Follows the fluctuating fortunes of three ronin in feudal Japan who wander from castle to castle, selling their services to whichever lord will fill their rice bowls. Though they use the servants' entrance, they still feel themselves bound by the samurai code of Bushido; and this tension leads to tragedy.
When the aging leader of the yakuza gang Maeda-gumi decides to retire, many of the gang members have no confidence in the young man he has chosen to replace him. A fight for the succession begins.
Ryuzoji Matashichiro
「東海道お化け道中」の浅井昭三郎が脚本を執筆し、「笹笛お紋」の田中徳三が監督した妖怪もの。撮影は「刑務所破り」の今井ひろしが担当した。
Matsuda
Goro had grown up in the yakuza world. As an active member of the Mizuhara family crime syndicate, he expressed his loyalty by always putting himself in the forefront of every battle. Violence never bothered him. However, after being sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing a rival gang’s hit man, he becomes disenchanted with the Yakuza life style. Goro is determined to start anew, but karma catches up. His two closest friends are murdered by his ex-boss. He is left with two options: to kill or be killed.
Shinnosuke Emi
シリーズの第17作で、後に「ブラインド・フューリー」としてアメリカでリメイクされた。座頭市は、旅先で出会った瀕死の女性からその幼い息子を彼女の夫の庄吉に届けるよう頼まれる。彼女の死後、市は少年と目的地へ。途中、謎の男、赤塚多十郎と出会うが、その素性は公儀隠密だった。悪代官やヤクザに監禁された庄吉を救うべく、立ち上がる市だったが、友情で結ばれかけた赤塚と、ある事情から一対一の対決に迫られることに...。
A naively honorable samurai (played by Raizo) comes to the bitter realization that his devotion to moral samurai principles makes him an oddity among his peers, and a very vulnerable oddity in consequence. He takes the blame for the misdeeds of others, with the understanding that he will be exiled for one year and restored to the clan's good graces after the political situation dies down. As betrayal begins to heap upon betrayal, he realizes he'll have to live out his life as a master-less ronin, if not hunted down and killed.
The masked daughter of the Shogun wants to kill a samurai who has seen her scarred face. She sends waves of ninja warriors to kill the samurai and plots diabolical schemes / ambushes without much success.
Tadokoro Gaki
斑平は中老の母と犬との人獣交婚の犬っ子と蔑まれる、生まれながらの疎外者だった。花造りの名人でありながら、馬よりも速く駆ける健脚と居合を見込まれた彼は、お家改易を狙う幕閣が放つ公儀隠密を斬るよう命じられる...。「斬る」「剣」に続く三部作の最終作。
The further adventures of Takeshi Nanjo, the Young Boss.
Wandering samurai Nemuri Kyoshiro (Raizô Ichikawa) finds a bulls-eye on his back after befriending the shogunate's tightfisted financial adviser, Asahina, who's earned the wrath of the shogun's self-indulgent daughter for cutting off her allowance. The enraged princess promptly hatches a scheme to have Asahina bumped off -- along with his protector, Kyoshiro. Shiho Fujimura also stars in this installment of the enormously popular film series.
