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The stormy tale of the Shinsengumi is told from its birth by master filmmaker Sasaki Yasushi, with an all-star cast based on the original story by Shirai Kyoji. The battles between the royalists and Shogunate supporters come to a fever pitch during the Gion Festival as the exclusionists plot to burn Kyoto and kidnap the Emperor. From its earliest beginnings as a group of ronin brought from Edo to protect the Shogun when he is in Kyoto to see His Imperial Highness, the group had to face difficulties both from within and without. Commander Serizawa Kamo's corrupt practices threaten the group's very existence, as they try to recover from the bad reputation he left them with. Their redemption comes when they learn of Katsura Kogoro plans to gather men at Kyoto's Ikedaya Inn for his attack on the city. Along with Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soji, Kondo leads the group in an attempt to save Japan from the rebels.
In late 19th-century Tokyo, Kikunosuke Onoue, the adopted son of a legendary actor, himself an actor specializing in female roles, discovers that the praise he receives is only due to his status as his father's heir. Devastated, he turns to Otoku, a servant of his family, for comfort, and they fall in love. Kikunosuke becomes determined to leave home and develop as an actor on his own merits, and Otoku faithfully joins him.
The story follows the chance meeting between Senkichi, a wandering gambler on the run, and Orin, a blind musician who offers him kindness and shelter. As their lives become intertwined, they attempt to find a sense of peace and domesticity while caught in the crossfire of the violent Bakumatsu revolution.
Story of famed Japanese actress Kinuyo Tanaka, with an emphasis on her working relationship with director Kenji Mizoguchi.
Three IJN flyers Mikami (Susumu Fujita), Kawakami (Masayuki Mori) and Murakami (Akitake Kono) are good friends, and they are all renowned for their torpedo techniques. Mikami is posted as a staff officer at a base on an island in the Pacific. Kawakami and Murakami later joins him as the base squardron is reinforced. The enemy task force approaches the island and all three of them attack the fleet, killing themselves in the process.
The story concerns the efforts of seven master swordsman who join together to protect the new inexperienced Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune from the evil plans of the Owari Clan's corrupt Lord. It's a colorful bunch, a drunk samurai, a master thief, a sword instructor and a Lord who is disguised as a ronin since it is an executable offense for a lord to wander outside of their domain without permission. As the Chief Magistrate becomes suspicious of the Owari plot to send men to Kodenmacho Prison to start a riot he begins to investigate the rumors. He soon calls upon the Lord of Mikazuki Castle and the Shogun's best friend to help thwart the evil ambitions and battle the rouge swordsman hired by the Owari Clan.
The second work in the series "Cases of An Actor in Disguise" starring Kokichi Takada, based on the original work of Tatsuro Jinde. Popular ronin actor Kasumi Ippei intervenes in a planned robbery of the mint, where gold coins are minted for the Shogunate.
Masked avenger Kurama Tengu and his young sidekick try to stop a mysterious adversary from assassinating a group of young warriors who want to bring down the Shogunate...
This is a paradise of dream and illusion, a country of Raccoon Dogs. The Bat Tribe lives in a neighboring country took a young prince of Raccoon Dogs as a hostage, and try to take a Buddhist saint from the temple by force.
Japanese Warmovie
1957 Japanese movie
1962 Japanese movie
In 1842, in the Umemoku Mansion within Hikone Castle, Naosuke Ii, despite the tumultuous times, was engrossed in the world of tea ceremony. His friend, the Kokugaku scholar Nagano Shuzen, introduced him to a captivating shamisen master named Murayama Taka. Naosuke became deeply infatuated with her, disregarding the jealousy of his consort Shizu and the warnings of his senior retainer, Gaiji. However, upon discovering Taka's relationship with Shuzen, Naosuke promptly ended his ties with her.
Shochiku's commemorative 3000th film production; a suspenseful period drama.
