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Demon City is an action thriller movie that premiered on Netflix on February 27, 2025. Helmed by Seiji Tanaka, the film is based on the manga series Oni Goroshi by Masamichi Kawabe. Tanaka and Kawabe have co-written the script. Director Tanaka is best known for his directorial debut film Melancholic, which won him several accolades.
Demon City stars Toma Ikuta in the lead role of an ex-hitman who embarks on a mission to avenge the murder of his family. The film is set in the provincial city of Shinjo in Japan. The film was reportedly shot in Yamagata, a city in Japan.
Filming location of Demon City explored
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Set in the fictional provincial town of Shinjo, Demon City was filmed in the historic city of Yamagata, according to a report by 4Filming.com published on February 11, 2025. It is the only known location listed in the report.
Yamagata is the capital city of the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. The city is situated in the mountainous basin of Yamagata in the southeast of the prefecture. The Yamagata Prefecture, in turn, is located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan.
Its location in the mountainous basin adds to its allure as a filming location. The Ou Mountains occupy the eastern part of the city. Yamagata experiences hot summers and snowy winters, which may have contributed to its visual style. A river passes through the city, while another forms the border between Yamagata and Tendo.
It was a castle town back in the Edo period of Japan, which shows that the city has deep historical roots. With its captivating scenery, dramatic seasonal changes, and historical sites, Yamagata was the perfect backdrop for Demon City.
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What is the plot of Demon City?
Demon City opens with a formidable hitman named Shuhei Sakata gearing up to retire from the business for good. After spending years killing off men with his rope and blade weapon, he decides to retire and live peacefully with his family.
After completing one last mission, Sakata goes home despite his boss persuading him to stay. Unfortunately, the peace in the ex-hitman's life is relatively short-lived as a Kimen-gumi, a group of individuals wearing demon masks, attack his family and murder his wife, Aoi, and daughter, Ryo.
Sakata gets shot but manages to escape death. However, he gets framed for the murders of Aoi and Ryo and enters a coma state due to the gunshot. Twelve years later, he is released from the prison hospital, only to be attacked by one of his former targets.
Upon being hospitalized again, Sakata becomes the target of a cop who is a member of the Kimen-gumi. Sakata gains consciousness before getting poisoned in his coma and killing off the Kimen-Gumi member. Once he remembers everything he and his family went through, he sets out on the quest for vengeance.
Soon, Sakata finds out that his daughter, Ryo, is alive and under the custody of one of the Kimen-gumi members who pretends to be her father. However, the adoptive father has sinister plans for the little girl when she reaches adulthood.
Sakata manages to save his daughter eventually but dies in the process. The film then cuts to a year later when Ryo returns to kill off the last member of the Kimen-gumi who wronged her family. The movie comes in a complete circle with this ending.
Demon City is available for streaming on Netflix.
