Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts

Director(s) - Yoshiyuki Kuroda (Mirrorman, Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell) and Kimiyoshi Yasuda (The Lefty Swordsman, Tokyo Gambler)

Starring - Kojiro Hongo (Satan's Sword, The Falcon Fighter), Pepe Hozumi (Ultraman Dyna, Super Robot Mach Baron), and Masami Burukido 

Release Date - 1969

Genre - Fantasy/Horror

Tagline - "The most spectacular specters the world has ever seen"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

    When I started the Yokai Monsters journey I never knew what to expect when Arrow Video sent the release my way.  However, I was very pleased with the look and style of the first film in the set 100 Monsters.  The film was so much fun and the look of the film is something that I'm still thinking about several days later.  I spent some time with Neon Genesis Evangelion before I decided to continue through the Yokai Monsters set.  Spook Warfare was a lot of fun as well but just didn't work out for me as well as the first film.  Once I finished Spook Warfare I went ahead and tossed in the final film in the original Yokai Monsters trilogy Along with Ghosts.

     The film begins with a caretaker in a cemetery who is murdered by a group of thugs.  His daughter finds his body and possible clue to who murdered him.  As the gangsters try to find her and get rid of the evidence they soon find themselves at the mercy of the Yokai.  

     Along with Ghosts fits in with the previous two films very well.  It's a copy cat of the other films in sense of style and atmosphere but I found the story of this one to be a little bit more fluid than Spook Warfare.  It didn't feel as chaotic and overwhelming than the other film.  Honestly, this is probably my second favorite film of the three.  The acting in this one fits the film but the characters are nowhere near as fun as the creatures.  This is one of the many consistent themes throughout these films.  The cast is great but the humans are merely there for story purposes while the creatures steal the show.  The story for this one mixes gangsters with monsters and it's surprisingly a lot of fun.  The film is written better than Spook Warfare which makes it a tad more enjoyable.  It's easier to follow, better pacing, and the story has a little more imagination.  Finally, this is not a bloody flick.  We get some fun monsters and great atmosphere but that's the extent of it.  It's a fantasy crime film with monsters so don't expect a blood bath.  Overall, Along with Ghosts is a fantastic installment in the Yokai Monsters trilogy.  Sadly, it's an end to an era with these films but it goes out with a bang.