During the 17th Century roving bands of hatamoto were causing trouble in the new capital city of Edo and constantly fought with the townspeople at every turn. The leader of these ruthless samruai was Mizuno Jirozaemon, who despite his high rank was in deep financial distress, thus leading to a tragedy that shook the very streets of the city.Opposing him was Banzui-in Chobei, the ‘Protector of the Weak’ who was willing to put his life on the line to save the 808 districts of Edo from the 80,000 hatamoto whose violent behavior threatened to destroy the fabric of society. Starring Bando Tsumasaburo, the first great star of the silver screen along with mega-star Ichikawa Utaemon, this is a story not to be missed. Torn from the pages of history, this true story has been told many times, but never as powerfully as this!
An injured Edo official is rescued by a vassal whose appearance is exactly like himself, and swears to sweep out the criminals from the town on his behalf.
No description available.
Akitaro Orizuru, who set out on a journey to avenge his father's death in the darkness, returned to Itako, his hometown, where the Ayame Festival was approaching, for the first time in five years. His late father's brother, Sutezo, who took off his waraji, runs a small prostitute with only one child, Sutematsu. In addition, only Shigezaburo, who left a mark in the middle wind, was ill-mannered by Inomatsu. Akitaro was accompanied by a daughter named Omitsu on the way to here, but she was Ura's younger sister who works at Fujikura's house, and the villagers worked on the fifty cars to meet her critically ill father.
Chuji Kunisada runs into strange adventures which tests his skill as a samurai as he untangles intrigue and murder against the backdrop of the majestic Mount Akagi.
Drama about a famous one-eyed, one-armed samurai swordsman of the middle of the Tokugawa period by the name of Tange Sazen. By chance, Tange gets an old pot in which the secret of the treasure of 1000000 ryos of gold is hidden. However, a bunch of different people hunt for the pot and Tange will have to apply his phenomenal fencing skills with the sword.
Ghost comedy film.
When Kanbe Nagakichi has his turf taken over by Ano-Toku, the father-in-law of his sworn brother Kira Nikichi sets in motion one of the most violent gang battles in Japanese history. Forced by the situation to choose between family and yakuza honor, Nikichi faces off against the vile combination of Ano-Toku and Kurokoma Katsuzo, villains so low as to ambush their foes using snipers. Nikichi, who owes allegiance to Boss Jirocho of Shimizu asks Jirocho to spare Ano-Toku’s life until events force a showdown between the 30 member Shimizu gang and a force of over 200 men fighting on Ano-Toku’s behalf. Meanwhile, a mysterious samurai may hold the key to deciding the outcome of this battle!
Rampant ronin Matashiro Sasai, finds himself embroiled in serious unrest after he rescues a geisha who is being kidnapped by a group of ronin.
An anthology of thirteen patriotic stories about Japanese citizens contributing to the war effort.
A melodrama about a businessman's relations with the three women in his life.
Chushingura has been made into a movie several times before, but this time it will be presented in a widescreen version with all natural colors and a new look. Written by Masato Ide and directed by Tatsuo Osone. This is a magnificent scroll of images that depicts on a grand scale the triumph of the Genroku era that shook the citizens of Edo, the peaceful capital of Japan. The top stars of the film, shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki worlds at the time of production were lavishly cast, and a huge budget was invested to create a large set for this highly acclaimed and moving epic.
The masked avenger Kurama Tengu is linked to a plot to bring down the Tokugawa shogunate, but is it really our hero, or an imposter?
A young girl, Okimi, falls in love with Kiritaro, a handsome thief disguised as a wealthy young master.
Chikuzen, a ronin named Yoh Daisuke, after pacifying some ruffians at the theater of Onna-Kata Ogino Sawanojiki, formed a bond with the theater's bodyguard, Maruhashi Tadayasu, and Kaku, a priest. He ended up settling at the Kasugaya, the house of Oko, whom he had saved. When Oko decided to go to Edo, where her biological father lived, Daisuke accompanied her. Along the way, at Suruga Abe River, they encountered Sawanojiki's theater group, which had departed from Osaka earlier heading to Edo. A scuffle initiated by Tadayasu over a ferry boat with the students of Yui Masayuki but was amicably resolved through Masayuki's intervention.
