Set in Japan this series gives a whole new meaning to the "Spaghetti Western." John Wayne was never quite as deadly as this blind hero is with his sword and he never has to stop and reload. He is always on the side of righteousness.
Though simplistic the tales have a moral. There are no subtle plot twists as the stories progress in a straight forward manner with honor as the primary motivation. It is no surprise that truth and justice win out in the end.
Throughly entertaining action, swashbuckling adventure, and serious swordplay provide interest to an otherwise dull fable. If you like slasher movies this is for you. Ichi goes on a murderous rampage at the end of this movie and slays over five dozen enemies before he walks off into the sunset towards his next encounter with evil. With all the killing there is surprisingly little gore. Definitely not Sam Peckinpah or Tarantino in graphic detail, but well worth the price of admission if you like this sort of thing. ~Rumi

Words can not express the awesomeness of these movies. The are absolutely.... Well... Awesome. The story, the acting, and the over all feel of the movie is Epic. I loved watching these movies. And now with the intro Theme song, it sounds like a western. Correction... Japanese-Western lol I give this Movie 5 Stars

The Zatoichi films are action films of course -- but so much more because they are set in authentic Edo period Japan. Each episode is a complex work of art -- for the action, the scenery, the seasons, the architecture of residences and village businesses, interiors and carpentry, crafts, markets and festivals, and dress of traditional Japan.Ive just watched 'Zatoichi and the Fugitives" which is set against Japan's traditional silk industry. Only one more to watch and I will have will run out of available episodes. I hope there will be more.

Brad wrote: "THIS MOVIE SUCKED!! Why should we pay respect to the ALLEGED and FAN-WORSHIP revolutionary 70s/80s arthouse Japanese films???!!! THEY SUCK!!!"
- Maybe you could give us a more substantive review than the word "suck". Even "I didn't like it", which says only that, would be preferable. And maybe you're not familiar with the Netiquette thing about all-caps writing being the same as shouting. Dunno why you think you need to shout about this, but hey, knock yourself out if you really believe yelling's gonna make people give more weight to what you have to say. Usually people plug their ears or hope for better conversation sources, in my experience.Brad wrote: "The only people who enjoy this type of film are "enthusiasts" for the genre."
- There's no substance in the "enthusiasts" comment, as that's true of any film, isn't it. For example, Roadhouse doesn't do a thing for me. Should it? If so, please point out why and I'll try my best to jump on the BradWagon. Meanwhile I'll avoid yelling at people that Roadhouse "sucks".