Mediablasters continues to bring the Japanese television cult favorite Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman with their second volume in a 2 disc set containing 4 episodes.
For a thorough examination of the influence of the series and its niche in genre cinema read Todd's review of the first series here. You don't need another rant of literary largess to tell you that this was a landmark series and deserves a rightful place in genre television and cinema. However, for my thoughts on this second volume read on...
There is something to be said about watching it off of the print from 1974. Sure you get the clicks, whistles and snaps but oddly enough while I would have protested loudly about a shoddy transfer here it does not matter as much to me. It is almost as if a great treasure was unearthed and you're watching it for the first time. As if someone came running up to you and said, ‘Sweet merciful crap! You wouldn't believe what I just found in the attic of grandfather's house. Do you know anyone with a 16mm projector?' It is like those Friday nights when we gather downtown for Kung Fu Fridays and the only way you're ever going to see these films is straight from a 32mm print of the film. It adds to the appeal of watching these episodes.
The transfers aside, Mediablasters has done a great job with this 2-disc set. No one has to face the conundrum of choosing audio as this set only comes with a Japanese soundtrack with English subtitles. Purists rejoice. Non-purists suck it up and learn to enjoy Zatoichi the way it was meant to be watched. As before, the set is stark of extras. Four trailers of other titles, including a Zatoichi film with a smack of blood, are the only extras in this set. You get used to the structure of each episode as it doesn't stray much one from the other. Zatoichi walks around. Zatoichi meets someone. That someone gets into trouble. Zatoichi walks into town. Many men with katanas come out to meet him. He dispenses with them with lightening fast speed. The variations are pretty much which type of person is in trouble, and, what is the name of the Yakuza family whom Zatoichi slices into oblivion each episode. Oh, and the weather changes sometimes too.
The third volume of this great television series was just released this week. Look forward to a review here. You can find all three volumes readily available in our DVD store. Vol 1 : Vol 2 : Vol 3
And what follows is an episode guide for each of the four episodes. There is a spoiler warning if you still wish to pick up this two disc set so do not read on if you don't want to know what happens.
Pouring Rain
Ichi meets Matazo and Osei in his travels. Matazo traffics young girls for a brothel run by the local Yakuza, the Bonton family. Osei is herself a prostitute and she offers to buy the girl from Matazo instead. Fearing the repercussions for doing so Matazo takes the girl to the brothel, Osei and Ichi not far behind. Later Ichi deters the gang from taking the girl and buys her and Matazo enough time to escape. In the meantime, Ichi cannot figure out why Osei is so cold to him until she reveals that Ichi killer her younger brother, who joined a Yakuza gang to get enough money to free her from her life of prostitution. Ichi opens up to Osei and reveals that his life is lived in constant fear, that he always has his hand on his sword because there is always someone out to kill him. Together they make a pact. Ichi will give up his cane/sword and Osei will give up drinking. As this story unfolds the Bonton family hires a passing samurai named Karakkaze to kill Ichi. And in textbook fashion, in the pouring rain, Ichi defends himself from the Bonton family with a large stick when they come after him. Osei, fully realizing Ichi's plight then, gives back his cane/sword which he uses with blinding speed [no pun intended] to dispatch all that assault him.
A Bird Lands on Ichi
Two Yakuza gangs, the Yamada and Kadomosa families, meet in a field to settle a score. The Kadomosa family has hired Ichi to help them in the fight when a lone samurai, Hanpei Misawa, interrupts the fight because the two gangs have frightened away the birds. Ichi, intrigued by this stranger's stance stops the fight from happening. At the same time, Gosuke, a young farmer looks on and follows Ichi back to the Kadomosa family home. He wishes to leave his family, become Ichi's apprentice and a Yakuza. We discover that the Kadomosa family is trying to control the local market of pheasant and sweetfish and sell them to merchants in Edo [modern day Tokyo]. These birds and fish are on the hunting grounds that Musawa is protecting. Thus, Musawa must be eliminated so the local Lord won't know of their plans. In one of my favorite scenes in this episode, Ichi, inspired by Musawa's interaction with the birds of the hunting ground, goes out one morning and tries to coax the birds to land on his shoulder, as they do on Musawa's. He dances around like a small child, clapping his hands. But because of his ‘killer instinct' Musawa tells him the birds are frightened of him and won't land on his shoulder. In an effort to draw Musawa in for the kill, the Kadomosa family kidnaps Gosuke's mom and sister. Ichi goes instead, dishing out his brand of justice, it what may be the best climactic fight of the bunch in this volume. Musawa joins him shortly after to finish off the job with the help of birdlime [a sticky goo made from holly bark to trap birds on twigs] and stop the Kadomosa family with their plans. Does a bird ever land on Ichi's shoulder? You'll just have to watch to the end to find out.
An Unforgettable Flower
Ichi comes across a young prostitute, Okika, as she tries to hang herself. Five men approach, looking to retrieve Okika, lead her away. Sensing something it wrong Ichi quickly does away with four of them leaving the other to flee. Together they find the local boss, Tatsuzo, and Ichi asked for the deed to Okika. Of course Tatsuzo agrees to release her once Ichi cleaves his smoking pipe in two. It turns out that Okika's story is the same tragic one told about young women being sold into prostitution at a young age [one begins to wonder, as they watch this series, how often this really happened]. Ichi and Okika leave together and find a farm on the outskirts of a posting station. Okika starts to see Ichi's kind heart and understands that he is nothing like the men who have mistreated her most of her life. Okika picks up the Japanese banjo and plays for willing customers. Ichi plies his trade of massage as well to earn their keep. We meet Sakichi who is in some gambling trouble with the local Yakuza, Matsuzo. It turns out that it was Sakichi who sold Okika to Tatsuzo and he rats on both Okika and Ichi to bosses Tatsuzo and Matsuzo. His reward is 6 Ryo and the blade of Matsuzo. Together Matsuzo and Tatsuzo set a trap for Ichi and Okika. Ichi comes to Okika's rescue but no one is safe until a final sacrifice is made.
The Two Zatoichis
A beautiful woman, Okei, throws the dice at the local gambling den of the Tenjin family. When a couple members of the Kawabata stir up trouble she calls upon the help of Zatoichi to dispense of the two. Though, it is not Zatoichi at all, but someone posing as Zatoichi. Not knowing who the real Zatoichi looks like the Kawabata men leave the den, passing the real Zatoichi as he enters the village. Called into the den to offer massage he meets said imposter and we learn that they are in fact life long friends from 20 years back, both blind and both named Ichi. Thank god for subtitles because it starts to get muddled as our hero is called Boroichi and his childhood [?] friend is called Kobuichi. My roommate who knows Japanese is not in tonight so I cannot confirm with him what the difference is, sorry. Boroichi warns Kobuichi about Okei. When you get down to it, she's an Edo era gold-digger. She has been with Kobuichi for the last year using the name of Zatoichi to get lodging and money. He also warns Kobuichi about using the Zatoichi name as he has not faced fear. Fearing that she may lose her grip on Kobuichi she tricks him into sleeping with one of the Tenjin house prostitutes, think that the girl is her. She makes her move on Boroichi, trying to attach herself to whoever will get her further along. When this does not work she then moves to the Tenjin family boss and promises the head of Kobuichi to help him show the Kawabata family their strength. Learning that Kobuichi is not the real Zatoichi Tenjin and his men get Kobuichi drunk and take him to the lake to kill him. But a familiar tune rings through the air and through the reeds on the lakeshore Zatoichi [Boruichi] comes to save his friend from a most unfortunate fate.