A samurai detective film.
Chuji and his family become the primary target of gangs in Nikko headed by Hasshu marshal Nakayama and boss Sukegoro Iioka. Chuji is then aided by boss Shigezo Sasagawa, Ishimatsu, and a few young yakuza.
Young swordsman, Tsukigata Hanpeita, longs for the day when rival clans cease their struggles for power and put an end to meaningless feudal wars. When he is appointed to oversee the Choshu Clan, he takes it upon himself to work towards the peace that he has dreamed about. With his affectionate personality and compassion for life, Hanpeita’s popularity grows among the people, making him a threat to those thirsty for conflict and power. A betrayal by those closest to him leaves Hanpeita caught in a trap that could ultimately cost him his life.
Kotobuki-za is a story of the Naniwa-bushi singer Baichuken Tsurumaru.
Maeda Tsunanori, the lord of Kaga Domain, had two young princes - Katsumaru, the son of his legitimate wife, who died, and Yasunosuke, the son of his concubine. However, Katsumaru suddenly lost his mind and appealed to the shogunate to hand over the reins of the family Yasunosuke, but the request was rejected. Vassal Osawa Kuranojo suspects that this is the work of Ishikawa Torajiro, a swordsman from the Katsumaru group, and begins an investigation.
Tatsuo Osone movie
During the Genroku era, Azusa Gennosuke, renowned in Nara as a top swordsman and a scholar, crossed swords with the Magistrate Kurobane Yatayu, who tried to force himself on Gennosuke's beloved foster-sister, Kikuno. As a result, Gennosuke's younger brother, Shichisaburo, was killed. Separated from his mother, Gennosuke found himself on the run from the officials.
The story of five easygoing Yakuza who come together to save the live of a young innocent girl, Oichi, from an evil vassal.
A story about a spear master’s spiritual and martial discipline.
An entertainment movie featuring familiar faces of Toyama no Kin-san, Nezumi Kozo, Yaji Kita, and others who traveled around the Tokaido. Written and directed by Kunio Watanabe. A group of samurai rushed into the Sakura Opera Troupe in the mountain village, chasing a young woman named Chiyohime who was promoting dancing around Edo Asakusa area. Suri Nao and Kinshiro Toyama was there and saved her. Meanwhile, the samurai asked the acquaintance Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi to find her. Jirokichi visited Kinshiro 's house, and found her there…
In the era of the twelfth Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, a notorious bandit known as "Shippu" (or "Swift Wind") emerged in Edo. Shippu would send a warning message called the "Thief's Summons" before striking, yet despite the magistrate's desperate search efforts, they couldn't find any leads. One day, a summons was shot into the residence of Ono Ryusai, who was leading a peaceful retirement life with his two concubines, O-Ran and O-Koshi. With the summons, various individuals including O-Ran's brother Itami Shigoshiro, the master of the Muso-ryu dojo, vigilante Mankichiro, rope expert Gohei, and Den'ichi from Kuromon Town were assigned to monitor the situation. However, while they were distracted by a neighboring fire, a chest containing a thousand ryo was stolen, and O-Koshi was killed.
This 1932 adaptation is the earliest sound version of the ever-popular and much-filmed Chushingura story of the loyal 47 retainers who avenged their feudal lord after he was obliged to commit hara-kiri due to the machinations of a villainous courtier. As the first sound version of the classic narrative, the film was something of an event, and employed a stellar cast, who give a roster of memorable performances. Director Teinosuke Kinugasa was primarily a specialist in jidai-geki (period films), such as the internationally celebrated Gate of Hell (Jigokumon, 1953), and although he is now most famous as the maker of the avant-garde silent films A Page of Madness (Kurutta ichipeji, 1926) and Crossroads (Jujiro, 1928), Chushingura is in fact more typical of his output than those experimental works. The film ranked third in that year’s Kinema Junpo critics’ poll, and Joseph Anderson and Donald Richie noted that 'not only the sound but the quick cutting was admired by many critics.
