Zatoichi

Not Sir Phobos · Post by **Not Sir Phobos** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:41 pm

Erm.... my bad. What I meant to say was I did a netflix search and came up snake eyes. Me a dummy.

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:09 pm

Netflix:

Zatoichi (17-Disc Series) (1962).

Add Discs Separately
Zatoichi: Vol. 1: The Tale of Zatoichi
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) is a blind masseur and swordsman living and working in a province that's under siege by rival warlords. One warlord tries to hire Zatoichi to help him fight his rival. But when the swordsman refuses, the warlord instead finds another warrior to challenge Zatoichi, who is not about to sit idle while his province is ruthlessly destroyed.

Zatoichi: Vol. 2: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) discovers that his new lord and employer suffers from a mental illness that, if made public, could extinguish the lord's empire and destroy his loyal samurai. The samurai know something is amiss and that Zatoichi holds a secret, and they're determined to get it no matter what. In a final duel, Zatoichi must face the infamous one-armed samurai.
Additional Actors: Tomisaburo Wakayama

Zatoichi: Vol. 3: New Tale of Zatoichi
With more killer swordsmanship, romance and action-packed drama, the "Blind Swordsman" is back in the first color episode of the Zatoichi series. Ichi returns to his home village to discover that his mentor has been hiring out his swordsmanship skills to a ruthless gang of kidnappers. Meanwhile, the mentor's sister offers herself in marriage to our hero, who must decline on account of his many enemies and the danger that would bring to her.

Zatoichi: Vol. 4: The Fugitive
Upon arriving in the village of Shimonita, Ichi learns that a local gang has placed a bounty on his head. A powerful hired ronin attacks him and nearly claims his life … and when the assassin goes on to slay an innocent woman, Ichi can no longer control his rage. After laying waste to the entire gang, Ichi's final duel becomes a deadly meeting of the samurai's superior swordsmanship and the blind masseur's unbridled rage.
Additional Actors: Miwa Takada, Masayo Banri, Junichiro Narita, Katsuhiko Kobayashi

Zatoichi: Vol. 5: On the Road
While Ichi and his companion are traveling to a village where the local gang leader wants to hire Ichi as a bodyguard, a rival gang attacks the pair. After negotiating safe passage for himself only, the blind masseur encounters a dying man trying to help a servant girl escape after a feudal lord has just raped her. Agreeing to help the girl get back to her family, Zatoichi realizes he will have to take on both gangs to make it through.
Additional Actors: Matasaburo Niwa, Reiko Fujiwara, Ryuzo Shimada, Shosaku Sugiyama, Sonosuke Sawamura

Zatoichi: Vol. 6: Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) must prove his innocence to legions of doubters in this sixth installment of the popular Japanese samurai series. Accused of being a thief, the blind swordsman attempts to expose the actual perpetrators while retrieving a missing cache of gold.
Additional Actors: Shogo Shimada, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Machiko Hasegawa, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Tatsuya Ishiguro, Shinjiro Asano, Saburo Date, Hikosaburo Kataoka

Zatoichi: Vol. 7: Zatoichi's Flashing Sword
While fleeing from gangsters intent on revenge, Zatoichi, the wandering masseur, gambler and master swordsman, finds himself caught in a volatile feud between rival Yasugoro bosses. Shintaro Katsu stars as the blind master in this seventh installment of the Zatoichi series.
Additional Actors: Tatsuo Endo, Takashi Etajima, Ryutaro Gomi, Bokuzen Hidari, Naoko Kubo, Mayumi Nagisa, Yutaka Nakamura, Koh Sugita

Zatoichi: Vol. 8: Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
An attack intended to kill the master blind swordsman Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) instead strikes a fatal blow to an innocent mother. An honorable man, Zatoichi cares for the deceased woman's baby, protecting it from danger. Along the way, the omnipotent swordsman becomes a reluctant assassin as he's forced to defend himself against a gang.
Additional Actors: Nobuo Kaneko

Zatoichi: Vol. 9: Adventures of Zatoichi
Zatoichi raises an entirely different kind of cane in this hard-hitting episode. While corrupt bosses exploit hard-working merchants preparing for a New Year's celebration, Zatoichi dispenses justice with the edge of his cane sword. Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda. Stars Shintaro Katsu.
Additional Actors: Miwa Takada, Eiko Taki, Kichijiro Ueda

Zatoichi: Vol. 10: Zatoichi's Revenge
Revenge is a dish best served cold. When a diabolical scheme to enslave young women and force them into prostitution causes his old master to be murdered in cold blood, Ichi (Shintaro Katsu) sets mercy aside until his vengeance is meted out and the young women are set free. Directed by Akira Inoue.
Additional Actors: Norihei Miki, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Takeshi Kato, Fujio Harumoto

