REVIEW: Shadow Warriors [TV] (1980)

There is no dispute that Shinichi Chiba, better known in the West as Sonny Chiba, is Japan’s reigning king of screen action. Throughout a nearly 50-year long entertainment career, he has always remained at the center of Japan’s martial arts and action film and television industry, as a star, choreographer and mentor or inspiration to future generations. Of his many works for film and television, none have been more enduring than KAGE NO GUNDAN, aka SHADOW WARRIORS.

SHADOW WARRIORS is a popular, mature-themed television series that began as a 1980 feature film revival of the jidai geki from Toei. In the film, third-generation Iga ninja clan leader Hattori Hanzo struggles to rescue young lord Ietsuna, the fourth shogun in the Tokugawa dynasty, from an insurrection. It immediately spawned a television series that featured Chiba in the starring role and members of his Japan Action Club (JAC) in supporting and stunt fighting roles. The series was a huge success in Japan and was aired in parts of America’s West Coast.

The series ran for four seasons with Chiba playing a different ninja role in a different era each time. Following his role as Hattori Hanzo III, he played Tsuge Shinpachi, then Tarao Hanzo and in the fourth season he played Hattori Hanzo XV. In 2003, the franchise was revived for a series of six direct-to-video features all starring Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzo II, father of the Hanzo depicted in the 1980 television series.

The first season of SHADOW WARRIORS is a classic example of serialized storytelling in a period setting from Japan. Through an evolving story arc, the series evenly mixes action, drama, romance, and comedy. What it introduced to Japanese and an international audience was an in-depth dramatization of the life of ninjas previously seen only sparingly in classic jidai geki like SHINOBI NO MONO (1962). At its heart were the dynamic stunt work and choreography of JAC, as well as a desire to show the human side of Japan’s most misunderstood and maligned warriors.

Throughout the 27 episodes, Hanzo leads a team of four Iga ninjas based in the heart of Japan’s emerging capital city, Edo (known as Tokyo today). By day, Hanzo goes by Mr. Han, owner and operator of the bustling Kiji Bathhouse where Oume (Yoko Kurita), an attractive young woman works in blissful ignorance of her boss’s real identity. Hanzo’s followers all have day jobs. Hyouroku (Kenji Takaoka) keeps the fires of the bathhouse stoked but specializes in disguises. Daihachi (Shouhei Hino) is an explosives expert and sells toad oil but spends equal time chasing skirts, or should I say kimonos. Kiheiji (Junichi Haruta) is a builder and has extensive knowledge of the structures in and around Edo. He’s also the team’s most agile member. Okiri (Naomi Hase) is the only female member of Hanzo’s inner circle and works at Orin’s hairdresser’s shop. As a kunoichi she is able to use her gender to spy on suspects without drawing suspicion. That only leaves Tsutsumi Kyounosuke (Teruhiko Saigou), a doctor who occasionally joins Hanzo in his exploits. By night, these warriors don their black ninja garb and fight to protect citizens, keep the peace and defend or avenge their own.

Hanzo’s life is dominated by two women. His true love interest is Okou (Kyoko Mitsubayashi), a kunoichi, or female ninja, aligned with the rival Kouga ninja clan. She is sworn to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the second Hattori but this fact and her allegiance to the Kouga conflicts with her growing love for Hanzo. Always in Hanzo “hair” is Orin (Kiki Kirin), a homely, middle-aged hairdresser obsessed with marrying him and jealous of any potential rivals including Oume. Orin provides the bulk of the series’ humor by tirelessly pursuing Hanzo while he is constantly running away.

A key figure in Hanzo’s life is Hoshina Masayuki (So Yamamura), chief attendant to the young lord and Hanzo’s main ally in the government. Stinging from the betrayal of the government that led to his father’s execution 10 years prior, Hanzo remains ever suspicious of Hoshina and his frequent calls for aid. Yet their goals appear aligned more often than not.

Among the many enemies that threaten Hanzo and his friends, none are more dangerous or persistent than the leaders of the Kouga clan, Kisanta Mizuguchi (Kantaro Suga) and his brother Kishirou (Renji Ishibashi). The Kouga are recognized as oniwaban, effectively the Tokugawa government’s officially sanctioned secret police. Yet the very existence of the Iga ninja continues to threaten the status of the Kouga in their eyes, especially when knowing that Hanzo remains in good standing with Hoshina. This provides the basis for the Kouga’s continued effort to wipe out Hanzo and his Iga followers, even as other unrelated threats to the security of the Tokugawa regime crop up.

Each episode contains a healthy does of quality and semi-realistic ninja action courtesy of Chiba and members of JAC. The team came up with a formula that is applied to most of the episodes, whereby the viewer is teased with a few limited engagements in the first 35 minutes involving swordplay, flying shuriken, hand-to-hand combat, and explosives. Then a climax is reached where in most cases Hanzo and his entire team openly challenge their enemies for a large-scale melee. Team members use some acrobatics and hidden trampolines for exaggerated leaps and flips. All the action is generally shot in layers with good use of perspective and overlapping stunt sequences or dialogue. The standard action is occasionally broken up by unconventional sequences involving a lot of explosives, formation attacks or high-wire rigging. There is a fairly good balance of action techniques overall although a number of moves or sequences become repetitive when episodes are watched back to back.

