1973·Action·1h 28m
7.1
★
Zatoichi, the famed blind swordsman, returns to his home village for the first time in many years. He is befriended by Omiyo, who had the same wet-nurse as Zatoichi. He also encounters a boyhood friend, Shinbei, who is now wealthy and appears not to remember Zatoichi. Shinbei seems to be interested in repaying the villagers' debts, but is, in reality, manipulating the ownership of a now valuable rock quarry. Zatoichi learns of the subterfuge and confronts his old friend, who has a score of yakuza swordsmen backing his play.
Directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda
corruption
sequel
swordsman
zatoichi
conspiracy
blind
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Yukiyo Toake
Omiyo
Takashi Shimura
Sakubei
Eiji Okada
Shinbei
Kei Satō
Magistrate
Yoshio Tsuchiya
Shobei
Rie Yokoyama
Yuri
Tatsuo Endō
Boss Iwagoro
Shiro Kishibe
Ruffian
Yūji Hamada
Yūsaku Terashima
Yahei
Crew
Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Director
Akira Ifukube
Original Music Composer
Shintarō Katsu
Producer
Kan Shimozawa
Original Story
Popular Reviews
6 reviews
Gabriel Silva
8.2★ · 04/25/25
A return to form, again, for Zatoichi. Simple setups with strange inciting incidents, a corrupt magistrate, a young girl. The formula is set and secure and well-understood. There is very little need for changes or alteration. After twenty-five films, all of this is comfort food for me and a lot more familiar and welcome to me than other formulaic foreign fare like, say, James Bond (who counts, by the way). It does take a while for fun sword action to occur, but once it starts it does keep finding fun ways to not only insert itself into the plot but also maintain interest. Fighting amongst all the rice, for instance.
Watching all of these films has been very fun for me
Watching all of these films has been very fun for me
A return to form, again, for Zatoichi. Simple setups with strange inciting incidents, a corrupt magistrate, a young girl. The formula is set and secure and well-understood. There is very little need for changes or alteration. After twenty-five films, all of this is comfort food for me and a lot more familiar and welcome to me than other formulaic foreign fare like, say, James Bond (who counts, by the way). It does take a while for fun sword action to occur, but once it starts it does keep finding fun ways to not only insert itself into the plot but also maintain interest. Fighting amongst all the rice, for instance.
Watching all of these films has been very fun for me
Watching all of these films has been very fun for me
alex glifford
8.0★ · 07/18/24
WHAT a banger to round off the main run of the series
Had everything
Great action, great gambling scene, fantastic antagonist, charismatic Ichi, loveable side characters
But what sets this and the other highlights of the series apart from the less good is the writing
Here there are consistent themes that the story follows through from and it is really satisfying
Ichi is intimidating, funny and skilled
All perfectly balanced
This is the perfect entry to leave his character behind in the film world (at least excusing the 1989 one) as it portrays him just perfectly in my eyes
The only thing holding this back for me is the shoehorned in side story with the group of youngsters
It’s just not it and frankly adds absolutely nothing
But it’s fair enough
These films typically have some baggage which is going to hold them back which is fine by me
I cannot wait to return to the best of these films throughout my life
They are such good fun and now I’ve spent so much time with Ichi I feel like I know him really well
Which is just really quite nice
A great achievement from these films I’d say
Had everything
Great action, great gambling scene, fantastic antagonist, charismatic Ichi, loveable side characters
But what sets this and the other highlights of the series apart from the less good is the writing
Here there are consistent themes that the story follows through from and it is really satisfying
Ichi is intimidating, funny and skilled
All perfectly balanced
This is the perfect entry to leave his character behind in the film world (at least excusing the 1989 one) as it portrays him just perfectly in my eyes
The only thing holding this back for me is the shoehorned in side story with the group of youngsters
It’s just not it and frankly adds absolutely nothing
But it’s fair enough
These films typically have some baggage which is going to hold them back which is fine by me
I cannot wait to return to the best of these films throughout my life
They are such good fun and now I’ve spent so much time with Ichi I feel like I know him really well
Which is just really quite nice
A great achievement from these films I’d say
WHAT a banger to round off the main run of the series
Had everything
Great action, great gambling scene, fantastic antagonist, charismatic Ichi, loveable side characters
But what sets this and the other highlights of the series apart from the less good is the writing
Here there are consistent themes that the story follows through from and it is really satisfying
Ichi is intimidating, funny and skilled
All perfectly balanced
This is the perfect entry to leave his character behind in the film world (at least excusing the 1989 one) as it portrays him just perfectly in my eyes
The only thing holding this back for me is the shoehorned in side story with the group of youngsters
It’s just not it and frankly adds absolutely nothing
But it’s fair enough
These films typically have some baggage which is going to hold them back which is fine by me
I cannot wait to return to the best of these films throughout my life
They are such good fun and now I’ve spent so much time with Ichi I feel like I know him really well
Which is just really quite nice
A great achievement from these films I’d say
Had everything
Great action, great gambling scene, fantastic antagonist, charismatic Ichi, loveable side characters
But what sets this and the other highlights of the series apart from the less good is the writing
Here there are consistent themes that the story follows through from and it is really satisfying
Ichi is intimidating, funny and skilled
All perfectly balanced
This is the perfect entry to leave his character behind in the film world (at least excusing the 1989 one) as it portrays him just perfectly in my eyes
The only thing holding this back for me is the shoehorned in side story with the group of youngsters
It’s just not it and frankly adds absolutely nothing
But it’s fair enough
These films typically have some baggage which is going to hold them back which is fine by me
I cannot wait to return to the best of these films throughout my life
They are such good fun and now I’ve spent so much time with Ichi I feel like I know him really well
Which is just really quite nice
A great achievement from these films I’d say
Eclectic Sorcerer
7.0★ · 06/21/24
For an initial closing to the series, this was fine and despite some lows it was never bad.
For an initial closing to the series, this was fine and despite some lows it was never bad.
Eclectic Sorcerer
7.0★ · 06/21/24
For an initial closing to the series, this was fine and despite some lows it was never bad.
For an initial closing to the series, this was fine and despite some lows it was never bad.
Timothy Kandra
If they don't kill him off in the next one, I'm going to be so disappointed.
If they don't kill him off in the next one, I'm going to be so disappointed.