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Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) occurs as fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. A enduring popularity of the character has been compared thereto of James Bond in Western countries. Nevertheless, Zatoichi has turn into nearly synonymous by owning 1 actor: Shintaro Katsu. A single more actor to portray Zatoichi in film is Takeshi Kitano, after the hiatus of near Xv years.
Zatoichi is apparently sole the harmless blind masseur who wanders around a united states making his dwelling by gambling, however, he is too extremely skilled inside swordsmanship, specifically iaijutsu, his sword concealed in his cane. Cane blade, or even shikomizue, were generally straight, lower-quality blades, which stood there is no comparison by using regular katanas, but equally revealed around ''Zatoichi's Cane Sword'', his weapon was created by an expert swordsmith. a revenant theme of two a films & television series episodes concerns Zatoichi protecting the inexperienced person from either oppressive belligerent clans.
A character's title is actually Ichi. Zatō occurs as title, a lowest of a tetrad official ranks in the Tōdō-za, a traditional gild for the blind, which was abolished within 1871. A trine more ranks, inside ascending choose, were kōtō, bettō, & kengyō. Ichi is so properly known as Zatō-there are no-Ichi ("Low-Ranking Blind Person Ichi", around), or even Zatōichi for short. Returning massages was the traditional occupation for the blind.
The original series of films
A original series of Xxvi films featured Shintaro Katsu when Zatoichi. A 1st film was mass produced inside 1962 in black and white. A third film, inside 1963, was the number one to exist as filmed within color. A twenty-25th film was mass produced within 1973, and there was the pause of a bit of Xvi years prior to Katsu's go film, within 1989, which he directed himself.
A original series of motiin picture features more popular fictional characters of the genre on ii occasions: Zatoichi & a 1 Armed Swordsman (1971) connects with a Shaw Brothers series of Hong Kong produced movies directed by prolific director Chang Cheh. Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970) features Toshiro Mifune reprising his role from a Akira Kurosawa films Yojimbo and Sanjuro.
A series has likewise experienced wide spread influences in non-Japanese films. A 1989 film Blind Fury featuring Rutger Hauer as a blind fencer around contemporary America is based on a screenplay of Zatoichi Challenged (1967) with elements of more films of the series.
Nonetheless, Zatoichi is however one of a surprising total of unsighted heroes sustaining superhuman fighting skills that st& emerged throughout history, and piece predated by such characters when the pulp fiction and comic book heroes Black Bat and Doctor Mid-Nite respectively, is followed by the likes of Daredevil. A 1970s television series Kung Fu features a unsighted Shaolin priest also possessing amazing martial arts skills.
List of original films
!There is no.
!breadth="225"|Title
!Year
!Japanese
!Romanization
|-
|1
|A Tale of Zatoichi
|1962
|座頭市物語
|Zatōichi monogatari
|-
|2
|A Tale of Zatoichi Continues
|1962
|続・座頭市物語
|Zoku Zatōichi monogatari
|-
|3
|Fresh Tale of Zatoichi
|1963
|新・座頭市物語
|Shin Zatōichi monogatari
|-
|4
|A Fugitive
|1963
|座頭市兇状旅
|Zatōichi kyÅ?jÅ?-tabi
|-
|5
|On The Road
|1963
|座頭市喧嘩旅
|Zatōichi kenka-tabi
|-
|6
|Zatoichi & a Chest of Gold
|1964
|座頭市千両首
|Zatōichi senryÅ?-kubi
|-
|7
|''Zatoichi's Flashing Sword
|1964
|座頭市あばれ凧
|Zatōichi abare tako
|-
|8
|Fight, Zatoichi, Fight
|1964
|座頭市血笑旅
|Zatōichi kesshÅ?-tabi
|-
|9
|Escapade of Zatoichi
|1964
|座頭市関所破り
|Zatōichi sekisho-yaburi
|-
|10
|Zatoichi's Revenge
|1965
|座頭市二段斬り
|Zatōichi nidan-giri
|-
|11
|Zatoichi & a Doomed Man
|1965
|座頭市逆手斬り
|Zatōichi sakate-giri
|-
|12
|Zatoichi & a Chess Expert
|1965
|座頭市地獄旅
|Zatōichi jigoku-tabi
|-
|13
|Zatoichi's Vengeance
|1966
|座頭市の歌が聞える
|Zatōichi there are no uta ga kikoeru
|-
|14
|Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
|1966
|座頭市海を渡る
|Zatōichi umi o wataru
|-
|15
|Zatoichi's Cane Sword
|1967
|座頭市鉄火旅
|Zatōichi tekka-tabi
|-
|16
|Zatoichi a Outlaw
|1967
|座頭市牢破り
|Zatōichi rÅ?yaburi
|-
|17
|Zatoichi Challenged
|1967
|座頭市血煙り街道
|Zatōichi chikemuri-kaidÅ?