Bored Hatamoto movie #11
In Nihonbashi, a fire broke out in the Kodenma-cho prison, and the prisoners were released. With the proviso that if the prisoner does not return within three days, or if he leaves Edo Prefecture, he will be sentenced to death. Prisoner Yakichi went to Matsumoto to see his mother, who was in critical condition. However, Yoriki Matsukura tries to catch Yakichi and bring him to execution.
A period piece about the love of a wealthy blind woman, a teacher of koto and shamisen, and her devoted manservant. Based on a novella by Tanizaki Junichiro.
1948 Japanese movie
The second in the popular series that fully incorporates martial arts action!
A young boy named Chomatsu (Misora Hibari) lives with an old man Denbei near the grounds of Asakusa temple as bell ringers. In their house is an Echigo lion mask, a memento of Chomatsu's deceased father. After several incidents of Echigo lion masks being destroyed in the area, a local kingpin Saheiji shows up at Denbei's demanded he hand over the mask, a request Denbei rejects out of pity for Chomatsu. However, after it is accidentally revealed that the mask contains an important map, Saheiji plots to steal the mask. Chomatsu gets involved after his mother makes a sudden reappearance that sends the boy on a roundabout journey that will reveal the truth about his family.
Hatamoto Ooka Gentaro was deeply committed to a future with a beautiful girl named Omachi, a relationship facilitated by his love of the shamisen. Omachi was stalked by a ronin named Akiyama Kanosuke, and at one point, Gentaro and Akiyama dueled at Matanuiyama, but the confrontation was left unresolved when Omachi, sensing urgency, called the authorities. Meanwhile, Gentaro's uncle, Kii-no-kami, concerned about Gentaro's whereabouts, ordered him to investigate a conspiracy by Tachibana Tadama, a tyrannical director of Hachijo who exercised his power oppressively in Shimousa Iioka. Gentaro attempted to leave on a journey with Omachi but was obstructed by his uncle's retainers.
From birth Hideyoshi was a restless, defiant spirit--a child of the poorest of the poor. Cast out of his peasant cottage, he would live by his wits, driven by his burning ambition to become a samurai and to find a warlord worth pledging his sword to. This is the story of his rise, and the thunderous battle he pinned his hopes on. The challenge that had already ruined and bloodied the armies of higher-ranking samurai than Hiyoshi. The battle that brought him rank, fame and fortune and transformed him into Hashiba Hideyoshi, right-hand man to the ruthless Lord Oda Nobunaga, and would drive him on to conquer Japan.
The head of Oshu, Harumichi Honma, was ordered by the boat bugyo (Commissioner of the board) Tajima Kuze to extract five gold coins to the Shogun family in Edo, and put it into Ryujin Maru. However, Tajima, who was the chief retainer of the shogunate, said that he was a member of the board, tetsugoro Funabashi, kumiyumi no Kami ichibei, and his son, masakichi, and others, and in the middle of the night, he killed all the members with poison in the night of the storm, threw Masayoshi, who was a fellow of the city, and masakichi, who escaped from the death of poison, into the sea and sank the boat to eliminate evidence.