Production values are excellent by television standards. I would say they compare favorably with Toei’s feature films. Sets are elaborately decorated and costumes are varied and colorful. Lots of outdoor location shooting is used. Bloodletting is surprisingly common and a few episodes even display dismemberment or blood geysers. I’m not sure how it is in Japan today but standards for television censorship must have been pretty low in 1980 because in addition to liberal violence there is frequent female nudity displayed in the bathhouse.

The series’ music is something that may be highly subjective to the viewer. Most of it tends to be very down tempo, especially during some of the action sequences. The same very recognizable three or four tunes are also reused excessively and this becomes a bit of an annoyance when watching the entire series over a short period of time. The producers began introducing some new tracks midway through the series which helps a little to defuse the musical monotony.

Season one could be divided up between episodes directly related to Hanzo’s evolving relations with Okou and the Kouga ninja and a collection of unrelated stories where Hanzo and his ninja take on various enemies, either for personal interests or interests shared with the government. The strength of this series rests with the arcing storyline as much of the unrelated conflict and action, while generally well crafted, is formulaic. No doubt, I can see where this series would have greatly impressed audiences in 1980 but television writing, at least on an international scale, has matured significantly in nearly 30 years and SHADOW WARRIORS doesn’t hold up as well when its mired in routine conflict that repeats itself too often. I should qualify this criticism by acknowledging doubt that the series producers, living in time when TV box sets didn’t exist, had intended for viewers to watch episodes literally back to back. Having done so, with as many as three episodes viewed in one day, I would suggest that box set viewers start out by confining their viewing to episodes directly tied in to the main story arc that pits Iga ninjas against Kouga ninjas and involves the complex relationship between Hanzo and Okou.

To best enjoy the series’ main story arc I recommend watching all the relevant episodes together in order and cutting out the one-off or filler episodes of which there are 12. To break it down, watch episodes 1-10 and then follow with episodes 20, 21, 24, 25, and 27. The rest can be watched in any order save for 14 and 15 which encompass a two-part story.

I think it is safe to say that SHADOW WARRIORS had a significant impact on the rising popularity of ninjas in pop culture during the 1980s. Not only was it a huge success in Japan but a year later, Sho Kosugi was tapped for the American actioner ENTER THE NINJA. Likewise, ninja-related flicks started appearing in Hong Kong movies like NINJA IN THE DRAGON’S DEN, as well as countless independent Asian features from the likes of Robert Tai and Filmark. Although season one of SHADOW WARRIORS has aged and isn’t up to the highest standards of today’s TV dramas or action choreography, no one has yet come up with a better balance of dynamic ninja action, robust character drama, political intrigue, and historical authenticity. It’s also a brilliant showcase of Sonny Chiba’s well-rounded skills when he was at the creative and performance height of his career, not to mention being a highpoint for Japan Action Club.

Episode 1: Tigers Sharpen Their Claws in a Storm

The year is 1651, the third year of the Keian Era and shortly after the death of Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa Dynasty. His son, Ietsuna, has become the new shogun but is still a child. Elements in the government based in the capital city of Edo plot a coup d’etat by assassinating senior officials loyal to the Tokugawa family. Ninja from the Kouga clan carry out the attempt by posing as ninja from the rival Iga clan. Iga clan boss Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba) teams with Iemitsu’s younger brother and chief assistant to the shogun, Hoshina Masayuki (So Yamamura), to uncover the traitors and clear Hattori’s name.

This initial episode sets up the central rivalry between Hattori Hanzo and his nemesis, the leader of the Kouga, Mizuguchi Kisanta (Kantaro Suga).The screenwriters cover a lot of story development and characters in a short amount of time, although Chiba and JAC still have time to choreograph a fair amount of cool, if somewhat rushed ninjitsu action sequences.

Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Writer: Takayuki Yamada, Mineyuki Nakazato

Episode 2: A Female Leopard Hiding in the Dark

In an attempt to gain advantage over his enemy, Kouga leader Mizuguchi Kisanta sends Okou, a kunoichi, or lady ninja, to infiltrate a bathhouse run by Iga master Hattori Hanzo. Meanwhile, a rogue Iga ninja (Yasuaki Kurata) arrives in Edo with a small band of followers and begins stirring up trouble by openly killing Kouga ninjas as part of his plan to get the Iga clan back on the government’s payroll. Hanzo is sympathetic to Ozaru’s desire to provide for the scattered and poor Iga clansmen but fears than open conflict would turn the government against the remaining Iga ninja. This puts the two former comrades on opposite sides with no alternative but to fight.

