Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Walking around virgin megastores I came across an old film series of a samurai - a blind samurai, Zatoichi (i think). Plus i've seen advertisement for it on Illusion of Blood.

Can i safly assume that this Zato was the influence for Zato the blind sword pig?

Has anyone seen these films (seems to be a lot of them around, 7 or
Are they any good?

stupid smilies - that was meant to be 7 or 8 films

Yes, Zato-Ino was largely inspired by Zato-Ichi the blind swords man. Zato-Ichi, played by Shintaro Katsu, was the star of (I think) 26 films and a TV series. It was the inspiration of another series, Crimson Bat the blind swordswoman.

A new Zato-Ichi movie starring Beat Takeshi made the rounds of American movie theaters a couple of years ago. I remember it being the subject of discussion on this board a few months ago.

Stan Sakai wrote:Yes, Zato-Ino was largely inspired by Zato-Ichi the blind swords man. Zato-Ichi, played by Shintaro Katsu, was the star of (I think) 26 films and a TV series. It was the inspiration of another series, Crimson Bat the blind swordswoman.

A new Zato-Ichi movie starring Beat Takeshi made the rounds of American movie theaters a couple of years ago. I remember it being the subject of discussion on this board a few months ago.

THE ZATOICHI FILM SERIES
(There have been several titles for the various films in the series)
Life and Opinion of Masseur Ichi (Zatoichi Monogatari) - 1962
The Return of Masseur Ichi (Zoku Zatoichi Monogatari) - 1962
Masseur Ichi, The Fugitive (Zatoichi Kyojotabi) - 1963
Masseur Ichi Enters Again (Shin Zatoichi Monogatari) - 1963
Masseur Ichi and a Chest of Gold (Zatoichi Senryo-Kubi) - 1964
Zatoichi's Flashing Sword (Zatoichi Abaredako) - 1964
Masseur Ichi on the Road (Zatoichi Kenka-Tabi) - 1963
The Adventures of a Blind Man (Zatoichi Sekisho Yaburi) - 1964
Fight, Zatoichi, Fight (Zato Ichi Kessho Tabi) - 1964
The Blind Swordsman & The Chess Expert (Zatoichi Jigokutabi) - 1965
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (Zato Ichi Sakata Giri) - 1965
The Blind Swordsman's Revenge (Zatoichi Nidangiri) - 1965
The Blind Swordsman's Vengeance (Zatoichi No Uta Ga Kikoeru) - 1966
The Blind Swordsman's Pilgrimage (Zato Ichi Umio Wataru) - 1966
The Blind Swordsman's Rescue (Zato Ichi Royaburi) - 1967
The Blind Swordsman's Cane Sword (Zatoichi Tekka Tabi) - 1967
Zatoichi Challenged (Zatoichi Chikemurikaido) - 1967
The Blind Swordsman & The Fugitives (Zatoichi Hatashijo) - 1968
The Blind Swordsman Samaritan (Zatoichi Kenkadaiko) - 1969
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (Zato Ichi to Yojimbo) - 1970
The Blind Swordsman's Fire Festival (Zato Ichi Abare Himatsuri) - 1970
Zatoichi Meets His Equal (Shin Zato Ichi "Yabure! Tojin-ken") - 1971
Zatoichi at Large ( Zato Ichi Goyotabi) - 1972
Zatoichi in Desperation (Zato Ichi Orieta Tsue) - 1972
Zatoichi's Conspiracy (Zato Ichi Kasama no Chi Matsuri)- 1973
Zatoichi (Zatôichi) - 1989

(There are multiple titles for the various films in the series)

a good list of reviews of the differant films in the series:
http://www.kungfucinema.com/movies/reviews_z.htm

Unfortunately I've only seen the Zatoichi movie with Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) in it.

Yet more samurai movies I need to see.

I saw one from 1964-- don't recall the title, but both sides pretty much got wiped out, and there were fireworks involved-- he wiped out the entire rival boss' place on his own--

AND I saw the "current" one which for some reason had everyone performing "River Dance" at the end-- I really do not get that ending at all.

I did not care for the "new" Zatoichi movie....I really like the films with Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi! One of my favorites is Fight, Zatoichi, Fight!

I am still waiting for Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo to be released....

It is not reviewed as one of the better Zatoichi movies...But I really want to see Katsu in the same pic with Toshiro Mifune!


CW

The "Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo" film should be available. I picked up a dvd of it at a local shop for under $20 a couple months ago. While Mifune is in it, his role is not the same character as in Yojimbo and Sanjuro, only similar.

Speaking of the film "Yojimbo", it was included in the Time top 100 critic's poll.

Abayo...

Steve Hubbell wrote:
Speaking of the film "Yojimbo", it was included in the Time top 100 critic's poll.

Abayo...

But "Seven Samurai" wasn't?????

Cool! I will look forZatoichi vs. Yojimbo next time I'm in the store!

Thanks,
CW

I've always wondered, was Shintaru Katsu, the actor who played Zatoichi, was he really blind?, or just a really good actor?

Angelcake wrote:I've always wondered, was Shintaru Katsu, the actor who played Zatoichi, was he really blind?, or just a really good actor?

