Justice is Blind and Deadly

Katsu Shintaro stars as the lovable rogue Zato-ichi, the blind masseur whose senses are so finely tuned that lack of sight is the least of his problems. As he wanders around Japan, he's always blindly stumbling into situations that force him to unsheath his sword and lay into a bunch of no-good ruffians. He may not be able to see them coming, but he's usually the last thing they ever see...

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo

We start with one of the best Zatoichi films, if not THE best! In it, Katsu teams up with uber-samurai Toshiro Mifune in a truly hilarious installment in the series. Listen up, because we're only going to explain this once...

Zatoichi decides to revisit a village where he once had a nice stay. But when he gets there, he finds that things have changed for the worse; the former village headman is carving tombstones all day long, the new headman is a shady merchant who is apparently helping one of his sons embezzle from the mint, the merchant's other son is a yakuza boss who's also after the gold, and this son is relying on the assistance of a yojimbo -- a bodyguard -- who may not be what he seems to be.

Guess who plays the yojimbo...

All of this is a setup for Mifune and Katsu to go at each other hammer and tongs, each playing serious mind-games with the other, culminating in one serious bad-ass swordfight. Trust us, don't drink while watching this, you'll snort stuff out your nose!

Also available as part of the Toshiro Mifune Collection Box Set.

Zatoichi the Outlaw

When a local gambling house kidnaps some peasants because they failed to pay their debts, a rival gambling house pays their debts and sets them free.

But it's really all just a plot to enlist Ichi's aid in eliminating the competition, and once that's been attended to, the master of the surviving house of chance grabs more and more power -- and more and more cash from the hapless farmers.

Even a blind man can see that Justice must be done!

Zatoichi The Festival of Fire

Never before available in the United States until now!!

In a town where women are bought and sold, Zatoichi stumbles upon a secret organization headed by Yamikubo, the Dark Imperial Lord.

The "Boss of Bosses," blind like Zatoichi, takes an interest in the masseur, guiding him on the path of destiny and the duty of the sightless. However, a chance encounter with two beautiful women might be the end of Zatoichi, as both a jealous husband and the town Yakuza wants his head!

Zatoichi at Large

Never before available in the United States until now!!

No good deed goes unpunished for Zatoichi, the blind masseur and master swordsman.

After delivering the baby of a dying women and fullfilling her last wish to take her infant to the town of Shiobara, he finds the father missing and must leave the child with his aunt, Oya-e.

Immediately taking a liking to the young woman, he resolves to help her when her inn is turned into a brothel by Tetsugoro, the local yakuza boss. Things take a turn for the worse when Zatoichi fights to have the performers at the upcoming festival put on their show without a yakuza tax.

Enraged by his audacity, Tetsugoro puts a price on the blind man's head. Meanwhile, the baby's father, Sataro, returns home, and a misunderstanding results in him blaming the masseur for his wife's death. As the danger on both sides escalates, Zatoichi's sword-cane will fly and the blood will flow into the streets!

Zatoichi in Desperation

Never before available in the United States until now!!

After a fatal encounter wth an elderly women on a decrepit rope bridge, Zatoichi seeks out her daughter, to make restitution for his role in her death. He finds that the daughter, Nishikigi, is the most popular prostitute in the local brothel. Vowing to save Nishikigi from this life of sin, he sets out to earn the money to redeem her.

But the blind swordsman goes too far when he hustles the local yakuza gang for money. Now, trouble comes from all sides as the local boss, a master swordsman, and the prostitute's lover all want a piece of Zatoichi.

Worst of all, Nishikigi just can't seem to turn her back on her life of sin! All these lead to the most shocking of ends for Zatoichi, one which will leave him forever changed!

Zatoichi's Conspiracy

Never before available in the United States until now!!

The Flip of a coin leads the blind masseur and master swordsman Zatoichi to his hometown, a place he has not visited in over two decades.

Despite his extended hiatus, he finds that several people remember him from his hellcat youth, including a "sister" that he never knew he had and the village's local government Superintendant.

But things never stay quiet for the masseur for very long. An old face from Ichi's childhood, Shinbei, has hatched a nefarious plot to rob the town of thier valuable community quarry. The masseur is caught in the unenviable position of mediating the conflict between his former pal and the home of his youth, with neither side willing to budge.

Can Ichi, the champion of the weak and oppressed, do the right thing, even if it pits him against his childhood chum?

Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman

Never before available in the United States until now!!

When a small boy is about to be executed, Wang Kong, a one-armed swordsman from China, steps in to save him. Now with a price on his head, Wang Kong must become an outlaw to survive.

Meanwhile, Zatoichi comes across the same small boy in the arms of his mortally wounded father. His last wish is for the blind swordsman to take care of his son.

When Zatoichi and Wang Kong meet, their different languages act as a barrier between them. The two swordsmen are destined to meet in battle, and only one will walk away.