Fellow martial arts superstar Yasuaki Kurata guest stars in this second episode that pits him against Sonny Chiba in a climatic battle as two camps of ninja clash. In hindsight, it seems premature to have introduced Kurata so early. There isn’t a better screen fighter in Japan for Chiba to fight. Yet the strength of the show, like most jidai geki, is based on the plot and character development. This is revealed in the first half as the viewer gets better acquainted with Chiba’s ninja co-stars including Teruhiko Saigou as the perceptive Tsutsumi Kyounosuke, a doctor by day, and Shouhei Hino as the comical Daihachi, who poses as a toad oil salesman. The second half features some killer ninja-on-ninja action marred only by mildly poor night-time/fog lighting.

Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Writer: Takayuki Yamada, Mineyuki Nakazato

Episode 3: A Devil Called Ousha Highway

For failure to quell a peasant uprising, the head of the Yashu Karasuyama clan, along with his family, are put to death by the Tokugawa government. Iimura Bou, a poor country lord of the Matsushiro-Sanada clan is ordered to occupy the castle. Fearing that Karasuyama clan members will fight to protect their castle to the death, Bou puts out a call for help from able-bodied samurai. Acting on her own motives, Okou gets Hanzo to aid the lord. As Bou’s meager forces approach the castle in hopes of convincing the occupants to leave peacefully, Hyouroku (Kenji Takaoka), one of Hanzo’s top ninjas, uncovers a related political plot hatched between another lord in the Matsushiro-Sanada clan and a high ranking government official.

The focus of this episode is directed somewhat off of the main characters and onto the plight of Iimura Bou. The only notable advancing element of the series’ story arch is that Okou finally reveals her real identity to Hanzo, who had already guessed that she was a Kouga spy. Lacking the skill to fight Hanzo, she escapes with a warning that she will use every opportunity to manipulate events to put him in harm’s way. However, an earlier observation from Kouga master Mizuguchi Kisanta suggests that Okou may have mixed feelings about her mission to kill Hanzo.

The tactical fighting skills of Hanzo and two of his ninja followers are revealed in greater detail as they storm a household in one of the series’ most elaborate action sequences yet. The two subordinates use bombs and fake calls for help to confuse and disable the guards while Hanzo is able to stealthily slip in to assassinate the target within. Hanzo also briefly tangles with a lesser ninja master.

Director: Eiichi Kudo
Writer: Masahiro Shimura

Episode 4: The Spring of Kyoto – The Trick of the Black Teeth

The killing of a noble in the Emperor’s court in Kyoto is linked to a brewing rebellion against the Shogunate involving the smuggling of firearms into the country. When the father of Shousuke (Yoshitaka Zushi), an Iga ninja living in Kyoto is also killed, Hanzo and his companions investigate with the goal of finding the killers and quelling the rebellion. This sets Hanzo against a cunning court official and mastermind of the rebellion, distracted only by the charms of Okou.

Episode four moves the series further towards superheroics with Hanzo’s enemy having an uncanny ability to sense the presence of hidden ninjas. Ninja abilities are becoming more entertaining, yet farfetched with midair disappearing acts, arrow deflections and a second example of fancy makeup disguises. Also revealed is Hanzo’s secret chamber hidden in his bathhouse. The big action scene towards the end features some great footage of Chiba being his usual badass self in his distinctive Hattori Hanzo garb. The pitched battle includes some nifty acrobatics and swordplay, although Hanzo’s face off with Chujo is something of a disappointment given the earlier buildup.

It’s worth noting that this episode is directed by Akinori Matsuo, a Japanese filmmaker who had been recruited by Shaw Brothers back in the late 1960s to help the Hong Kong studio produce several modern-day spy movies including THE LADY PROFESSIONAL (1971) and ASIA-POL (1967) starring Jimmy Wang Yu.

Director: Akinori Matsuo
Writer: Tsutomu Nakamura

Episode 5: Soft Skin Sunk Into a Whirlpool

Kouga ninjas are murdered after being hired by the government to investigate rumors that Superintendent Oniki Judaiu (Akira Hamada), head of the Awa-Tokushima clan is planning to use European guns smuggled into Japan to stage a coup. The shogun’s chief assistant, Hoshina Masayuki, charges Hattori Hanzo with the task of assassinating Judaiu and destroying the hidden stockpile of weapons. As Okou trails the Iga ninjas, Hanzo leads his companions in a secret mission to sneak into Judaiu’s territory. The mission is complicated for Hyouroku (Kenji Takaoka), one of Hanzo’s top ninjas, when he is paired with a kunoichi and childhood sweetheart who tempts him to break his ninja vow of abstinence.

Takehito Ishikawa’s script borrows heavily from past jidai geki convention in this episode. Curiously, the SHADOW HUNTERS films essentially covered the same topic but from the angle of anti-ninja ronin out to defend innocent warlords being framed by the government. The difference seems to have been produced from a reverence for the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the distain for its corrupted end.

Episode director Yuji Makiguchi is best known for helming choice pink horror films like THE JOY OF TORTURE 2: OXEN SPLIT TORTURING (1976). No doubt, he was at ease with the show’s female nudity and gruesome human head on display in this episode.

