of a "forbidden room". When he walks inside the room to retrieve it, the door locks behind him and he encounters a ghost who insists that it is "real" and tells him that "death was eternal loneliness". Although he tries to resist the ghost's influence, Ryosuke loses the will to live, and Michi drags him to safety. They drive through a deserted, ravaged Tokyo, encountering apocalyptic scenery as well as an American C-130 Hercules military cargo plane that falls out of the sky and explodes. After locating a small motorboat and travelling into Tokyo Bay, the pair are found and brought aboard a ship departing from Tokyo, crewed by a small group of survivors who tell them that similar events are happening worldwide. Returning to the first scene of the film, Michi and the captain of the ship talk on the lower deck. As the ship heads for Latin America, the captain encourages Michi, telling her that she is doing the right thing by continuing to live. She returns to her room on the ship, where she sees Ryosuke sitting against the wall with his eyes closed. He fades into a shadow as Michi declares that she has found happiness, being alone with her last friend in the world. Cast Kumiko Asō as Michi Kudo Haruhiko Kato as Ryosuke Kawashima Koyuki as Harue Karasawa Kurume Arisaka as Junko Sasano Masatoshi Matsuo as Toshio Yabe Shinji Takeda as Yoshizaki Jun Fubuki as Michi's mother Shun Sugata as Boss Kōji Yakusho as Ship Captain Show Aikawa as Employee Kenji Mizuhashi as Taguchi Release Pulse was first released in Japan on February 3, 2001, where it was distributed by Toho. Distant Horizon purchased worldwide distribution rights to the film from Daiei. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival. Home video The film was released on DVD by Magnolia Home Entertainment on February 21, 2006. Arrow Video has announced a Blu-ray release of the film for December 2016. As of October 2019, it is included as part of the subscription service run by the BFI. Critical reception The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 74% based on 54 reviews, and a rating average of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A sinister spine-tingling techno-thriller whose artistry lies in the power of suggestion rather than a barrage of blood and guts or horror shop