ZATOICHI #21
Directed by Kenji Misumi • 1970 • Japan
Cowritten by star Shintaro Katsu, this adventure pits Zatoichi against one of his most diabolical foes: a blind yakuza boss whose reign of terror and exploitation has made him nearly mythic. Guest starring the legendary Tatsuya Nakadai as a ronin haunted by a traumatic past, and featuring an unforgettable nude swordfight in a bathhouse, this twenty-first entry in the series is a fan favorite.
Up Next in Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
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Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
ZATOICHI #22
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda • 1971 • JapanIt's East meets East when one of Japan’s action idols crosses paths with an iconic kung-fu hero from Hong Kong. While traveling the countryside, Zatoichi comes across Wang Kang (Jimmy Wang Yu), a Chinese swordsman protecting a brutally orp...
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Zatoichi at Large
ZATOICHI #23
Directed by Kazuo Mori • 1972 • JapanZatoichi 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 ...
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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,...