Hatamoto Akabane Tanaka once ruined his life with alcohol in his youth, leaving behind his wife and son, Hanji, to embark on a journey. He killed a man on the Shikoku route, but later returned to Edo, reforming his ways. Concerned about Hanji, he tracked down the wet nurse, O-Kane, to whom he had entrusted the boy. To his surprise, Hanji had become a respectable young man, now a subordinate of the gang leader, Tatsugorou. During a New Year visit to the Shiba Shinmei shrine, a minor altercation led Hanji to meet the geisha Koina, the wicked servant Miya-toku, and the sumo wrestler Naruto. Hanji and Naruto hit it off and formed a bond like brothers. However, Naruto's father was the very man Tanaka had killed. Naruto had been seeking vengeance against his father's killer. During a chance encounter at a restaurant, Naruto witnessed the reunion of Hanji and Tanaka, realizing Tanaka was his father's killer.
Isshin Tasuke, a friend of Ōkubo Hikozōemon, the esteemed public arbitrator of the realm, saved the maid Onatsu from punishment after she accidentally broke a plate gifted by Lord Ieyasu. Tired of the strict samurai service, Tasuke moved to the Genbei tenements and opened a fish shop. This tenement housed various characters, including the landlord's daughter Osen who had a crush on Tasuke, the midwife Okan, the blind masseur Oyone and her husband, the carpenter-loving couple Yoshigorō and Ohama, the rōnin Takeuchi Yogoemon, and the siblings Ochika and Shin'nosuke who cared for their sick mother.
The Siege of Osaka
The ambiguous relationship between a woman musician and her young student.
Historical drama about two samurai who fight over everything yet unite together to fight an evil lord.
During the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one night a carver named Fujijiro was murdered. Immediately launching an investigation, Denhichi, accompanied by Otoshi and Take, toured the entertainment houses of Ryogoku. There, they discovered a connection between an acrobat and the incident. On their way home, Otoshi unexpectedly encountered an old friend, Inosuke, nervously buying a dagger. Inosuke, a clerk at the Kashimaya store, was in love with Oko, a secret lover of Bunzaemon. Amidst this, Seihei, the head clerk, was murdered by someone, and a dagger belonging to Inosuke was found at the scene, leading Gohei to suspect Inosuke as the culprit. However, Otoshi was hiding Inosuke. Driven by Otoshi's plea and a professional instinct that Inosuke wasn't the perpetrator, Denhichi desperately searched for the real culprit.
After killing the deceiver, the Masa gambler comes to Ina. There is a horse market in Ina, and the landowner Tamegoro, plans to steal the proceeds from the sale. Tamegoro steals money and blames the Masa for this crime. Masa has to go on the run, because now he is wanted for a crime that he did not commit...
Based on the story of Shimizu no Jirocho.
During the era of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, to strengthen the shogunate, many daimyo clans that did not align with the central power were dismantled. Among them, the ronin from the Higo Kato domain harbored a grudge against Yanagisawa Tajima-no-kami, who was at the forefront of these suppressions. Tajima-no-kami had two sons, Jubei and Matashiro. While Jubei was prudent and thoughtful, Matashiro was of a free-spirited nature. However, both were devoted to their father and were exceptionally skilled in the way of the sword.
The first work in the series "Cases of An Actor in Disguise" starring Kokichi Takada, based on the original work of Tatsuro Jinde. Kasumi Ippei is a popular ronin actor, and when he is not on stage he is investigating intricate crimes, in this film Ippei will solve the abduction of seven beautiful young girls.
Film about Ghost-cat.
Den Shichi of Kurodomon-chō, the best detective in Edo, captured members of a thief gang called "Kitsutsuki," but let three, including the rōnin Daikoku Yajūrō, Tengai Omachi, and Kasumi no Seiji, escape. Among the captured who were exiled, Genta and Kakuroku broke out and returned to Edo to reorganize the Kitsutsuki gang, starting to wreak havoc in the city. Due to the brutal methods used, Den Shichi suspected Yajūrō and Omachi had rejoined the gang. One day, a child who saw a hairdresser resembling Den Shichi, named Kiyoshi, reported to him. Kiyoshi, trusted by the moneychanger Yamano-ya, frequented by Den Shichi's wife Oshun, was rumored to be in love with Yamano-ya's daughter Oiku. In fact, Kiyoshi was Kasumi no Seiji, now living an honest life.