Director: Yuji Makiguchi
Writer: Takehito Ishikawa

Episode 6: The Woman Disappeared into the Port on a Foggy Night

Evidence is found that Iga ninjas may be involved in the smuggling of opium from China into Japan through Tang Dynasty officials staying in Nagasaki. Hanzo and Hyouroku head to Nagasaki to question local clansmen and clear up the problem. They discover corruption by the local magistrate and interference by a rogue Kouga ninja desperate to save a young woman from a life of prostitution.

The humanist plot is similar to many that appeared in Shintaro Katsu’s ZATOICHI films and TV series. Hanzo is usually battling rebellions and other matters of state. The issue of drug smuggling falls into that territory but the real focus is on helping more ordinary people caught up in a flawed social system with no rights for women. The main theme betrays the script’s modern sensibilities unlikely to have been widely espoused in 17th century Japan, notably the idea that following one’s heart trumps fealty.

Kyoko Mitsubayashi, who plays lady ninja Okou, finally gets to perform a measure of action herself alongside guest star Isamu Nagato as Sakai Magoichi, Japanese-Chinese interpreter and fellow Kouga ninja. Although in his 50s, Nagato is an adept screen fighter. This could be due in part to his sizable experience as a former chambara star.

Two gripes I have with this episode have to do with minor technical details. Mizuguchi Kisanta, head of the Kouga ninja is briefly seen disappearing in a supernatural way as he walks away from a meeting. It was a completely unnecessary and silly departure from the series’ otherwise reality-based ninja feats. By now the familiar music used repeatedly in the series would be seared into the brains of any viewer. Unfortunately, it is very poorly mixed in several places and sounds more inappropriate than usual.

Director: Akinori Matsuo
Writer: Yuu Tagami

Episode 7: The Target is a Mystery Woman

Hanzo finds himself squaring off against members of the Kouga clan again when their leader, Mizuguchi Kisanta, conspires with a government official to expose a group of thieving and disgraced samurai as being associated with Hoshina, chief assistant to the shogun. Among the thieves is Oen (Mayumi Asano), Hoshina’s daughter who was previously thought dead and now has a bitter grudge against her father.

This plot is the most emotionally charged thus far and provides an opportunity for Sou Yamamura, who is usually in a limited supporting role to literally step forward into the thick of it. His character, Hoshina, has previously been shown only as a shrewd elder statesman. By delving into his past, writer Ichiro Ootsu shows a different side of Hoshina, as a caring father and kick ass samurai warrior able to face down sword-wielding assailants with nothing but his bare hands and some choice grappling moves. Not to be confused with an anime voice actress of the same name, Mayumi Asano is a stunning beauty who aptly portrays Hoshina’s anguished daughter. If viewers haven’t warmed to the series by this point, this episode should suffice. It also shows that the complex relationship between Hoshina and Hanzo has become a central axis upon which the entire series spins.

Formation fighting among ninjas makes its first appearance in the series as Kouga ninjas use ropes to entangle a surrounded enemy. Later, Hanzo unleashes his signature double-bladed attack on a group of samurai with predictably deadly results.

Director: Yuji Makiguchi
Writer: Ichiro Ootsu

Episode 8: Infiltration! The Ladies’ Chambers Night and Day

Merchants are mysteriously killing their daughters and committing suicide. When a merchant turns up dead at Hanzo’s bathhouse, he begins investigating. With the aid of Okiri, Hanzo gradually discovers a plot by a member of the imperial court in Kyoto (Sanae Kitabayashi) to trick the daughters of wealthy merchants into having an illicit rendezvous and then blackmailing the families for money. Okou repeatedly warns Hanzo to stand down to protect him from having a showdown with the government when Hoshina steps in with the backing of the Kouga ninjas. Yet the plot runs deeper than even Hoshina knows and Hanzo faces an additional threat from Kyoto’s red-clad Okaya ninjas.

For the second time Kyoto becomes a player in the ongoing intrigue in the series. As for the arcing plot, Hanzo is having to navigate an increasingly complex web of deception and power plays with the fate of the reigning Tokugawa Shogunate and the people of Japan hanging in the balance.

Japanese cinematographers like Kazuo Miyagawa have long been known for their skill in the use of perspective. I’m willing to bet this skill is related to Japan’s traditionally efficient use of small spaces. The able use of perspective becomes all the more useful when filming in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio for television. There are some terrific examples in this episode, particularly during action scenes where participants are stacked in front of and behind each other.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Takayuki Yamada

Episode 9: The Female Ninja’s May in Shadows

Fearing rival shogunate official Hoshina, Sakai Tadakiyo (Nobuo Kaneko) conspires with Mizuguchi, head of the Kouga ninja clan, to wipe out Hanzo and his Iga clansmen for good. They begin by framing Daihachi for murder and entrapping visiting Iga ninja, Kirara (Etsuko Shihomi), in a rigged assassination plot. As planned, this draws out Hanzo and his remaining followers who attempt a daring prison rescue with Mizuguchi and his Kouga ninjas waiting in ambush.

JAC member Etsuko Shihomi, of SISTER STREET FIGHTER fame, makes her sole appearance in the series as Kirara, a fiery-tempered Iga member and an old love interest for Daihachi. As one of Japan’s few female action stars, Shihomi predictably is given more than the token choreography assigned to the series’ lesser-trained females.

