A man wants you to kill his wife—for art. She agrees. What could go wrong?
Tamura Masakazu returns as Nemuri Kyoshiro for the fourth and final time. Gensai, an eccentric Ukiyoe artist, urgently requests Kyoshiro to kill his wife. He believes that the moment she is killed will represent the ultimate state of beauty, and wishes to see Kyoshiro's signature “Engetsu Sappo” (“Full Moon Cut”) killing technique for the purpose. But this unusual request comes not only from Gensai, but also his wife, Orin, who has a tie to Kyoshiro's past. Meanwhile, Tenzen wants to hire Kyoshiro as their master sword instructor for the Kurume Clan, whose lord has an unhealthy obsession with Kyoshiro and his Engetsu Sappo…
Acting
Tamura's final, weathered performance as the cursed swordsman.
Cinematography
The Full Moon Cut staged like violent ukiyo-e come to life.
Writing
A perverse commission that blurs murder, art, and desire.
Director
Akira Inoue
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Tamura Masakazu's fourth and final portrayal of Kyoshiro across nearly two decades, closing a rare Japanese TV-to-film character continuity.
The 'beauty in death' premise directly echoes Edo-period aesthetic philosophy of mono no aware—the pathos of things—twisted into murderous eroticism.
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