First glimpse of the elaborate sets for Yoichi Sai's "Kamui Gaiden"

by Chris MaGee

Yoichi Sai's screen adaptation of the Shirato Sanpei manga "Kamui Gaiden" has become one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2009 not just because it stars current megastar Ken'ichi Matsuyama as the title character and is shooting from a script by "Ping Pong" and "Maiko haaaan!!!" scribe Kankuro Kudo, but also for the series of injuries suffered by its actors and months long delays. Some have even doubted if the film will be completed or not, but if the above pic care of Sankei.jp and MSN.com is any indication the brass at Shochiku are still going all out to make sure this production is a success.

What you see above is an entire complex of raised huts and buildings, one of the many sets that have been built in Okinawa for "Kamui Gaiden". The film should have wrapped shooting in September, but it appears Sai is still hard at work on putting the final touches on this epic. I am very curious indeed as to what the finished product will look like, especially after seeing the lengths to which they are going for authenticity. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this one will get its February release as planned.