2 Best Movies to Watch by Tomoyuki Shimura

Striking, epic, and occasionally gruesome, Sword of the Stranger is an excellent film about ronin redemption. From the title alone, the film promises and delivers thrilling sword-fighting sequences from the titular stranger Nanashi (or “no name” in Japanese). His bouts with Ming Chinese warriors, as well as the Caucasian Luo-Lang, are so graceful, yet at times, so brutal that it ends with wrecked buildings, copious bleeding, and (on occasion) amputated limbs. However, the gore isn’t what makes these fight scenes work. Nanashi’s will to preserve his honor and self-determination drives the film. It’s the reason why his fight against these invaders feels so compelling. It’s the reason why he reluctantly guards the orphan Kotaro and his cute shiba inu. And when the film finally reveals the cause of that will, rooting for him is inevitable.

Genre: Action, Animation, Drama, History

Actor: Ai Orikasa, Akio Otsuka, Atsushi Ii, Cho, Fumie Mizusawa, Hirofumi Nojima, Hiroshi Shirokuma, Jun Hazumi, Junko Minagawa, Katsuhisa Hôki, Katsuhisa Houki, Kenichi Mochizuki, Kohei Fukuhara, Koichi Yamadera, Maaya Sakamoto, Makoto Yasumura, Mamoru Miyano, Masaki Aizawa, Miyu Matsuki, Naoto Takenaka, Noboru Yamaguchi, Shinya Fukumatsu, Takurou Kitagawa, Tomoya Nagase, Tomoyuki Shimura, Unsho Ishizuka, Yasuhiko Kawazu, Yuki Masuda, Yuri Chinen

Director: Masahiro Ando

Rating: TV-MA

Given that there are 25 other films and 4 seasons depicting the blind swordsman, Shintaro Katsu’s ​​Zatoichi can seem a bit redundant. To a certain extent, it is, as the action set pieces call back to earlier standout moments and the length can feel a tad bloated, so fans of Ichi might find this conclusion still classic, but nothing particularly novel. That being said, with Katsu directing the conclusion after portraying the character for so long, it’s no surprise that everything the Zatoichi is known for– the action, the humor, and the swordfighting– is dialled up to eleven, with a slightly darker and more stylistic tinge that brings the swordsman to better fit the newer decade. Fans would already have their opinions on this film, but for new viewers, Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally might find it as a straight-to-the-point snapshot of this classic 70s franchise.

Genre: Action, Drama

Actor: Akira Kubo, Asao Matsumoto, Chigusa Takayama, Daisuke Ban, Fumihiko Tachiki, Gō Awazu, Hachiro Okamoto, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Joe Yamanaka, Jun Tatara, Kanako Higuchi, Kaoru Shinoda, Keizo Kanie, Ken Ogata, Koichi Ueda, Koji Miemachi, Makoto Satō, Miho Nakayama, Norihei Miki, Rikiya Yasuoka, Ryoichi Kusanagi, Ryuutarô Gan, Sachio Sakai, Sakae Umezu, Senkichi Ōmura, Shigeo Katô, Shintarō Katsu, Shinzo Hotta, Shōji Ōki, Takanori Jinnai, Takashi Ebata, Takuzō Kawatani, Tomoyuki Shimura, Tsurutaro Kataoka, Yûsuke Koike, Yūya Uchida

Director: Shintarō Katsu