Mikami: Ghost Sweeper (film)

Bear McCreary

***Mikami: Ghost Sweeper*** is a horror comedy film by KB Fan Fiction Productions based on *Ghost Sweeper Mikami* and the sequel to *Mikami* (2019).

## Premise

Reiko Mikami discovers that her paranormal investigation office had intense competition by another run by friendly rival Emi Ogasawara, who was her old school friend. However, their newly-hired Ghost Sweeper recruits, May Seven from Kazakhstan and Lolita Chun from Mongolia, are friendly towards each other (due to their strained and uneasy relationship with Mikami's loony assistant Tadao Yokoshima) and try to persuade Reiko and Emi to put aside their differences and work together.

One day, Reiko's colleague Meiko Rokudo asks her to go to London to investigate a supernatural murder case, where a Japanese occultist named Michiyo Nishisendai was involved and suspected to have awakened a powerful demoness who plots to turn every human on Earth into zombies. Emi also jumped into the opportunity. Bringing their new recruits along, Reiko and Emi struggle to cooperate while tracking the location of Michiyo's secret altar and ending the threat once and for all.

## Plot

Reiko Mikami of the Mikami Paranormal Investigation Bureau receives a business card from a friendly rival: her high school friend Emi Ogasawara, who runs the Ogasawara Paranormal Investigation Bureau. They are always at odds with each other as both run their own paranormal investigation offices.

One day, both offices receive new Ghost Sweeper interns from overseas. Reiko interviews and hires May Seven, a rich and rambunctious girl from Kazakhstan, into the Mikami Paranormal Investigation Office, where Reiko’s trainee Tadao Yokoshima gets smitten with her. Meanwhile, Emi accepts the entry of her newest intern, Lolita Chun, a poor but feisty girl from Mongolia. Emi discovers that Lolita had the gift of the second sight. The next day, Reiko and Emi meet again at a restaurant with their new recruits, shortly after Lolita saved May from being hit by a car, and Tadao becomes attracted to Lolita. Although Reiko and Emi played pranks on each other, May and Lolita are surprisingly friendly to each other and strive to end their bosses’ unhealthy conflict. Reiko and Emi’s rivalry at the restaurant almost erupted into a food fight when Meiko Rokudo from Mikami’s office, who had recently returned from China, handed the girls a report on a supernatural murder case in London, UK, which is suspected to be carried out by a mysterious Japanese occultist. Both Reiko and Ami jump into the opportunity.

In London, the occultist, Michiyo Nishisendai, had a seance with her demonic master, who sends her trio of assistants to gather more victims to be sacrificed. Meanwhile, the group visits Meiko’s large mansion where they meet twelve strange creatures working for Meiko: the Guardian Spirits. Reiko and Emi realize that the Guardian Spirits were actually serving the Rokudo family because Meiko wore a mystic ring, and Reiko and Emi discover that they are wearing similar rings. These rings, known as the Sovereign Spirit Rings, are believed to bear the Sovereign Spirits, the Guardian Spirits’ true masters, and there is a fourth ring which is not far away from them. Reiko has the ring with the Sovereign Dragon Spirit, Emi's ring has the Sovereign Phoenix Spirit and Meiko’s ring contains the Sovereign Tiger Spirit.

Reiko and Emi’s teams pack their bags for London. However as they arrive at the airport, it is attacked by a snake demon named Nagini (Naga the Serpent). Reiko, Meiko and Emi unleash the Guardian Spirits to battle Nagini. As Reiko and Emi are about to deal the final blow on Nagini, their old conflict returns and they argue over who to strike before being saved by Lolita and May from Nagini’s counterattack. After disarming the demon, Reiko and Emi interrogate Nagini, who is actually a demon princess whose parents were killed by the malevolent Queen Medusa, who wanted to turn every human on Earth into zombies. Nagini explained that Queen Medusa is involved in the murders in London, and the Japanese occultist involved in her summoning is Michiyo Nishisendai, the leader of the Medusa Cult. Reiko recognized Michiyo as a rival magician who dabbled in dark magic and she once beat Michiyo in a great battle at a basement in Tokyo. Emi holds Nagini captive as they and the rest of the group head off to London.

In London, Michiyo, realizing that the Sovereign Spirits are coming to stop Queen Medusa from entering the world, sacrifices a number of young maidens by draining their blood, and it opens a portal which summons Queen Medusa into the world, who drinks the blood to become powerful. She proceeds to turn the sacrifices into zombies.

The Ghost Sweepers arrive in London and discover that Reiko’s spiritual advisor Okinu Himuro has the final ring which houses the Sovereign Tortoise Spirit. With their combined supernatural skills and detective techniques, along with Nagini’s assistance, the Ghost Sweepers finally find the location of Michiyo’s secret altar, which is located on the 13th floor of a high-rise building. At the same time, they fight off a horde of zombies made from Michiyo’s sacrificed victims; Reiko and Emi finally putting aside their differences thanks to Lolita and May’s help.

