Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Vol. 3 - DVD Review

The Sumo Wrestler Who Found His Home

Zatoichi comes across a young Sumo wrestler after his ill fated attempt at suicide. Tenguiwa took the blame for some lost money by an older Sumo student and was sub sequentially kicked out of the school. Zatoichi finds this an honorable act and feeds the youngster. Tenguiwa attaches himself to Zatoichi; a premise not entirely welcomed by Zatoichi as the youngster's appetite impacts his purse.

During a visit to a gambling hall the youngster's innocence gets the better of him. He doesn't understand how the rules work and Zatoichi has to step up and protect him before the Yakuza make sashimi of the youngster. They gamble and they win a lot. The yakuza boss sends in his female dice roller and Zatoichi senses that something is not right. He exposes their cheating scheme and thus incurs the wrath of the boss and his minions. A ronin, Yajuro Soma, sees Zatoichi dispose of the gangsters that come after him and offers his services to Nihei Haraichi, the local boss.

Zatoichi has met with a former yakuza boss, Matsugoro Akaiwa, who now runs a soba shop. Akaiwa, though no longer a boss, still hosts the local Sumo tournament. Haraichi diverts the arriving sumo to his homestead and basically holds them ransom. He wants control of the tournament. Akaiwa goes to Haraichi to get the wrestlers. However, they have worked up a hefty debt while gambling and Haraichi would only consider the debt paid if Akaiwa has the money or if he hands over Zatoichi. Sparing Akaiwa the decision Zatoichi goes to Haraichi's and proposes a duel, which the ronin Soma, asks to participate in for Haraichi. The skill of Zatoichi shows and he takes the ronin to school.

Of course the yakuza being what they are, a bunch of dumb thugs, they cannot forgive the humiliation and they confront Zatoichi outside of Akaiwa's home. Of course, the climactic battle is brilliant including an awesome double skewer. Earlier in the episode Zatoichi made the connection between Akaiwa and Tenguiwa, that they were in fact father and son. Akaiwa adopts Tenguiwa, though still innocent to the end. Zatoichi and Soma meet on the lonely road.

You can imagine the rest.

The Whirlwind of Kisoji Mountain

The episode opens with five yakuza chasing after Zatoichi. As Zatoichi eludes his pursuers he is mistakenly accused of horse theft and is thrown in jail. He doesn't mind at all though as the jail cell keeps him safe from the yakuza. Meanwhile, Doctor Geria and his daughter Omiya, return to the outpost after three years. They've come to collect medicinal herbs and care for the ill of the village. The five yakuza, led by Jingoro Owada, approach the local boss, Sahejii Ontake, for help. Ontake pays off the local authorities and they release Zatoichi, much to his chagrin.

Ontake's men confront Zatoichi in a noodle house, of which he disposes of them with a quick blade. A stranger, Yashichi, offers Ontake his services. Yashichi is an expert marksman and offers to shoot Zatoichi. And so he does. However, he only wounds him. A lesson is learned. If you're going to hire a marksman make sure you hire him to KILL someone, not just SHOOT them. There is a difference. I regress. Wounded, Zatoichi hides out in one of the villager’s homes and is taken to the barn where Doctor Geira is practicing his medicine. Geira proceeds to mend Zatoichi from his wound.

Sahejii's men find Zatoichi in the barn and Yashichi isn't too far behind. The brief flashback scenes allude to inappropriate behavior inflicted on Omiya by Yashichi and he drags the men away, if only for the moment. Sahejii's men return later only to be cut down by Zatoichi as he lies in bed. It is one of the best sequences in the series so far. It is dealing out death without the trouble of leaving your futon. Omiya later confronts Yashichi and we learn that he was once a doctor much like Geira, presumably under his tutelage.

Geira soon discovers that Sahejii is hiring locals to pick plants from up in the mountains. The plants are making them ill. Geira confronts Sahejii and threatens to go to the Magistrate with his discovery. Of course Geira is attacked and fatally injured. This is where Yashichi begins his return from the abyss of self loathing. He sobers up and tends to the doctor's wounds. Zatoichi meanwhile sneaks out the back and heads over to Boss Sahejii's. Oh boy. I think I know what is going to happen next.

It what is the most brilliant lead up to a climactic sequence so far I can't say much else without spoiling it except that Zatoichi unleashes a unholy onslaught onto Sahejii and his men. But besides the incredible blood letting this episodes clearly shows the difference between those who choose to do good and those who choose to do bad. While previous episodes show how the innocent get caught up in bad deeds, clearly in this episode we are shown a clear line between good and bad.

