Zatoichi series

[lungfei90]

Can someone please recommend which are the best titles in the zatoichi series?

Thanks.

[Daisho2004]

This is the hardest Question that everyone asks, there're all Great but my favorite one's are:
1)Zatoichi the Outlaw
2)Cane Sword
3)Festival of Fire
4)Zatoichi-(This was the Last movie he made)

Daisho2004

[kungfusamurai]

I think they are all worth getting. I don't have a favorite that comes to mind because they are all great. But I prefer the period pre-1970. Those later ones had him getting into some sexual situations. I know he had needs and stuff, but I kind of liked the idea that Zatoichi was a romantic rather than a sex starved masseur (I'm exaggerating a bit, of course).

The one Zatoichi film I don't like is 'and the Doomed Man'. I thought that movie was weak from beginning to end.

KFS

[irons]

I have a soft spot for Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo. But you could do worse than start picking up them all, it's nice to have the complete series.

[lungfei90]

Thanks for the advice.

I hope to eventually get the complete set, after picking up a few already.

[venoms5]

ZATOICHI CHALLENGED, ZATOICHI AND THE CHESS EXPERT, ZATOICHI AND THE CHEST OF GOLD, ZATOICHI AND THE FUGITIVES(probably the most violent of the 60's 70"s series), ZATOICHIS REVENGE, and ZATOICHI & THE DOOMED MAN is really enjoyable. I have yet to see one I didn't like as I have 20 so far.

[Violento]

Gotta catch 'em all, gotta catch 'em all... Zatoichi! :rollin

No seriously, if You have the money You should get it all cuz the Zatoichi series are among the best chambara films available (and remastered).


*Sigh*, I wish somebody would remaster all the +/- 100 Zatoichi TV episodes.

[ZAX203]

I'd reccomend the first three Zatoichi movies witch are: The Story of Zatoichi, The Story of Zatoichi 2, and The New Story of Zatoichi.
I'd also say Zatoichi Challenged and Fight Zatoichi Fight are some of the series highlights

[brassmonkey001]

The best versions to go for are the Animeigo ones but they only have the rights to six or seven films out of the series.

[sakura2004]

Having seem many of them at the theatre, I have only collected a handful. The 1st (The Story of Zatoichi?) is my fav by far. The fishing scenes, and the one where the consumtive ronin performs nukitsuke from seiza were sehr kool.

[KidwiththeGoldenArm]

They got kind of formulaic, but were all pretty good. I didn't buy that he could kill the One Armed Swordsman, but I like him with Yojimbo and the Chess Expert.

[POGO]

*Fight, Zatoichi, Fight #8 (My favorite Ichi flick of all. When he decides to return the baby to it's father. Ichi even cries in this one.)
*Zatoichi and the Chess Expert #15
*Zatoichi’s Cane Sword #15
*Zatoichi Challenged #17
*Zatoichi and the Fugitives #18 (The best soundtrack of the series with #19 being the second best.)
*Samaritan Zatoichi #19