Review of Tomie: Beginning (2005) by Luis M — 03 Mar 2010

Slightly cheesy, but there's nothing like good photography, nice sound and justified acting that can't show you what "Tomie" is really like.

Rio Matsumoto (Cyborg She, God's Puzzle) stars in a prequel to the "Tomie will not die" cult classic film series directed by Ataru Oikawa (Tomie, Tomie: Revenge) who began the franchise in 1999 thus making a beginning that perhaps connects to the first film rather then a Tomie origin.

Kawagami Tomie enters a new school filled with male students who are instantly dazzled with her fine features while getting caught up with jealous female students who will stop at nothing to rid her away from their boys. While walking home from school, Tomie notices a student from her class who doesn't seem to overtly evade her presence and begins a companionship in hopes to become apart of her life. However, the attempt of a brewing friendship is cut short when students plot a scheme to rid her from their school before she continues to wreak havoc amongst a circle of classmates.

The exceptional thing I can mention about this low budget horror is that the multi-talented Rio Matsumoto seemed to have nearly nailed a solid portrayal of the infamous Tomie following Nozomi Ando's flawless performance in Tomie: Forbidden Fruit. She delivered it all in this prequel i.e. given the psychotic prissy impression, the gently refined argument and that trademarked sarcastic cackle all Tomie fans love to hear.

Yoshiyuki Morishita (Go Go Yubari's first on-screen kill at the bar scene in Kill Bill) fits just right playing the role of Takagi - a teacher inlove with his student - and the music having good sound with gratifying cinematography is as feeling as Hideo Yamamoto's work in Tomie: Replay, and the only downfall is from the attire to the special effects wasn't to par.

Nevertheless, this is a Tomie film and fans won't have any trouble wanting to see it, but if you don't know much about the beautiful girl who will not die then I would suggest watching this part where some of its dialogue will give you a real understanding to the nonconformists of the world.