Product Description

With over 26 films and 100 TV episodes, the blind heroic swordsman Zatoichi lives by the Yakuza code and answers his foes with a deadly cane sword. Thrill to four of the finest feature adventures from one of Japan's most time-honored figures, the ultimate anti-hero and champion of the common man.

Zatoichi 5: On the Road Zatoichi helps a girl escape a lascivious feudal lard and two deadly yakuza gangs in the fifth installment of the Blind Swordsman series. While traveling to a village where the local gang leader wants to hire him as a bodyguard, Ichi and his companion are attacked by a rival gang. After negotiating safe passage for himself, the blind masseur encounters a servant girl trying to escape after being raped by a feudal lord. Agreeing to help the girl get back to her family, Zatoichi realizes he'll have to take on both gangs to make it through.

Zatoichi 6: Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold Accused of stealing, Zatoichi is pursued by friend and foe alike. In this installment of The Blind Swordsman series, Ichi must prove his innocence, expose the real culprits, retrieve the gold and reconcile his accusers? anger. And if the odds were not stacked high enough, Ichi is hounded and challenged by a maniacal, bullwhip yielding Ronin who finds Ichi?s status as a low ranking blind masseur and master swordsman as an affront to his class and profession.

Zatoichi 7: Zatoichi's Flashing Sword As fireworks explode overhead, blood runs under foot. Zatoichi is provoked into a fury of sword slinging by a disreputable gang leader trying to oust a rival, good-natured boss. A houseguest of the peaceful Bunkichi boss, Ichi attempts to help his gracious host fight the greedy boss Yasugoro, but as a fugitive, Ichi?s honorable host must ask the blind swordsman to leave. With Ichi temporarily out of the way, Yasugoro makes his bloody move. But being a man of fairness and equality, Zatoichi makes sure Yasugoro gets what he deserves in the end.

Zatoichi 8: Fight, Zatoichi, Fight In a cruel twist of fate, an innocent woman is cut down in an ambush intended for the blind swordsman, turning her infant child into an orphan. Feeling responsible, Ichi vows to safely deliver the child to its father. The assassins relentlessly pursue Ichi, who must fight with ever more efficient determination now that he is the infant?s only protector. In a final bitter twist of fate and plot, Ichi must add to his list of enemies the father of the child he has sworn to protect.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21159 in DVD
• Brand: ZATOICHI
• Released on: 2008-12-23
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Box set, Black & White, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 339 minutes

Features

• With over 26 films and 100 TV episodes, the blind heroic swordsman Zatoichi lives by the Yakuza code and answers his foes with a deadly cane sword. Thrill to four of the finest feature adventures from one of Japan's most time-honored figures, the ultimate anti-hero and champion of the common man. Zatoichi 5: On the Road Zatoichi helps a girl escape a lascivious feudal lard and two deadly

Customer Reviews

Zoto
The Blind Swordsman series is fantastic. IFC started showing these every Friday last year. (Has since stopped)
I recorded 18 of them... All of the ones they showed. I am now buying the 10 or so that where not shown.
Very well made. Try to watch them in order.

MORE SUPERB ZATOICHI!
When I ordered series 1-4 of Zatoichi, as well as the 7-disc boxset, I also ordered the "Lone Wolf and Cub" 6-movie boxset, which set me back a bit, but sometimes when things are "on sale"....
Anyway, though I've often heard that "Lone Wolf and Cub" are the better of the two series, I find myself enjoying "Zatoichi" more. I've watched half of the "Lone Wolf" series, and I've just finished watching the 6th of "Zatoichi" (2nd from this set), and don't get me wrong, "Lone Wolf" is very entertaining (and much more graphic!), but "Zatoichi" seems more about the story, the characters (especially the humble, shy, occasionally funny, and likable Zatoichi), and the (jumping way up into the air) fight scenes aren't so exaggerated. But, then again, it's also the mystical, unusual and bizarre circumstances that make Lone Wolf (pushing his little son across the rugged terrain in a large, heavy wooden baby carriage, with wooden wheels, no less!) and his extremely dangerous adventures, also so appealing.
In the end, if you like Zatoichi, you might just end up buying all 26 movies eventually. I'm hoping that Image will put out a couple more of these 4-disc series, (to save money), and to catch up to the 7-disc AnimeIgo box set.
It's the originality of both "Zatoichi" and "Lone Wolf and Cub", (many of which go as far back as 30 to almost 50 years since their release), that make these something much more special than today's super-fast edited, CGI and explosion-drenched, and always predictable movies of similar genre. Remember, these and Kurosawa before, as well as a few others, were the first and the "originals".

Fantastic Zatoichi Films but no Inserts or Cards/Posters
I bought the first Zatoichi film, "The Tale of Zatoichi." I really enjoyed the film and was impressed with the extras-an insert with an essay written by a Zatoichi freak and a set of 4 Collector's Cards. When I saw this set of 4 films I was overjoyed and I bought it. However I was a little disappointed to discover that this set has only the disks with no cards or inserts. Is there any way to get the inserts or collector's cards now? According to reviews I've read of the individual films they all included them.
The movies themselves rate 5 stars. But I'll dock the sets one star each for the missing inserts and cards.