Zatoichi: Vol. 11: Zatoichi and the Doomed Man
Paired with a witty, harmless con man, Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi mixes intoxicating swordplay and sidesplitting slapstick in a tale where Zatoichi's fate collides with an innocent man facing execution. Directed by Kazuo Mori. Stars Ryuzo Shimada, Kenjiro Ishiyama and Masako Myojo.
Additional Actors: Kanbi Fujiyama, Eiko Taki, Masako Myojo, Kenjiro Ishiyama, Ryuzo Shimada, Koichi Mizuhara

Zatoichi: Vol. 12: Zatoichi and the Chess Expert
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) and a chess-fanatic samurai grow to be close friends. Also, Zatoichi must battle an archrival in order to aid a young woman whose own sword fight has taken a dangerous turn for the worst.
Additional Actors: Mikio Narita
One of my favorites!

Zatoichi: Vol. 13: Zatoichi's Vengeance
Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) happens upon a man who's at death's door, and he gives the ailing man his word that he'll deliver something to his son, Taichi. As Zatoichi prepares to deliver the package, he's faced with a group of bitter enemies who will do anything to get in his way.
Additional Actors: Jun Hamamura, Kei Sato

Zatoichi: Vol. 15: Zatoichi's Cane Sword
In his desperate attempts to rid his community of violence, Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) discovers the compelling truth about his sword -- a secret that just might come between him and his ability to overpower the malicious yakuza.
Additional Actors: Shiho Fujimura, Yoshihiko Aoyama, Eijiro Tono

Zatoichi: Vol. 17: Zatoichi Challenged
The blind swordsman helps a family in need in the continuing story of Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu), a sightless samurai with a noble heart and a swift sword. When a dying woman asks Zatoichi to deliver her son to his father, he agrees. On the way, Zatoichi fends off multiple gangs, aided by a mysterious samurai. Once at their destination, the three discover that the boy's father is a hostage, and the mysterious samurai reveals his true identity.
Additional Actors: Miwa Takada, Yukiji Asaoka, Mikiko Tsubouchi, Mie Nakao, Takao Ito

Zatoichi: Vol. 18: Zatoichi and the Fugitives
Blind swordsman Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) liberates a town from a brutal gang in the continuing story of a sightless Samurai with a swift sword and a noble heart. In this installment, Zatoichi learns that a gang of criminals and a corrupt official are forcing young women to work in a sweatshop against their will. Unable to stand for such cruelty, the blind swordsman does what he does best -- grabs his shiny sword and goes after the bad guys.
Additional Actors: Kayo Mikimoto, Kyosuke Mashida, Takashi Shimura, Akifumi Inoue

Zatoichi: Vol. 19: Samaritan Zatoichi
Zatoichi is duped into killing a man in the continuing story of a sightless Samurai with a noble heart. In this installment, a mob boss hires Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) to kill a man for an unpaid gambling debt. But when the debtor's daughter shows up with payment, Zatoichi realizes he's been tricked. Incensed that the girl was forced into prostitution to earn the money, Zatoichi shines up his sword and sets out to find those responsible.
Additional Actors: Yoshiko Mita, Makoto Sato, Ko Nishimura, Takuya Fujioka, Chocho Miyako

Maybe more info than you truly wanted!

yoshito · Post by **yoshito** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:11 pm

Looks like you'll miss the AnimEigo set and movie. But those are really good to get an idea of Zatoichi. =)

Edit: Damn, looks like I'm 4-5 short on that series as well. Guess I need to stop off at Fry's to find them. =P Think they were $19.99 there...

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:21 pm

Yeah, this list does not include the 1970's Ichi movies and the one that Shintaro Katsu directed himself in 1989.
And of course there are the movies his brother made of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series.

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 6:00 am

monkeyboy wrote:And of course there are the movies his brother made of the "Lone Wolf and Cub" series.

That's what I loved about these films of the time, Toho Studio would group some of the people's favourite heros and make them meet in crossover movies- Ogami Ito (Lone Wolf) with Zatoichi, Zatoichi with Sanjuro (Yojimbo) etc. Too cool. How are we meant to side with one character over another when they're all idols?! heh

BTW, I want to check out the 'Hanzo the Razor' series since it came to DVD fairly recently in the west. another top Katsu series I believe... I think there are only 3 films so it doesn't 'drag out' like the Zatoichi ones.

Oh yeah, if you get any Zatoichi/Lone Wolf films, go for the AnimEigo ones- SUPERB subtitles. They have colour-coded the speech for each main character, references/signs are explained. Maybe this was just for the UK release, I don't know, but they're the best subs I've seen. Hat's off to them.

With regard to the series of Zatoichi movies, I don't know which ones I've seen as the UK-releases were renamed AGAIN so it's hard to follow. Magic Arts released 7 on their Warrior label, all of which are brilliant:
Zatoichi the Outlaw
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
Zatoichi at the Fire Festival
Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
Zatoichi in Despiration
Zatoichi at the Blood Fest