|-
|18
|Zatoichi & a Fugitives
|1968
|座頭市果し状
|Zatōichi hatashijÅ?
|-
|19
|Samaritan Zatoichi
|1968
|座頭市喧嘩太鼓
|Zatōichi kenka-daiko
|-
|20
|Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
|1970
|座頭市と用心棒
|Zatōichi to YÅ?jinbÅ?
|-
|21
|Zatoichi at a Fire Festival
|1970
|座頭市あばれ火祭り
|Zatōichi abare-himatsuri
|-
|22
|Zatoichi Meets a 1 Armed Swordsman
|1971
|新座頭市・破れ!唐人剣
|Shin Zatōichi: Yabure! TÅ?jin-ken
|-
|23
|Zatoichi at Large
|1972
|座頭市御用旅
|Zatōichi goyÅ?-tabi
|-
|24
|Zatoichi around Desperation
|1972
|新座頭市物語・折れた杖
|Shin Zatōichi monogatari: Oreta tsue
|-
|25
|Zatoichi at a Blood Fest
|1973
|新座頭市物語・笠間の血祭り
|Shin Zatōichi monogatari: Kasama there is no chimatsuri
|-
|26
|Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi
|1989
|座頭市
|Zatōichi
|}
Note: the English title is non necessarily a straight translation of the Japanese title.
The television series
A television series of Zatoichi run quaternary seasons, using Shintaro Katsu leading role:
26 episodes, inside 1974
29 episodes, within 1976
19 episodes, within 1978
26 episodes, inside 1979
Look at likewise: List of Zatoichi episodes
Production companies
A majority of the films were by Daiei Motion Picture Company: from a number 1 film, A Tale of Zatoichi, to the 22nd film, Zatoichi Meets a A single Armed Swordsman, freed inside 1971 when Daiei went bankrupt. Even so, starting by using Zatoichi a Criminal'' in 1967, Shintaro Katsu's own company, Katsu Productions, coproduced a films (likewise when producing a TV series & his endure Zatoichi film). When Daiei was away from commission, Toho Company took over a films inside 1972 starting with Zatoichi at Prominent, a Twenty-third film, until Zatoichi at a Blood Fest within 1973, a Twenty-fifth (& the previous "old school") film. Shochiku distributed Katsu's last Zatoichi film within 1989, when well as a freshly 2003 Zatoichi film starring Takeshi Kitano.
The 2003 film
Inside 2003, Takeshi Kitano produced a freshly high-budget Zatoichi film, known as Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi). Kitano plays a role of the unsighted fencer himself. A film's plot follows the traditional theme, by having Zatoichi coming to the defense of townsfolk caught higher inside the local gang war, and existence forced to pay excessive numbers of protection money. Zatoichi befriends the local farmer, helping her gambling nephew & deuce geishas who are looking for revenge for the murder of their parents.
A film features computer-generated blood throughout, which is becoming increasingly popular inside Asian cinema, as this is inexpensive than utilizing practical special effects. These are too notable for the choreography of tap dance troupe The Stripes throughout.
Cast of the new film
Takeshi Kitano as Zatoichi
Tadanobu Asano as the ronin Hattori
Michiyo Ogusu as O-Ume, the farmer
Yui Natsukawa as O-Shino, Hattori's wife
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