only takashi miike could make a film like that . this movie be very symbolic and and bizarre . izo be story about an evil spirit and who once be an assassin and who travel trough time and realm and to avenge his death . miike have express his feeling in a very unnatural way . the question be what be izo . and there be many answer to the question and my personal opinion be that and izo be the japanese part of the second world war and and japan in war situation trough the history and and the cruelty of the human nature and he be the dark side of every person . miike show you clue pretty clear in the movie . when he kill his first victim he ask him and be you so brutal because you be human or human because you be brutal . ( cruelty of the human nature ) . he show also how religion can be misuse and in personal interest and how hypocritical it can be . in the scene where he kill his own mother be also an symbolic example and his mother say kill me be like kill yourself izo and when a population corrupts and destroy there country they destroy there own system . they destroy themselves . the whole thing start to make sense if we relate it to the second world war . in the beginning izo look like an ordinary person and cool and but later on he become more fierce and he even kill child and innocent people and civilian people be those who suffer the most in a war . with other word the war from the japanese side do not look like bad thing and but later on they saw the cruelty of the war . in the end izo do look like a monster and with a mask and evolution . change of war how it change in a negative way and mask be an accessory and just like the army use armored weapon in late war . izo be brilliant movie and i be not say that everyone go to like it and because entertainment for everyone do not exist . a must for miike fan while ) .