In 1962, the first “Zatoichi” film was released in Japan with Shintaro Katsu as a blind masseur and samurai who travels the country and has to repeatedly draw his sword. The first sequel was released in the same year. A total of 25 films appeared up to 1973 – but not in Germany. In Germany, only a 26th part (“Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman”), which was added again in 1989, two special crossovers and the 2003 remake “Zatoichi – The Blind Samurai” were released. But that’s finally over…
After exclusive media books were already available from the drugstore chain Müller in spring, the legendary “Zatoichi” series is now also appearing regularly in stores. From September 29th, the two opening films “The Tale Of Zatoichi” and “The Tale of Zatoichi Continues” will be available on DVD and Blu-ray, followed on November 24th, 2022 with “New Tale of Zatoichi” and “Zatoichi The Fugitive”. ‘ the third and fourth parts. All can of course already be pre-ordered from Amazon.
» The “Zatoichi” films on Amazon*
You can already stream the first two films – and even buy the streams very cheaply.
» The “Zatoichi” films on Amazon Prime Video*
It’s a great franchise that’s justifiably legendary, and one that many filmmakers have bowed down to. Quentin Tarantino mentions Zatoichi explicitly in “Death Proof” and in the already very samurai-inspired “Star Wars”series, Donnie Yen embodied a blind fighter in “Rogue One” in homage to the oversized role model. Above all, the original films are still really strong today, offering terrific crisp action scenes, dramatic moments and humor over and over again.
Get started “The Tale of Zatoichi“, which already gives a very good idea of what to expect in this series. The blind masseur Ichi travels the country. He is a “zato” which is the lowest level among the blind. He is looked down on, he is impoverished, but some know: he can handle the sword hidden in his stick better than anyone who can see. That’s why Yakuza hire him to clean up with a rival gang. But the opponents hire a masterless samurai…
The first part makes it clear that Zatoichi is not a shining hero. He gets hired by criminals here because he needs the money. The opening film places the saga in a world where the honorable samurai are dying out. Zatoichi forms such a friendship with his opponent Hirate because they still embody similar values - although both know that in the end they will have to fight each other.
» “The Tale of Zatoichi” at Amazon: DVD & Blu-ray* / as streaming*
The sequel “The Tale of Zatoichi Continues“ plays a year later. Zatoichi goes back to the location of the first film. Because he learns the secret of a powerful lord while working as a masseur, he wants to have him killed. Next to it, the blind samurai meets a one-armed swordsman.
The sequel highlights one class of the series in particular: it is extremely crisply told. The second part is just 72 minutes. The action scenes, which are again very high-class here, are always short anyway. Dueling with the sharp swords is not long. Whoever is faster stabs and wins. Despite its brevity, the second film does a great job of bringing us closer to the character because we learn a lot about his background.
» “The Tale of Zatoichi Continues” at Amazon: DVD & Blu-ray* / as streaming*
With the third part “New Tale of Zatoichi“ is first killed in color. On the way home, Ichi not only meets an old friend, but also his old master. And he wants to lay down his arms and get married. Of course, fate has other plans.
Even if “The Tale of Zatoichi Continues” is a bit weaker than the two predecessors, it is particularly convincing emotionally and tells us even more about Ichi.
» “New Tale of Zatoichi” at Amazon: DVD & Blu-ray*
In “Zatoichi The Fugitive“ Let’s see how well our hero can fight without a sword, because he wins at the beginning of a sumo tournament. But then he has to find out that a bounty has been put on his head and he meets his old love again.
Quite a lot of story is squeezed into the fourth part, which makes it a bit more overloaded. But there’s the biggest final fight so far, in which Ichi is confronted with an even greater superiority of opponents than is already the case otherwise.
» “Zatoichi The Fugitive” at Amazon: DVD & Blu-ray*
You can pre-order these four films, which are now appearing regularly on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time, and stream the first two directly if you are really impatient. Hopefully in 2023 the rest of the series will gradually appear, which still has some extraordinary action-adventures in store. In doing so, Zatoichi even meets other legendary film characters, such as in “Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo” and “Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman”, which is why – as I said at the beginning, the big exception in the series – in Germany as around 15 years ago released on DVD.
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