ZATOICHI #23
Directed by Kazuo Mori • 1972 • Japan
Zatoichi comes across a pregnant woman dying from sword wounds and helps deliver her baby. Her final request to him: take the boy to see his father. From here, the film evolves into one of the wilder rides in the ZATOICHI series, including such quirky touches as a mysterious child who follows Ichi and pelts him with rocks, monkey performances, and an unexpectedly hilarious take on the ronin challenger.
Up Next in Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
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Zatoichi in Desperation
ZATOICHI #24
Directed by Shintaro Katsu • 1972 • JapanStar Shintaro Katsu sits in the director’s chair for this psychedelic and unremittingly bleak entry in the Zatoichi series, which is unlike any other in its grind-house grimness. A tale of innocence corrupted by sadistic, sleazy criminality,...
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Zatoichi’s Conspiracy
ZATOICHI #25
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda • 1973 • JapanEverything comes full circle when Zatoichi returns to his hometown. Unfortunately, he finds that a childhood friend has become a feared crime lord, keeping the locals in debt and bilking them of their rice. Capping off Zatoichi’s feature f...
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John Nathan on ZATOICHI
The following is a 2013 interview with filmmaker and Japanese-culture scholar John Nathan, who shares his memories of actor and filmmaker Shintaro Katsu, star of the ZATOICHI series.
