying around a plastic bag. What could be in the bag you would wonder. That is exactly when through a cut in the plastic, we see an eye of a human as it opens and apparently it is an orange eye. It looks like this man might be carrying the head of a human inside that bag.
We are soon introduced to a girl named TsukikoIzumisawa, who is played by Mami Nakamura. She is a high school student who is visiting her psychiatrist. Currently, she seems to be going through hypnotherapy because of insomnia and a rather bizarre series of dreams. She is also trying to clear up her head because looks like she has amnesia as well.
Poor Tsukiko has memory loss and she cannot recall what happened in her life after a truly awful accident that took place. There we have it! Our first clue for all the mystery will slowly unfold throughout the film.
Remember the guy earlier, turns out he is the new neighbor of Tsukiko. He is probably feeding the severed human head. Wait until their lives get all twisted up and mingled.
Doctor Hosono, who is Tsukiko’s psychiatrist, played by YorikoDouguchi, is trying to figure out what her patient Tsukiko talks about in a recording from one of their sessions. And now, we get the mention of Tomie for the first time through Tsukiko’s voice. She also seems to be talking about a guy named Tanabe. Everything is pretty vague at this point.
Oh, but now things are about to get way more interesting because it turns out Doctor Hosono has a visitor. Detective Harada who is played by Tomorrow Taguchi is apparently investigating the murder of one of Tsukiko’s classmates from her previous school. Guess who this classmate is. Tomie Kawakami is the name of the girl who was apparently murdered. After three months from that incident, somehow four of her classmates committed suicide and around seven of them were sent to a mental hospital.
Where did Tsukiko go? Well, that is when she transferred to a different school, just like most of the remaining students from that class. But, looks like one student kind of vanished and there is still no trace of him. There always is one exception, right!
It is possible that Tomie was murdered in the most horrible way possible. People have said that she was killed by her classmate and her body dismembered. Oh but wait, that is not the entire story about Tomie.
Apparently, in the Kifu Police Station this same name, Tomie, was recorded around three years ago. But there is a surprise. It was not just the same name, but the same person. And the student who currently cannot be found is the guy who murdered Tomie. His name is Tanabe Kouji. Remember Tsukiko mentioned his name in one of her hypnotherapy sessions? Well, this does not seem like it could be a coincidence.
Hold on to your chairs or sofa or bed, where ever you are sitting right now because you are about to be shocked by the information that the detective is about to disclose. So, apparently, the crime scene of Tomie’s murder from the Kifu Police Station is Tsukiko’s apartment.
As it turns out, Tsukiko at that time was dating Tanabe, who was then taken by Tomie. We all know what the detective is trying to imply now. But sadly, for him, Tsukiko is suffering from amnesia and she does not remember any of this taking place. So, clearly, even the doctor is in the dark about what actually went on in her past.
Now, another shocking event happens when back at the eye patch guy’s apartment we find out that the severed head has apparently grown fully into a teenage girl. We don’t get to see her face for a very long time in the film. That sure is the way to build up some major suspense.
Now, looks like Tsukiko is seeing a girl in her dreams, who has a black mark on her face but she cannot recall what does she exactly look like, or who she is. Tsukiko also has a strange feeling as if she has lost a friend but does not know who, when, or how. Oh, but her dating life seems to be going pretty steady because she is currently seeing a guy named Saiga.
The most bizarre thing comes to light when the detective encounters the eye patch guy and he tells Harada that the dismembered head of the girl was still alive in the mud. Now, that explains how he was able to feed it. But if the head of the girl was able to regenerate itself into a full-grown body, that does not look like a human trait at all.
And apparently, this girl is said to be the most beautiful girl by any man who lays his eyes upon her. It is as if her beauty drives them mad and insane which turns them into mental patients. So, the way with which the film is proceeding, there is no doubt about it that this dismembered-headed girl, who is prettier than anyone else, who can regenerate herself over and over again, is our mystery girl Tomie Kawakami.
More and more deaths start to occur wherever this Tomie goes. The men who work at the diner where she had taken a job, have all ended up dead. It is the same place where Tsukiko’s now boyfriend Saiga also works. It is pretty clear at this point that she is after Tsukiko, who sadly does not remember a thing about her.
The friend who Tsukiko left that she had lost, was indeed Tomie, who was her best friend. Tsukiko once again has nightmare visions where she is covered in blood and there is a headless body of a girl in front of her. We are now reaching the climax of the film where our two main characters, Tomie and Tsukiko, will finally have an encounter.
Tsukiko suddenly wakes up at her psychiatrist’s office, tied to the bed, and guess who is sitting in front of her. Tomie is alive and well. With strange orange eyes, she clearly looks like a scary creature in the body of a girl. She confronts Tsukiko for not even remembering who she is.
Tomie then goes on to tell Tsukiko how lucky she is because she is a woman. She can marry a guy, have a child and then turn into an old lady. But because Tomie is a monster, she will forever stay as beautiful as she is now. Oh, but looks like Tsukiko has a savior after all. Saiga comes in with a knife and coldly stabs Tomie to death.
Tsukiko runs away with her body to probably destroy what is left of her, but remember Tomie can regenerate herself? That is exactly what happens.
The ending of the film is way more strange than anything you could have imagined. Turns out, Tsukiko is trying to run away from Tomie, but then Tomie reveals something which is way too scary. She tells Tsukiko that they are one and the same. Meaning Tomie is Tsukiko and Tsukiko is Tomie. Tomie then goes on to kiss Tsukiko and they both suddenly start laughing together, which is when Tsukiko lights a flare and sets Tomie on fire.
You would probably think that now Tomie’s terror would have ended for good. But guess it did not. Now, we see Tsukiko is living a normal life, constantly taking pictures and being her own self. When she goes to develop a picture of herself, she sees something which there appears to be a mole under her left eye, something which she did not have before.
When she goes to develop a picture of herself, she sees something which there appears to be a mole under her left eye, something which she did not have before. Tsukiko then obviously looks in the mirror, and guess what happens. Tomie’s reflection appears in the mirror, smiling. And that is how the film ends.
Okay wow, we know you definitely did not see that coming. The film gives us a lot of scary moments with gory blood everywhere and horrifying murder scenes. It shows the bond and the relationship between Tomie and Tsukiko in-depth and how Tomie slowly takes control over Tsukiko’s life as the movie goes on which shows us a lot of disturbing parts.
Even though we already know that Tomie is a monster, trying to figure out what she actually is after, is what keeps the film so engaging for the audience. Interest in her character definitely peaked with the way Oikawa refused to let us see her face pretty much throughout more than the first half of the movie.
Oikawa’s Tomie leaves all the horror fans, be it manga or not, wanting more of what happens next. And that is how the sequels take place, exploring and narrating all different kinds of stories that revolve around our monster Tomie. It is definitely worth watching if you are hoping to catch a classic Japanese body horror movie. So, what are you waiting for, go ahead and watch Tomie (1998), and don’t forget to put down your comments about what do you think about Tomie? Is she a monster to you, or a sad teenage girl who is doomed for eternity?
Well, with that, guys, we have come to the end of another mind-blowing episode. We hope you enjoyed watching it. Make sure to hit that subscribe button and click on like on your way out, so that we can keep bringing more such videos to you. Until then everyone, stay safe and have a good one!