Plot-wise, episode nine marks an important turning point in the rivalry between Hanzo and Mizuguchi. The two end up in their first all-out duel and suffice to say more than a little blood is spilt. From here on the clan feud is set to get even nastier in future confrontations.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Takahito Ishikawa

Episode 10: The Black Hair Burned with the Grudge

A climatic showdown between Iga and Kouga ninja clans concludes following a bloody duel between their respective leaders, Hattori Hanzo and Kisanta Mizuguchi (seen in episode nine). Kisanta’s brother, Kishirou (Renji Ishibashi), arrives in Edo to join the Kouga in their battle. He has Oume kidnapped from Hanzo’s bathhouse to lure the ninja master out into the open. Still desperate to avenge their father’s death at the hands of the previous Hattori leader, Okou and her blind younger sister join Kisanta who is wielding a new and deadly weapon, in a final duel as Kishirou prepares to unleash a surprise.

This episode plays out like a season finale as one major character is killed off and the biggest ninja brawl yet seen takes place. Everything is a lead up to a massive melee with Hanzo and his Iga clansmen taking on a small army of gray-clad Kouga ninja. JAC pulls out nearly every trick in their bag to deliver a fantastic exchange of swordplay, acrobatics and explosives. Classic ninja screen fighting doesn’t get any better than this.

Director: Ikuo Sekimoto
Writer: Takahito Ishikawa

Episode 11: A Bride and a Murderous Fiend

A new enemy led by Magobei Mitamura (Jun Funato) is massacring small Iga villages in the country. In response, Hanzo calls a meeting of all the Iga ninja leaders, to be held in a rural temple. Magobei’s latest target becomes Isaburou Urato (Tetsuo Hasegawa), a retired Iga ninja and close friend of Hanzo. After Isaburou is kidnapped and taken to a stronghold in Edo, he is tortured and drugged with opium in order to discover the whereabouts of the meeting. Failing to rescue his friend in time, Hanzo plots his revenge.

For the first time, the series breaks completely from the Kouga versus Iga rivalry while Okou is temporarily out of the picture. Presumably, the Kouga are regrouping after their major defeat in the last episode because they definitely reappear later. The tone is more somber in this episode as it primarily focuses on the tragic plight of Isaburou and his wife. The series has always been edgy by Western standards by including female nudity and lots of bloodletting but it gets even wilder when Isaburou’s wife is sexually assaulted and Isaburou is turned into a drug addict, complete with technicolor trippiness. Hanzo’s response is almost supernatural as he emerges from the flaming ruins of a temple to single-handedly take on Magobei’s entire force of ninja killers with ruthless efficiency.

Director: Ikuo Sekimoto
Writer: Toshirou Serizawa

Episode 12: Kill Night Spiders Even If They are Parents

Daihachi and Hyouroku unwittingly uncover corruption by a greedy constable in Edo after catching several ninja thieves working for him. This makes the pair local heroes, which doesn’t sit well with Hanzo who works hard to keep their real identities as Iga ninjas hidden. The thieves are members of the Tsuchigumo of Hachibei, a band of warriors led by the Tsuchigumo family. Their dark warrior tradition is rumored to involve being buried alive for 42 days and emerging as emotionless, half dead killers. When Daihachi attempts to help a young woman caught up in the constable’s racket he finds himself and the woman being subjected to the Tsuchigumo’s burial tradition. Hanzo and his companions must race to rescue them and put the constable out of business.

This is an unusual episode that seemingly taps into the supernatural without really doing so. The Tsuchigumo are painted as being like an evil cult of ninjas with the ability to create zombies warriors but the effort is half-hearted. Use of creepy spiders and the image of a zombie-like ninja emerging from a traditional Japanese coffin are never backed up with anything substantial. In the end, we witness Hanzo and his pals taking on ordinary ninjas and officials. Without any grounding from a larger story arc or related character development, this episode is a weak throwaway compared to previous efforts.

Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Writer: Kikuma Shimoiizaka

Episode 13: Midnight Beauty

Oryu (Aoi Nakajima), an aged sorceress posing as a miracle healer comes to Edo with a grudge against the Hattori line. Using mind control and her fighting grandchildren, she plots to kill Hanzo and his Iga family. Okiri discovers that she has been manipulated by the old hag and struggles to make up for it.

The previous episode teased viewers with a bit of the supernatural and this one goes all out with a vengeful sorceress capable of altering her hideous appearance to look beautiful and controlling the bodies of others with her mind. At this point, the series is on the verge of turning into fantasy along the lines of LEGEND OF THE EIGHT SAMURAI but thankfully this is about as far as it goes and subsequent episodes get back to more conventional conflicts.

Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Writer: Toshirou Serizawa

Episode 14: The Shogun Disappeared! The Plot of the Female Foxes

The life of young lord Ietsuna (Takanori Ueda) is put in jeopardy when a jealous shogunate court mistress conspires with Kouya-hijiri warriors to kidnap the preadolescent shogun. Having previously been attacked by Kouya-hijiri forces acting on orders from the shogun family, Hanzo is reluctant to answer Hoshina’s call to rescue Ietsuna. Personal pleas from the boy’s distraught mother sway Hanzo to lead his companions into what is surely a trap.

The episode is a reworking of the plot in the feature film that inspired the entire series. It’s also the first half of a two-part episode and ends with Hanzo still looking for Ietsuna. The show is getting progressively more creative in its depiction of fighting villains. The Kouya-hijiri turn out to be something akin to spiritual boxers or Feng Shui fighters as depicted in Chinese martial arts movies like NINJA IN THE DRAGON’S DEN. These warriors in their bright yellow robes and painted faces performing synchronized formation attacks could have come right out of a Robert Tai movie. No doubt, original audiences and producers alike were getting tired of the conventional ninja-versus-ninja action as witnessed in the first 10 episodes.

Director: Yuji Makiguchi
Writer: Takayuki Yamada

Episode 15: Mysterious Priest, Inviting Hell

Hanzo and his companions travel to the Iga clan’s ancestral home to recruit aid in a planned assault on a remote castle to rescue young Lord Ietsuna. As they continue to battle Kouya-hijiri, an order goes out to kill the young shogun the moment Hanzo enters the castle.

This episode concludes a two-part story. More formation-style combat takes place with members of the Kouya-hijiri menacing Hanzo and his followers. We learn their faced-painted warriors are called Gedo. The swastika symbols on their foreheads are known as manji in Japanese and are originally associated with Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Despite that, the symbol’s use here is clearly meant to be associated with evil, much as the Nazi swaskita signifies today. Their fighting style is somewhat vague beyond holding up their cloth-draped arms in an effort to confuse or distract their opponent. A nice artistic touch is how they become visually associated with yellow butterflies.

Director: Yuji Makiguchi
Writer: Takayuki Yamada

Episode 16: Don’t Get Involved with Dangerous Women

A wounded young woman is found in Hanzo’s bathhouse while hiding from mercenaries who have been mysteriously killing off various servants in and around Edo. She carries a letter revealing a plot to assassinate the chief retainer of a small province in two days time. Daihachi volunteers to deliver the message and gets distracted by an attractive troupe performer along the way.

As Daihachi, Shouhei Hino has the spotlight turned on him as he displays his well-rounded talents as a comedian, actor and screen fighter. He has the most colorful personality among the regular cast, save for Kiki Kirin who continues to intentionally make a fool of herself as the middle-aged hairdresser and bathhouse employee endlessly throwing herself at “Mr. Han-san,” aka Hanzo.

The main fighting villains in this story are described as Oshino-ittou and use the same troupe of female performers that Daihatchi gets mixed up in as a clandestine operation to spy on or steal from their enemies. A prominent member of the Oshino-ittou is an unkempt Inspector who wields a modified kursari-gama that fires its weighted chain from the hollow body of the sickle’s handle. Hanzo and his team also must contend with a burrowing ninja assassin and samurai working for the mastermind of the assassination plot.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Isao Matsumoto

Episode 17: The Living Shadow Shogun

A wealthy and unscrupulous businessman comes to Edo with intent to buy up local businesses including Hanzo’s bathhouse. When Hanzo and other area merchants refuse to sell, the Iga ninjas find themselves up against hired ninjas and a traitor in their own clan.

Putting the ninjas aside, this plot could have taken place in the present day although it also loosely represents the rise of the merchant class in Japan during the Tokugawa era and its threat to the samurai tradition. Tsutomu Nakamura’s script is fairly dry this go around, even with a related subplot involving a love affair between Okiri and an undercover officer investigating the businessman. A decent end fight has Chiba dressed in a kabuki stage wig as he slices through a room full of ninjas.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Tsutomu Nakamura

Episode 18: The Killer in the Eyes

Members of the Tenma clan are plotting to use advanced explosives to wipe out the Iga and Kouga ninjas and they’re willing to blow up all of Edo to do it. The Tenma plant an explosive at the Kiji Bathhouse while Tsutsumi Kyounosuke attempts to cure a young girl of blindness. Soon after, she is kidnapped by the Tenma and used as bait for the Iga ninjas.

Guest star Teruhiko Saigou makes his return to the series as physician and Iga ninja Tsutsumi Kyounosuke. This is one of the best characters in the series and it’s nice to see him featured prominently finally. It’s still a shame he is used so little in general. Tsutsumi is near the equal in stature to Hanzo and the two have great onscreen camaraderie.

Pyrotechnics are impressive, particularly at the big showdown at the end between the Iga and Tenma. The action is well choreographed, as usual, although its presentation is becoming too predictable. It seems as if every episode now climaxes with Hanzo and his Iga followers strolling into frame to openly challenge their adversaries after 40 minutes of intrigue.

