Love Blooms Out on the Murasakino

Asuka Period, Japan. Ooama no Miko meets Nukata no Ookimi when he goes with his older brother (Nakano Ooe no Miko) to her house. There Nakano Ooe is wooing Nukata's older sister, and so the two younger siblings meet and fall in love. Five years later, Ooama and Nukata are married, and a daughter has just been born. Ooama talks happily to Nukata about his plans with his brother to jointly rule their empire of Yamato. As Nukata listens to his naive, happy chatter, she becomes uneasy. Later, Nakano Ooe arrives and tells Nukata that she has grown and become very lovely. He has fallen in love with her, and wants her for his own. Caught between the two brothers, Nukata flees back to her father's house. (Takawiki)

Directed by Shibata Yukihiro, Love Blooms Out on the Murasakino leans on a strong ensemble — Maki Ichiro, Mari Hanafusa, Takane Fubuki — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1995.