Reiko and Emi defeat Michiyo’s occultists and eventually confront Michiyo at her lair, only to be overpowered by the occultist's mystic powers which are granted from Queen Medusa. Meanwhile, Lolita, May and Tadao begin setting the altar on fire. Realizing that, Michiyo flees to the top of the building, followed by Reiko and Emi in hot pursuit. Meiko and Okinu join them. The four re-engage Michiyo on the building’s rooftop in an epic battle where Michiyo traps them in a force field from her sash. Overpowered by the four Ghost Sweepers, Michiyo then unites her body and soul with Queen Medusa, causing her to become more powerful and turn the tables on the Ghost Sweepers. Tadao, Lolita and May arrive to help them, and Nagini shields the trio from getting hit by a powerful beam from Michiyo/Medusa. The Ghost Sweepers’ four rings activate, unleashing the Sovereign Spirits which then banish Queen Medusa back into the demon world. An enraged Michiyo chases the group back to the burning 13th floor. Tadao sets Michiyo on fire before Reiko kicks her off the building, sending the occultist falling to her apparent death. After escaping the burning building, the Ghost Sweepers discover that Michiyo survived the fall. Together, Reiko and Emi finally destroy Michiyo using their respective Ghost Sweeper exorcisms. With the villains defeated, Nagini frees the souls of the sacrifices at the cost of her demonic powers. Reiko and Emi thank May and Lolita for their assistance and support in mending their relationship.

In the finale, the team visits various places in London, with Nagini becoming Emi’s spiritual advisor.

## Cast

* Reiko Mikami, the protagonist of the film and a professional paranormal investigator and exorcist who is the president of Mikami Paranormal Investigation Office. Although greedy by nature, Reiko is actually a plutophile who loves to live a luxurious life.
* Emi Ogasawara, the deuteragonist of the film and the president of the Ogasawara Paranormal Investigation Office. She is Reiko's friendly rival who was her high school classmate.
* May Seven as a fictionalized version of herself, a rich and rambunctious Kazakh Ghost Sweeper recruit joining the Mikami Paranormal Investigation Office.
* Lolita Chun as a fictionalized version of herself, a poor but feisty Mongolian Ghost Sweeper recruit joining the Ogasawara Paranormal Investigation Office. She possesses the "second sight" which enables her to see and talk to spirits.
* Tadao Yokoshima, a student who is one of Reiko's assistants.
* Meiko Rokudo, an innocent-looking, childish, millionaire, and extremely powerful lady in her 40s who is a big fan of Reiko. She was chosen by Reiko as one of her assistants and has a hidden power to summon the Twelve Guardian Spirits.
* Okinu Himuro, the 300-year-old spirit of a young lady who became Reiko's spirit world consultant.
* Queen Medusa, a demoness who seeks to turn every human on Earth into zombies.
* Michiyo Nishisendai, an occultist who summons Medusa into the world for her malicious intentions.
* Mae Lee-Han, a Korean-Japanese member of Michiyo's cult.
* Ana Nyusha, a Russian member of Michiyo's cult. She is named after Russian singer Nyusha.
* Galina Chernenko, another Russian member of Michiyo's cult. She is named after former Soviet premier Konstantin Chernenko.
* Kazuhiro Karasu
* Gracia Ul Nagini Seyruun, a snake demon. She is actually Naga the Serpent from *Slayers* who was crossed over and renamed.

### The Twelve Rokudo Guardian Spirits

The Rokudo Guardian Spirits are twelve guardian spirits based on the animals of the Chinese zodiac that can be summoned by the Ghost Sweepers, usually by their master Meiko Rokudo.

* Kumbira, the Rat Guardian Spirit.
* Vajara, the Ox Guardian Spirit.
* Mekira, the Tiger Guardian Spirit.
* Andira, the Rabbit Guardian Spirit.
* Ajila, the Dragon Guardian Spirit.
* Sandira, the Snake Guardian Spirit.
* Indara, the Horse Guardian Spirit.
* Pajra, the Sheep Guardian Spirit.
* Makura, the Monkey Guardian Spirit.
* Sindura, the Rooster Guardian Spirit.
* Shotora, the Dog Guardian Spirit.
* Vikrala, the Boar Guardian Spirit.

### The Sovereign Spirits

The Sovereign spirits are four supreme guardian spirits who can be summoned by four mystical rings owned by the major characters of the film.

* Azulong, the Sovereign Dragon Spirit. It can be summoned by Reiko Mikami's Dragon Ring.
* Zhuqiao, the Sovereign Phoenix Spirit. It can be summoned by Emi Ogasawara's Phoenix Ring.
* Baihu, the Sovereign Tiger Spirit. It can be summoned by Meiko Rokudo's Tiger Ring.
* Ebonwu, the Sovereign Tortoise Spirit. It can be summoned by Okinu Himuro's Shell Ring.

## Sequel

*Main article: Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Exorcist with a Nice Body*

In October 2020, Joel K announces the appearance of a new adapted crossover character, which is the eponymous protagonist from the PC-98 video game *Rusty*, in the upcoming film. The character is adapted to the KB multiverse as Rusty Szabó, a Hungarian Romani/Gypsy girl.

It is announced to be released in December 2023.

## Trivia

* The film's plot is inspired by the Hong Kong films *Mr. Vampire IV* (1988) and *Magic Cop* (1990).