Director: Ikou Sekimoto
Writer: Toshiou Serizawa

Episode 19: Palace of the Bloodsucking Woman

Kidnapped men are being driven mad by a lustful night of passion with the former shogun’s mistress and turning up drowned in an Edo moat. Hanzo and his companions learn that a monk staying with the mistress is involved. Tsutsumi recognizes him as a former medical student who is using opium to drug the victims. He volunteers to go undercover and quickly finds himself at the mercy of the mad monk and his paralyzing concoction.

Gratuitous sex plays a big role in this episode with plenty of bare breasts, groping and sweaty, drug-induced orgies. It’s something of a cross between Japan’s sexploitation cinema and category III Hong Kong movies starring the likes of Elvis Tsui. Content like this, along with previous episodes involving face-painted fighters in yellow gowns and even a weak reference to zombies suggests that writers were gradually running out of historical material to work with after the initial 10-episode story arc finished.

Perhaps most notable is that the series finally gets some new music in the form of a versatile percussion piece that better suits the action than the three variations on the mellow pop song viewers are usually treated to.

Director: Ikou Sekimoto
Writer: Kikuma Shimoizaka

Episode 20: I’m Going to Be Killed

A clan financially linked to Hoshina is in danger of dissolving with the death of its only heir. Hoshina discovers that Okou’s sister, Okiri, is the dead man’s twin sister, separated at birth and cast out before being brought up as a Kouga ninja. Hanzo is promised a handsome annual stipend by Hoshina in exchange for finding Okiri and bringing her back so that she can continue to lead the clan and assure its financial support of Hoshina. Meanwhile, the Kouga ninjas are still looking for Okou and Okiri, whom they see as traitors.

After nine unrelated episodes, the original story arc that kicked off the series picks up again with the return of Okou and the new head of the Kouga clan. It’s a well-written episode that reveals flaws in each of the characters involved including Hanzo. For action, JAC pulls off one of their many high-wire acts, usually seen in their movies, when Hanzo and Okou struggle to save Okiri from pursuing Kouga. Left without his loyal companions, Hanzo has to battle Kouga ninjas alone but as usual he’s up to the task. His bigger challenge is reconciling his desire to provide for his clan and the desires of Okiri who is being used as a pawn for profit.

Director: Sadao Nakajima
Writer: Toshiou Serizawa

Episode 21: The Hole of Snakes

Now separated from her sister, Okou continues an increasingly desperate flight from Kouga ninjas until she happens upon a kindly old man with unusually proficient fighting skills who takes her into his home. In an effort to track down a prostitute’s infant who was kidnapped by a sect of Kouga ninja to be raised as one of their own, Hanzo finds himself unexpectedly reunited with Okou following a near-fatal ambush.

This is arguably the best episode of season one. The plot, involving an aged Kouga ninja living in seclusion and his dynamic interactions with Hanzo and Okou provides plenty of meaty drama propped up by the relational buildup that has gone before. But it is the mature tone, choice pacing and direction that lend this episode the feeling of a mini feature film.

Director: Sadao Nakajima
Writer: Takahito Ishikawa

Episode 22: The Dreadful Instigator

Bandits hired by an unknown faction threaten a gold shipment bound for Edo and Hoshina recruits Hanzo and his ninjas to escort it safely to the capital. Unable to trust hired help to carry the gold, Hanzo calls upon a band of Iga ninja who have been patiently waiting to serve for 50 years.

Writer Takeo Kunihiro rehashes a sub-plot in episode five by having one of Hanzo’s followers fall in love with a kunoichi and enjoy a night of passion while on a dangerous mission. Beyond that, this is a solid episode that manages to create some genuine tension as the ninja heroes find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being targets forced to wait for an ambush that can come at any time.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Takeo Kunihiro

Episode 23: The Red Eyes of the Snake Are a Death Sentence

A shadowy figure known as the Dark Instigator is leading a band of cutthroats who specialize in arranging murders for money so that they appear as suicides. When Oume’s sister becomes a victim, Hanzo and his ninjas investigate.

A bumbling constable who repeatedly fails to piece together the clues in the murders is helped along by Hanzo and this provides a humorous thread running through the episode. The Dark Instigator turns out to be one of Hanzo’s more formidable foes. One of his henchmen is actually a woman, a singing assassin who hides behind a bright red umbrella. She slips in close to stab her victims in the back of the neck. But it is the Dark Instigator’s ability to hypnotize his enemies that proves to be the most dangerous threat as Okiri learns firsthand.

Director: Ikou Sekimoto
Writer: Akira Murao

Episode 24: Shudder! Sacrifice of the Virgin

The head of the Satsuma clan conspires with a manipulative Kyoto official to overthrow the government in Edo. The daughter of the clan leader inadvertently falls in love with Okiri while she is dressed as a man for a play. Hanzo has Okiri infiltrate the Satsuma by exploiting the daughter’s affections. When Okiri’s identity is uncovered, Hanzo and the rest of his Iga ninjas race to put down the coup and rescue Okiri.

Nearing the end of the season, the series takes on a more somber tone for this well-scripted episode that reveals Okiri’s true feelings for her boss, Hanzo, leading up to a bittersweet finale. There is the usual swordplay confrontation at the end but the drama unfolding makes it almost an afterthought by comparison. This shows the real strength of the series which contains excellent action sequences but rarely loses sight of crafting engaging drama to give it substance.