Humanity and Justice

Zatoichi meets a young woman dressed as a man alongside a river. He knows just by the touch of her hand that she is a female; however, she insists that she is a man. They meet again at a roadside establishment and Zatoichi learns that this young traveler is from Tomioka. Zatoichi knew someone from Tomioka; a yakuza boss named Genpachi. Stirred by this coincidence the youngster leaves.

We next see her at the home of the boss Gonzo. She introduces herself as Osei. Osei dresses, acts and drinks like a man, though her hosts know she is a woman. Along comes Zatoichi and they meet again in the gambling hall. Later that night after many, many drinks of sake Zatoichi hears the drunken mumblings of Osei. It turns out that she is the daughter of Genpachi and that he is dead. She blames boss Gonzo for his death and has vowed to get revenge. The next morning Zatoichi warns Osei about the fruitless pursuit of revenge and that killing is not so easy.

Of course there is the mid-episode melee where Zatoichi fends off some of Gonzo’s men. And you know from the rules that this altercation will come back to haunt him.

It turns out that Gonzo’s wife, Ohatsu, is a real ball buster and is insanely jealous of any other woman that comes near her husband. But he meets with Osei and makes a proposition to her to run Zatoichi out of town. Zatoichi is planting seeds of his own, telling Ohatsu that her husband has been meeting with a beautiful woman.

A local officer comes to Gonzo’s home to tell him that someone has come to town intent on killing him. Gonzo of course thinks It is Zatoichi but learns that it is Osei and she has come to avenge her father’s death. Gonzo captures Osei and sets a trap for Zatoichi at the river side. Fireworks are being set up to ward off evil spirits but they come in handy when the yakuza try to disorientate Zatoichi during the climactic fight. After Gonzo’s men have been killed Zatoichi hands Osei a katana. Though she is clearly outmatched with a little assistance from Zatoichi she deals the deadly blow to Gonzo.

It is fitting that the final fireworks burst is a red blossom. The color red is strongly associated with women and by the end of the episode Osei has ‘blossomed’ back into a beautiful young woman.

The 1,000 Ryo Raffle

Many people pass by the prone body of a drunken man on a common road. The man is clearly sleeping off a long night of sake consumption. Zatoichi comes across this man and in a scene that is strangely played out like the Good Samaritan parable from the Bible he takes the man to an inn to sleep it off. During his slumber the stranger talks in his sleep and Zatoichi learns that this man, Shinsuke, has just left prison. ‘The Shogun had a son’ and he was pardoned after three years.

Desperate to part ways with Zatoichi Shinsuke gives him a Narita Shrine lottery ticket as payment for his hospitality and leaves for his village, Katsuura. It turns out that it is a winning ticket and Zatoichi follows him to Katsuura. But not before taking a moment for a musical interlude and to fly a kite with some children. Don’t ask.

Shinsuke looks for his wife, Ohama, upon his return. There have been rumors that she has been with boss Gorozo. First Shinsuke visits with Gorozo and soon learns that in his absence others have moved up the ranks in the gang and he no longer has a place in it, though the reason he went to prison was for doing a job for Gorozo. So Gorozo sends Ohama back to Shinsuke, but only until he can get things sorted and bring her back. It is clear to the viewer that she no longer wishes to be with Shinsuke and likes the lavish lifestyle of a yakuza boss’ woman.

Zatoichi has arrived in the small fishing village and tries to return the winning ticket to Shinsuke. But he won’t accept it. Next, Zatoichi goes to see boss Gorozo, because hey, you must get to know a lot of yakuza bosses when you wander from village to village plying your trade and gambling. Gorozo, knowing Zatoichi’s skill with a blade, starts to work on Zatoichi to get him to kill Shinsuke. At the same time Zatoichi has his own agenda and tells Ohama about the winning ticket. She of course rushes off to be with her husband. Shinsuke sees right through her though.

As yakuza are prone to do they kidnap Shinsuke’s sister, Ohatsu, and plan to make her ‘entertain’ the new magistrate that is visiting boss Gorozo. Of course Shinsuke goes in to free her and is captured. Ohatsu finds Zatoichi and tells him of her brother’s plight. Zatoichi arrives on the scene, frees Shinsuke, and together they bring an end to Gorozo and his gang.

As they leave the village Ohatsu finds the winning lottery ticket in her kimono. Zatoichi hid it there and is nowhere to be found to return it, that clever bastard.