New question for Stan

[Steve Hubbell]

Have you ever concidered a character based on the Tange Sazen story of the one eyed and one armed samurai who was featured in so many Japanese samurai films over the years?

Do you recall watching any of those movies, and if so, what are your impressions? Have you seen the fairly recent remake / revival movie?

I have been concidering buying a copy of the Hideo Gosha movie "The Secret of the Urn" and it made me curious of your thoughts on the series and character.

Abayo

[Stan Sakai]

I remember watching the Tange Sazen movies (I think there were three). I never considered a character based on a one-eye, one armed swordsman. I thought Zato-Ino was enough. I did not know there was a remake.

I am not familiar with Hideo Gosha.

[Steve Hubbell]

The newest Tange Sazen film:

Tange Sazen, a one-eyed and one-armed ronin was introduced in the pages of national newspaper Mainichi Shimbun by author Fubo Hayashi (1900-1935) in 1927. Due to its popularity, twelve feature films based on the character and his exploits were produced from 1935 through 1966.

This year (2004) the character was revived in director Toshio Tsuda's remake of the original 1935 feature Tange Sazen: Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo (AKA Tange Sazen and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo). Dramatic actor Etsushi Toyokawa (Dog Star) takes on the role of Tange who is forced to give up being a samurai after being betrayed and wounded. With a comical tone, Tange deals with a nagging wife (Emi Wakui) while becoming involved with an orphaned child and a pot of one million ryo.

With the recent success in the genre of samurai film remaking, it seems timely to revive a forgotten master of the samurai films from early Japanese cinema.

Tange Sazen: Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo is a remake of a classic 1935 film of the same name by Sadao Yamanaka. Tange Sazen, the one-armd, one-eyed ex-samurai swordsman is the creation of Fubo Hayashi, and was one of the most popular characters of the era. This remake is helmed by freshman director Toshio Tsuda, starring Etsushi Toyokawa as Sazen and Emi Wakui as Ofuji, his quick-witted wife. This marks the 34th film in the series of Tange Sazen, and this comedy of errors involves an Urn that is worth a million Ryo! With a witty script that combines Hollywood style storytelling with classical Japanese humor, it is a treat for film fans that Tange Sazen has finally returned to our big screens!

Hideo Gosha directed the 1966 film "Secret of the Urn"

And the manga by Tezuka Osamu based on the character:

Tange Sazen is a one-eyed, one-armed, swordsman hero who first appeared in 1927-1928 in "Ooka Seidan-Suzukawa Genjuro Story: revised edition," a story written by Hayashi Fubo, a popular writer at the beginning of the Showa period. At first, he was a supporting character, but because of his popularity, "Tange Sazen" was later written (1933-1934) and made into a movie, turning him into a hero of the times.

Tezuka Osamu's "Tange Sazen," which originated with "Tange Sazen: Kokesaru no Tsubo," was serialized in the Osaka Mainichi Newspaper and Tokyo Nichinichi Newspaper from June to November 1933. Tezuka Osamu did not intend to produce this work at first, but did it at the request of his editors. In keeping with the "Tezuka Osamu style" that had at last become popular, he paid careful attention to details, drawing the scars on Tange Sazen's face with a clown-like deformity.

Later, Tezuka Osamu released "Tange Sazen: Volume of Kenunkonryu" as an appendix to the March 1955 issue of "Omoshiro Book." But because Tezuka Osamu was ill at the time, he drew only the cover and eight two-toned pages. The rest was drawn by his assistant under his guidance.

Here is a link to a page with descriptions of several of the earlier films:
http://www.brns.com/japan/pages1/japan24.html

[Stan Sakai]

Wow, 12 films and I don't remember the plots for any of them. I do remember that Tange Sazen was a low class samurai what hung out with gamblers and commoners.

[Steve Hubbell]

The list below contains titles for thirty-two Tange Sazen films made between 1928 and 2004 and was copied from http://www.samuraimovie.net/tangesazen.html

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Suzukawa Genjurou No Maki (1928)
director:Gorou Hirose
scenario:
cast:Tokuma Dan, Komako Hara,

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Chuhen(1928)
director:Goro Hirose
scenario:
cast:Tokuma Dan, Komako Hara, Mitsuoka Ryuzaburo

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Kouhen(1928)
director:Goro Hirose
scenario:
cast:Tokuma Dan, Komako Hara, Mitsuoka Ryuzaburo

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Zenpen(1928)
director:Fumitaro Futagawa
scenario:
cast:Chozaburo Arashi, Umeko Ohbayashi, Shinobu Arashi

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Chuhen(1928)
director:Fumitaro Futagawa
scenario:
cast:Chozaburo Arashi, Umeko Ohbayashi, Shinobu Arashi

