Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Tomie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 14, 2024

Arrow just recently offered fans of a certain notable subgenre their J-Horror Rising collection, and in more than one way Tomie might have been perfectly at home in that aggregation. However, as the interesting commentary track by Amber T included on this disc gets into, there are so many Tomie films that maybe the franchise requires its own collection (I frankly would not be surprised to see Arrow revisit the series courtesy of this film's many follow ups, especially since they've included several trailers for some of the sequels as supplements on this disc). For the uninitiated (and as Amber T also mentions, you really don't need to be an "initiate" to get what's going on), Tomie and its (as of the writing of this review) eight sequels are based upon an immensely popular manga by Junji Ito, which originally appeared in the wonderfully named shōjo magazine Monthly Halloween almost a decade before this first film was released. Some may jokingly think that interstitial time may have been needed in an almost gestational sense since, as Amber T also mentions, the source manga had certain opaque elements which would seem to defy any kind of adaptation, let alone one in film which (hopefully) would offer an understandable narrative.

In that regard, this first Tomie film offers its titular character, a young girl fully named Tomie Kawakami (Miho Kanno), who, maybe somewhat Sunset Boulevard style, has already been murdered as things get underway. Her killing seems to have sparked a cottage industry of other mysterious deaths, and soon enough a detective named Harada (Tomorowo Taguchi) discovers a veritable host of other murdered girls named Tomie Kawakami, stretching back countless decades. For those familiar with the intentionally enigmatic context of Tomie in the source manga, this is kind of a smart way to approach the character, but rather fascinatingly, the film actually takes a while to actually really get to Tomie and her story (and/or stories, as the case may be), instead focusing on a girl named Tsukiko Izumisawa (Mami Nakamura), who is suffering from memory loss and is undergoing treatment for that affliction with hypnosis.

There is a not really all that mysterious (at least for those familiar with the source manga) appearance of a rapidly maturing young girl, with the upshot offering whatever the J-Horror equivalent of Persona might be (and that is obviously said with tongue planted firmly in cheek). This is an interesting dissection of teenage angst and "identity issues" that may not offer the outright scares of more deliberately shocking J-Horror or adjacent offerings, but it is rather strong on mood and definitely imparts an unsettling feeling throughout.

Tomie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tomie is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet offers the following fairly minimal information on the transfer:

Tomie is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with 5.1 and stereo sound. The high definition master was supplied by Kadokawa.

Additional remastering work was completed by R3Store Studios, London.

I frankly am not always a big fan of some of these "pre-delivered" masters that Arrow has released, and this is another one where I found some deficits in which not even whatever additional work the typically excellent R3Store Studios did has completely eliminated. Palette suffusion is on the variable side, even apart from some of the rather interesting grading and/or lighting choices scattered throughout the film. In relatively normal lighting conditions, flesh tones in particular can be on the brown side, though a couple of outdoor scenes are rather weirdly timed toward almost green tones, giving skin an almost alien look. Grain also ebbs and flows and can spike without being tied to any particular lighting conditions. Contrast is occasionally anemic, and blacks can be just slightly milky. Detail levels are quite good when lighting conditions allow.

Tomie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tomie features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options. For a perceived "horror" film, there really aren't any big startle effects and the like, and instead the film tends to create more tension with weird vignettes involving cockroaches, to cite just one example. As such, the stereo track may suffice perfectly well for many listeners, though the 5.1 option does noticeably open up some of the outdoor material in particular, as well as offering a more spacious account of the score. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Tomie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Amber T.


• It's a Girl's World (HD; 34:58) is a new interview with director Ataru Oikawa. Subtitled in English.


• Scream Queen (HD; 15:43) is a new interview with actress Mami Nakamura. Subtitled in English.


• From Manga to Screen (HD; 12:46) is a new interview with producer Mikihiko Hirata. Subtitled in English.


• Making Of (HD; 28:13) is an archival EPK, subtitled in English.


• Trailers

  Tomie (HD; 1:08)

  
  

  Tomie: Another Face (HD; 1:23)

  
  

  Tomie: Replay (HD; 1:39)

  
  

  Tomie: Re-Birth (HD; 1:13)

  
  

  Tomie: Forbidden Fruit (HD; 1:45)

• Image Gallery (HD)

Additionally, Arrow provides another nicely appointed insert booklet with writing by Zack Davisson and Eugene Thacker. The keep case features a reversible sleeve. Packaging features a slipcover.

Tomie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tomie is probably creepier than scary, and maybe some of its hyperbolic histrionics may come off as just slightly comical, but there's still an undeniably unsettling mood suffusing the film. Technical merits are generally solid with caveats above noted, and as usual Arrow has assembled some very enjoyable supplements. At least for those unsated by J-Horror Rising, Tomie comes Recommended.