ZATOICHI #1
Directed by Kenji Misumi • 1962 • Japan
The epic saga of Zatoichi begins. As tensions mount between rival yakuza clans, one boss hires a formidable but ailing ronin as his clan’s muscle, while the other employs a humble, moral blind masseur named Ichi. With its lightning-fast swordplay, sleight-of-hand dice games, and codes of honor upheld and betrayed, this first chapter sets the stage for all the ZATOICHI adventures to come. And Shintaro Katsu brings author Kan Shimozawa’s blind swordsman to vivid life, making the character excitingly, indelibly his own.
Up Next in Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
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The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
ZATOICHI #2
Directed by Kazuo Mori • 1962 • JapanTHE TALE OF ZATOICHI proved so popular that a follow-up went into production the same year. Here, Zatoichi is hired to give a massage to a powerful political official who, he discovers, is mentally ill, a secret that the nobleman’s retinue is det...
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New Tale of Zatoichi
ZATOICHI #3
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka • 1963 • JapanZatoichi is back, and in color! Hoping to leave violence behind, the blind masseur wanders to a village, where he meets an old friend fallen on hard times. With a corrupt clan leader squeezing citizens dry and the brother of a past nemesis out...
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Zatoichi the Fugitive
ZATOICHI #4
Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka • 1963 • JapanZatoichi triumphs at a village wrestling match, much to the chagrin of his yakuza opponents. The defeated gang members pay a hotheaded ronin to take out the masseur; unbeknownst to them, the hired assassin is married to a former flame of Zatoi...
