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 Samurai
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Zatoichi the Outlaw
ZATOICHI #16
Directed by Satsuo Yamamoto • 1967 • JapanZatoichi arrives in a town where a gambling house is kidnapping its poor, debt-ridden patrons. A rival establishment moves to pay those debts and free the peasants, but this second house’s seemingly altruistic boss is actually laying the gr...
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Humanity and Paper Balloons
Directed by Sadao Yamanaka • 1937 • Japan
A poor, masterless Samurai who depends on the paper balloons his wife makes to feed his family becomes tempted by a criminal opportunity.