Director: Ikuo Sekimoto
Writer: Takahito Ishikawa

Episode 25: The Trick Ceiling of the Tragic Love

The stakes continue to rise for Hanzo and his friends. While Orin worries over the disappearance of her brother, Okou receives a dire warning from a dying Iga ninja that Hanzo’s life is in serious danger. The Horiuchi brothers of the Nenryu are plotting to kill Hanzo, the only man capable of keeping them from assassinating the young shogun.

Lose ends are definitely being tied up at this point with regular characters beginning to be killed off and the light humor that peppered the series fading away. The only thing missing is an overarching villain to defeat. Kouga ninja continue to be a factor but we’ve yet to see a reappearance of their current leader. The main action sequence is set during a kabuki play that Okou infiltrates. The young shogun is there and Okou, along with Hanzo and his ninjas attempt to thwart an assassination attempt.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Tsutomu Nakamura

Episode 26: The Ominous Place – The Cursed Flute

A fallen group of ninja are occupying a mountain retreat and killing anyone who ventures near. When it becomes apparent that they are using firearms with a particular mix of gunpowder, Hanzo heads to Kishu to gather more information while Hyouroku and Kiheiji reluctantly come to the aid of a young woman whose father was killed by the ninja.

For the first time an episode appears hastily thrown together in terms of plotting and direction. A disproportionate amount of time is wasted on filler, notably with Hyouroku and Kiheiji repetitively running up and down the mountain with no success until Hanzo returns. Curiously, every time they go up with someone, that person ends up shot. Then when we get to the end, Hanzo faces off with a villain he knows well. Unfortunately, this holds no significance for the viewer so all the mounting tension of their duel is wasted. The only bright spot is Kiki Kirin as Orin. She attempts to follow Hanzo and ends up with a group of equally desperate middle-age single women. Although awkwardly balanced with the rest of the story, her comedy bits are entertaining.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Isao Matsumoto

Episode 27: Intrusion! 24 Hours in the Woman’s Bath

With peace finally coming to Edo, the time has come for a final showdown between the Iga and Kouga ninja clans. Kouga decimate the remaining Iga villages outside of the capital before assaulting Hanzo’s bathhouse. The attack is repelled but Kouga leader Minaguchi Kishirou comes up with a new plan to blame the Iga for an assault on Edo’s munitions storehouse. Hanzo and his companions rush to stop the Kouga and save what’s left of their clan from becoming branded enemies of the state.

This is it, the final episode of the first season of SHADOW WARRIORS and it finally brings to a close the story of Hattori Hanzo, his Iga followers and their struggle to maintain peace at a critical time in the Tokugawa era. As the main villain of the series following the death of Kisanta Mizuguchi, his brother Kishirou returns after making relatively few appearance for a climatic duel. The second half is a little too routine for being the season finale but the first half, depicting the Kouga assault on the bathhouse, is memorable. What makes it interesting is that Hanzo and his followers manage to keep the entire attack hidden from the public, with the exception of Okiri and Orin who both finally learn that Mr. Han is more than just a business owner.

Director: Oota Akikazu
Writer: Tsutomu Nakamura

BCI Eclipse (7 Disc Box Set)

Format: Region 1 NSTC DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Japanese (DD 2.0)
Subtitles: English
Length: 1215 minutes

This is a modest release that gets the job done but won’t impress videophiles, especially given its $80 suggested retail price. The packaging is cheaply produced in an unattractive paper sleeve with thin plastic cases housing seven double-sided discs and reversible slipcovers. The print has not been remastered or restored and shows a lot of wear. Colors are very dull and the picture is grainy. The original Japanese audio is adequate. Removable English subtitles are large and easy to read. Names are occasional misprinted, either with misspelling or with inconsistencies in putting first names in front of surnames. The subtitles on episode 26 appear to have been mistakenly printed in a usual font that is less agreeable to the eyes. Extras are welcome but somewhat flimsy.

Six-Page Booklet - This contains liner notes by Japanese film expert Patrick Macias. It’s a broad overview of the series that lightly provides some context and supplemental information including references to KILL BILL, the real Hattori Hanzo, the popularity of Sonny Chiba, and the longevity of the series.

Interview with Sonny Chiba - Disc seven contains a 15-minute interview with Sonny Chiba that was produced exclusively for this North American DVD release. It’s a light interview that doesn’t dig very deep but does allow Chiba to elaborate, repeatedly, on what he had wanted to achieve through the series. It is clear that Chiba had invested quite a lot of himself into the series and his depiction of ninjas and their culture.

REVIEW: Shadow Warriors [TV] (1980), 10.0 out of 10 based on 2 ratings

by Mark Pollard

Related Topics:
chambara  •  Japan Action Club  •  jidai geki  •  kunoichi  •  ninja  •  samurai  •  Shadow Warriors [TV] (1980)  •  shogun  •  shuriken  •  spy  •  Tokugawa