The Last Samurai (2. IMDb. Edit. Storyline. In the 1. 87. 0s, Captain Nathan Algren, a cynical veteran of the American Civil war who will work for anyone, is hired by Americans who want lucrative contracts with the Emperor of Japan to train the peasant conscripts for the first standing imperial army in modern warfare using firearms. The imperial Omura cabinet's first priority is to repress a rebellion of traditionalist Samurai - hereditary warriors- who remain devoted to the sacred dynasty but reject the Westernizing policy and even refuse firearms. Yet when his ill- prepared superior force sets out too soon, their panic allows the sword- wielding samurai to crush them. Badly wounded Algren's courageous stand makes the samurai leader Katsumoto spare his life; once nursed to health he learns to know and respect the old Japanese way, and participates as advisor in Katsumoto's failed attempt to save the Bushido tradition, but Omura gets repressive laws enacted- he must now choose to honor his loyalty to one of the embittered sides when .. Later, just before the final battle, the same samurai is ready for battle and staring the enemy army down. They say the old gods dipped a coral blade into the ocean, and when they pulled it out four perfect drops fell back into the sea, and those drops became the islands of Japan. I say, Japan was made by a handful of brave men. Warriors, willing to give their lives for what seems to have become a forgotten word: honor. Zatoichi - Wikipedia. Zatoichi(. The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist Kan Shimozawa. This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios (now Kadokawa Pictures) and actor Shintaro Katsu, who created the screen version. A total of 2. 6 films were made from 1. From 1. 97. 4 to 1. Zatoichi was produced, starring Katsu and some of the same stars that appeared in the films. These were produced by Katsu Productions. One hundred episodes, with episodes 9. Zatoichi television series was cancelled. The film was awarded the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion for Best Direction in 2. A stage version of Zatoichi directed by Takashi Miike starred Show Aikawa. Secretly, however, he is very highly skilled in swordsmanship, specifically Muraku- school kenjutsu and iaido along with the more general sword skills of Japan, as well as Sumo wrestling and kyujutsu. Little of his past is revealed, other than that he lost his sight as a child through illness. His father disappeared for undisclosed reasons when Zatoichi was about five years old. He is described by his kendo instructor as having practiced constantly and with extreme devotion when he was a pupil in order to develop his incredible swordsmanship. Zatoichi says of himself that he became a yakuza (gangster) during those three years he spent training (which immediately precede the original The Tale of Zatoichi) and killed many people, something he later came to deeply regret. This is reflected in his willingness to involve himself in the affairs of others—chiefly, those suffering from oppression/exploitation, or some form of corruption. Despite that moral re- assessment and his new perspective and remorse (and most often because of them), he usually has a bounty (sometimes quite large) on his head from one source or another throughout the movies and series. However, because of his earnestness, wit, and natural sense of empathy, many people who encounter him during his travels grow to respect and even care for him. Unlike a bushi, he does not carry a traditional katana. Instead, he uses a well- made shikomi- zue (. The decree was virtually impossible to enforce, however, as evidenced by the Yakuza enforcers being shown wielding katanas throughout the films. The blades of Shikomi- zue were generally straight- edged, of lower- quality, unfolded steel, which could not compare with even a low- end katana. As a result, the blade in Ichi's cane sword is broken during the climactic battle in Zatoichi the Fugitive (the fourth film). The sword has a new blade by the next film, which he wields until the fifteenth film Zatoichi's Cane Sword. ![]() The blade (which breaks during the film) and the blade that replaces it were specially forged at great expense and with far more than the usual care by master bladesmiths and were both of exceptional quality, superior to the swords of even most samurai. At the beginning of Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, his swordblade (presumably the same) inexplicably breaks and is sold to a blacksmith along with its hilt and scabbard. Its replacement isn't a shikomi- zue, but a jot. In the next film, Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire, he's once again using his trademark cane sword, outfitted with a new blade of unknown origin and quality. The principal recurring thematic formula of these films and the television series is that of the ever- wandering and sentimental drifter who protects the innocent and the helpless from oppressive or warring yakuza gangs, stops the worst of general injustice or predation and aids the unfortunate, and often, through no fault of his own, is set upon by ruffians or stumbles into harm's way. Zatoichi's saga is essentially one of an earthy but basically good and wise man almost always trying to do the decent thing, to somehow redeem himself and perhaps atone for past failings. Nevertheless, he believes himself instead to be a stained, corrupted and evil man, irredeemable and undeserving of the love and respect that some show and rightly have for him. This self- described . Death is his only constant companion, as he pragmatically doesn't allow other people, especially those he loves or thinks highly of, to get close and stay there for long; such would lead to eventual tragedy. ![]() Death does seem, like a shadow, to actually follow an often reluctant Zatoichi almost everywhere he goes, and despite his mostly compassionate nature, killing appears to come entirely naturally to him. His lightning- fast fighting skill is incredible, with his sword held in a reverse grip; this, combined with his unflappable steel- nerved wits in a fight, his keen ears, sense of smell and proprioception, all render him a formidable adversary. He is also quite capable with a traditional