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Daiippen(1928)
director:Daisuke Ito
scenario:
cast:Denjiro Ohkouchi, Naoe Fushimi, Eiji Takagi

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Dainihen(1928)
director:Daisuke Ito
scenario:
cast:Denjiro Ohkouchi, Naoe Fushimi, Eiji Takagi

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Shinban Ohokaseidan Daisanpen(1928)
director:Daisuke Ito
scenario:
cast:Denjiro Ohkouchi, Naoe Fushimi, Eiji Takagi

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Tange Sazen Daiippen (1933)
director:Daisuke Ito
scenario:
cast:Denjiro Ohkouchi, Asako Yoshino, Eiji Takagi

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Tange Sazen Kengeki No Maki (1934)
director:Daisuke Ito
scenario:
cast:Denjiro Ohkouchi, Asako Yoshino, Eiji Takagi

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Tange Sazen Yowa Hyakumanryou No Tsubo(1935 produced by Nikkatsukyoto)
director:Sadao Yamanaka
scenario:Shintarou Mimura
cast:Denjirou Ohkouchi

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Tange Sazen Kenunhissatsu No Maki (1935)
director:Makino Masahiro
scenario:
cast:Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Komako Hara,Tohichirou Hara

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Tange Sazen Konryujubaku No Maki (1936)
director:Makino Masahiro
scenario:
cast:Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Komako Hara,Tohichirou Hara

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Tange Sazen Nikkou No Maki (1936)
director:Kunio Watanabe
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,Reiko Hoshi, Eiji Takagi

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Tange Sazen Aizoumaken Hen (1937)
director:Kunio Watanabe
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,Reiko Hoshi, Eiji Takagi

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Tange Sazen Kanketsuhoukou Hen (1937)
director:Kunio Watanabe
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,Reiko Hoshi, Eiji Takagi

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Shinpen Tange Sazen Youtou Hen (1938)
director:Kunio Watanabe
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,

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Shinpen Tange Sazen Sekishu Hen (1939)
director:Satsuo Yamamoto
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,

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Shinpen Tange Sazen Sekigan No Maki (1939)
director:Nobuo Nakagawa
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi,

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Shinpen Tange Sazen Koiguruma No Maki (1940)
director: Ogiwara Ryo
scenario:
cast: Denjiro Ohkouchi

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Tange Sazen(1952 produced by Shouchikukyouto)
director:Sadaji Matsuda
scenario:Ryuuzou Kikushima
cast:Tsumasaburo Bandou

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Tange Sazen(1953 produced by Daieikyouto)
director:Masahiro Makino
scenario:Daisuke Itou/Shinichi Yanagawa
cast:Denjirou Ohkouchi, Mitsuko Mito

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Zoku Tange Sazen(1953 produced by Daieikyouto)
director:Masahiro Makino
scenario:Shinichi Yanagawa
cast:Denjirou Ohkouchi, Mitsuko Mito

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Tangesazen・Kokezaru-no-tsubo(1954 produced by Daieikyouto)
director:Kenji Misumi
scenario:Sadanosuke Kinugasa
cast:Denjirou Ohkouchi, Mieko Takamine

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Tange Sazen・Kenun no maki（1956 produced by Nikkatsu)
director:Masahiro Makino
scenario:Gorou Tanada
cast:Michitarou Mizushima,Seizaburou Kawatsu

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Tange Sazen(1958 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Sadaji Matsuda
scenario:Fumio Nakayama
cast:Ryutaro Ohtomo, Hashizou Ohkawa

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Tange Sazen Dotou Hen(1959 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Sadaji Matsuda/Masaharu Matsumura
scenario:
cast:Ryutarou Ohtomo, Keiko Ohkawa

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Tangesazen Youtou Nuretsubame(1960 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Sadaji Matsuda
scenario:Hideo Oguni
cast:Ryuutarou Ootomo,Okasatomi

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Tange Sazen Nuretsubame Ittouryu(1961 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Sadaji Matsuda
scenario:Masaharu Matsumurra
cast:Ryuutarou Ootomo,Yumiko Hasegawa

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Tange Sazen Kenunkonryu No Maki(1962 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Yasushi Katou
scenario:Toshirou Ishidou
cast:Ryutaro Ohtomo, Chiyonosuke Azuma

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Tange Sazen Hien Iaigiri(1966 produced by Toueikyouto)
director:Hideo Gosha
scenario:Hideo Gosha
cast:Kei Tasaka

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Tange Sazen - Hyakumanryou No Tsubo(2004) (English subtitles)
director:Toyoshige Tsuda
scenario:Jun Edoki
cast:Etsuji Toyokawa, Emi Wakui, Hironobu Nomura