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

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

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

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

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.