katana, as seen in Zatoichi's Vengeance and the bath house scene in Zatoichi and the Festival of Fire. Similarly, he displays considerable skill using two swords simultaneously, in Musashi- like Nit. Almost preternaturally dangerous with blades, he is fully capable (whether standing, sitting or lying down) of fighting and swiftly defeating multiple skilled opponents simultaneously. Some, however, have come close to besting him in combat, in particular during the final duel in Zatoichi Challenged, where extenuating circumstances played a role. A number of other standard scenarios are also repeated through the series: Zatoichi's winning of large amounts at gambling via his ability to hear whether the dice have fallen on even or odd is a common theme, as is his catching loaded or substituted dice by the difference in their sound. This frequently culminates in another set piece, Zatoichi's cutting the candles lighting the room and reducing it to pitch blackness, commonly accompanied by his tag line . Massage was a traditional occupation for the blind (as their lack of sight removed the issue of gender), as was playing the biwa or, for blind women (goze), the shamisen. Being lesser Hinin (lit. The first film was made in 1. The third film, in 1. The twenty- fifth film was made in 1. Katsu's last film, which he wrote and directed himself in 1. The original series of movies features other popular fictional characters of the genre on two occasions. Zatoichi and the One Armed Swordsman (1. Shaw Brothers series of Hong Kong produced movies directed by prolific director Chang Cheh; and Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1. Toshiro Mifune as Imperial Shogunate Secret Agent Sassa Daisaka. This character resembles the title character of Akira Kurosawa's films Yojimbo and Sanjuro. The earlier films, in which Mifune's character used the pseudonym Sanjuro (thirty- year- old), are alluded to when Sassa is jokingly called Shijuro (forty- year- old). List of original films. Here, Hauer is a Vietnam War vet who is blinded, then taught to fence by a local tribe before returning home to America. This film is based on Zatoichi Challenged (1. Beat Takeshi's Zatoichi. It premiered on September 3, 2. Venice Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion award, and went on to numerous other awards both at home and abroad. ![]() Heizo Hattori ( A Myth Arc is like a Story Arc, but longer. It spans the entire series. The term originated with The X-Files (whose writers referred to its alien conspiracy episodes. Images and sounds of the characters from InuYasha. Voice actors images from the InuYasha voice cast. Episodes Main article: Kamen Rider W Episodes. The W Search/Two Detectives in One (W It also stars Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Okusu, Yui Natsukawa, Guadalcanal Taka, Daigiro Tachibana, Yuko Daike, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura, and Akira Emoto. Zatoichi discovers a small, remote mountain town that has been overtaken by a bullying gang that is extorting money from the townspeople. As Zatoichi seeks to liberate the town, he encounters a ronin seeking employment to pay for his ailing wife's needs, and two geisha who are seeking to avenge the murder of their parents, but he soon discovers they are not what they seem to be. The soundtrack features contributions from Keiichi Suzuki (formerly of the Moon Riders) and The Stripes.
In Ichi, a blind female musician who is rescued (and later trained) by Zatoichi travels Japan to find her mentor. Toho Studios picked up where it had left off. The 2. 2nd film, Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman, was released in 1. Daiei Studios went bankrupt. However, starting with film entry 1. Zatoichi the Outlaw in 1. Shintaro Katsu's own company, Katsu Productions, coproduced the films (as well as producing the TV series and his last Zatoichi film). After Daiei was out of commission, Toho Company took over the films, including 1. Zatoichi at Large, the 2. Zatoichi at the Blood Fest in 1. Shochiku did Katsu's last Zatoichi film in 1. Katsu Productions. It was re- released (and retitled Darkness Is His Ally) in 2. Zatoichi film, Zatoichi, starring Takeshi Kitano, which Shochiku also released. Chambara Entertainment/Video Action of Honolulu held the original VHS release rights to the Zatoichi film series numbers 1- 2. Chambara eventually expired its North American release license. Anim. Eigo held the remainder of the VHS rights. Anim. Eigo released seven of the films: Zatoichi the Outlaw (1. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1. Zatoichi at the Fire Festival (1. Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire), Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman (1. Zatoichi at Large (1. Zatoichi in Desperation (1. Zatoichi at the Blood Fest (1. Zatoichi's Conspiracy). Media Blasters (under their Tokyo Shock label) released the 1. Toshiro Mifune, The Retreat From Kiska - MIFUNE Toshiro - 1965 Remastered, Battle Anthem - MIFUNE Toshiro - 1983 Remastered, Life of A Horse Trader - MIFUNE Toshiro. From fearsome warriors to gluttonous goofballs, Attack on Titan's cast is filled with a variety of colorful female characters. Rose Bridges explains what makes its. Depicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai. The first season (2. TV series was released on February 7, 2. Criterion Collection released the first twenty- five films as a dual- format Blu- ray and DVD boxed set on November 2. This series of films was not well received; only four films were produced and the producers were chastised for stealing from the Ichi character. In the second season of the 1. Thundercats, a character named Lynx- O shares many similarities as Zatoichi. Having been blinded by volcanic gasses during his escape from his dying home world of Thundera, Lynx- O develops his other senses to . He is a formidable fighter, and can use pressure points to disable and defeat foes. The character of Zatoichi finds homage in the character of Zato- Ino (also known as . This iteration of the character uses his keen sense of smell to find his way and to combat his enemies. Zato- Ino first appeared in Critters #7 (Jan 1. Fantagraphics Books.
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