His blindness was an act. Katsu starred in another series called Hanzo the Blade, about a Edo era detective. This was based on a gekiga (adult manga) by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame.

Speaking of which, LW&C was developed for the screen by Shintaro Katsu, and starred his brother Tomisaburo Wakayama.

Stan Sakai wrote:

Angelcake wrote:I've always wondered, was Shintaru Katsu, the actor who played Zatoichi, was he really blind?, or just a really good actor?

His blindness was an act. Katsu starred in another series called Hanzo the Blade, about a Edo era detective. This was based on a gekiga (adult manga) by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame.

Speaking of which, LW&C was developed for the screen by Shintaro Katsu, and starred his brother Tomisaburo Wakayama.

Wow, That was some act!

It was so convincing, he even had ME fooled!

Stan Sakai wrote:

Angelcake wrote:I've always wondered, was Shintaru Katsu, the actor who played Zatoichi, was he really blind?, or just a really good actor?

His blindness was an act. Katsu starred in another series called Hanzo the Blade, about a Edo era detective. This was based on a gekiga (adult manga) by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame.

Speaking of which, LW&C was developed for the screen by Shintaro Katsu, and starred his brother Tomisaburo Wakayama.

Sakai-Sensei, since you are so well versed in Jedai Geki, I thought you might be interested in knowing that the rights for the original Zatoichi TV Series were recently purchased for American distribution. They're going to be released in similar "season" box sets as other TV shows. THe first one is due out early next year and will contain 25 (of 100) one hour episodes.. Should make for a good watch.

Zatoichi was a great character, and one of several samurai hero type characters that had to deal with a handicap of some sort. The aforementioned Wakayama also played in a short lived TV series entitled the "Mute Samurai." Not to mention the lengendary (and often remade) Tange Sazen, the one eyed, one armed swordsman.

Man, I wish there was a way to get everyone together. I have all of this stuff in my collection and no one near me to share it with. My wife will watch it with me from time-to-time, and my daughter can't understand Japanese, and is just learning to read, so the subtitles are too fast for her. No one else around here enjoys it... Sigh.

As for the Hanzo the Razor films.. Strange stuff. I purchased the box set that came out last month, knowing that they were kind of ....umm... "different?" and man were they! A good watch though. I have been a fan of pretty much anything I've seen with Katsu in it.

I recently got a hold of copies of the full run of the recent Shinsengumi Taiga drama that was on NHK on DVD.. I can always send you a copy if you'd like (it's the least I can do for all of the entertainment you've brought me over the years). I also have (so far) the first 15 episodes of the current Yoshitsune Taiga.. Really good stuff.

Takeda Shingen wrote:
Sakai-Sensei, since you are so well versed in Jedai Geki, I thought you might be interested in knowing that the rights for the original Zatoichi TV Series were recently purchased for American distribution. They're going to be released in similar "season" box sets as other TV shows. THe first one is due out early next year and will contain 25 (of 100) one hour episodes.. Should make for a good watch.

Zatoichi was a great character, and one of several samurai hero type characters that had to deal with a handicap of some sort. The aforementioned Wakayama also played in a short lived TV series entitled the "Mute Samurai." Not to mention the lengendary (and often remade) Tange Sazen, the one eyed, one armed swordsman.

I recently got a hold of copies of the full run of the recent Shinsengumi Taiga drama that was on NHK on DVD.. I can always send you a copy if you'd like (it's the least I can do for all of the entertainment you've brought me over the years). I also have (so far) the first 15 episodes of the current Yoshitsune Taiga.. Really good stuff.

I'll look forward to the Zatoichi TV series on DVD. I remember it as being terrific--much like the movies--but they all followed the same formula, with Ichi killing a bunch of guys at the end. Toshiro Mifune also starred in a couple of TV series. One I remember was his Yojimbo-type character with two friends, one of them had a pistol. At the end of every episode, Mifune would fight about 40 guys. You knew what was going to happen at the end of every episode, but it was fun when it happened. My favorite Japanese TV show was Kage no Gundan 2, about a group of Edo-era ninja, each using a different weapon, going up against a group of conspirators. At each episode's end, another conspirator would die.

For a while, Japanese movies were enamored with samurai with disabilities--Zato Ichi, Tange Sazen, Crimson Bat the Blind Swordswoman, and there was another blind samurai trilogy in there.

I haven't seen any of the recent stuff like the Shinsengumi or the Yoshitsune series you mentioned. The only Japanese show I currently watch is Dotch ("Which One"). It's a cooking game show which pits two dishes, such as clams over rice vs salt water eel over rice. A celebrity panel has to choose which one they would like to eat. The side with more votes get to eat dinner, the losing side goes home hungry. Besides seeing the food, I like their special ingredient segment where they take the viewer in a behind the scenes look at something that is used in the making of the dish--such as how clams are gotten, or how the eels are caught, or how traditional charcoal or soy sauce are made.

Thanks for the offer of a copy of your tape, but I doubt I will get around to watching it--though Yoshitsune sounds interesting. The problem with foreign movies or animated shows, for me, is that you have to sit and actually watch it. I usually have the TV on while I'm working, and will look up once in a while to catch what is on. I just don't have the time or patience to sit for long periods watching TV. That is why I rarely go to movies--I feel I should be at home working.