Bored Hatamoto film #10
Jidaigeki by Tai Kato
At the Fugenji temple in Koishikawa, Edo, a memorial service for the 49th day after the passing of Kyogoku Takanori, the lord of the Tanba-Miyazu domain, was held. Despite being sons of Takanori, three brothers, who had different mothers, gathered, each having grown up in different circumstances.
In the eleventh year of the Tenpō era, the Kawarazaki-za theater in Edo buzzed with excitement for a new production of "Kanjinchō" by Naritaya, featuring music by the master Kineya Rokusaburō. However, Naritaya's requests to change some of Rokusaburō's most painstakingly crafted parts of the composition angered his disciple, Shinjirō, leading to a conflict and Shinjirō's abandonment of the shamisen. One day, Shinjirō was captivated by the mysteriously beautiful dance of Oaki, a traveling performer's daughter, who seemed to be channeling her art into a form of revenge.
1962 Japanese movie.
Kintaro goes on a journey to his hometown to meet his mother and sister. His love for singing leads him to a perceptive and cheerful girl named Onatsu... A road trip comedy featuring Kokichi Takada and Hibari Misora singing and dancing.
In early summer in Edo, Sanshirō, known for his beautiful singing, is a devoted son living in a tenement with his blind mother Okura. He works as a delivery boy for the caterer "Yaoyorozu." His brother, Chōjirō, who disliked being a plasterer, ran away from home and became a subordinate of the yakuza Yamashita no Gonsuke. On a delivery, Sanshirō catches a vagrant child, Erippē, stealing a flower hairpin from Ochiyo, the daughter of the wealthy merchant Narumiyaya Bunzaimon. Impressed by Sanshirō's character, Bunzaimon considers him as a potential son-in-law for Ochiyo, who admires Sanshirō.
1959 Japanese movie
Kota and Kosuke, from the Hikyaku-ya shop in Edo, went to Kyoto. Contrary to their carefree appearance, they carry a secret letter concerning the Aoba clan from Kyoto. A samurai who calls himself Okuma Danemon joins them on their journey, and soon people begin to appear one after another, seeking to get a secret letter...
Under a decree by the Shogun, people of all classes are forced to lead a frugal lifestyle. However, Omitsu, a woman who is thought to have gone insane after the sudden death of her father, openly disobeys this order and goes around town fancifully dressed. Unknown to all around her, Omitsu is merely acting, using her perceived madness to roam around town conducting her own secret investigation into her father's death. Will her skillful ruse help her to reveal the truth?
The first half of the movie depicts a man's jealousy of his best friend and the woman he love. The second part depicts a hero who is ready to put the past behind him and risk his life for his friend.
The eleventh episode of the Denshichi Torimonocho series. Around the time of Shogun Ienari, a murderer known as a ghost hikyaku appeared in Edo, raping and killing young girls one after another. One night, a notice was recieved that Oichi, the daughter of Wakasa Kanayu of the small construction group, would be taken away. The mansion was surrounded by ten and twenty layers of people including Denshichi, who was asked to guard the house, and Sesshinsai Ohba, the owner of the dojo. Four seconds later, a violent explosion suddenly occurred.
A film about the struggle of an officer from Edo, Toyama Saemon, with a lightning-fast gang of thieves.
An all-star cast portraying the end of the Edo period as a commemorative film for the late Tsumasaburo Bando.
In the town of Izu known for its hot springs, Den Shichi from Kuromon Town sets off for a healing trip with his companion, a bamboo craftsman with a nose like a lion's snout, at a time when the town is under a tight security network due to a nearby gunpowder depot explosion. Staying at Tsuruya, Den Shichi and his group are investigated by officials whose behavior seems somewhat odd. That night, a man looking like a craftsman is murdered, and gunpowder residue is found at the scene, prompting Den Shichi to suspect that something is amiss.
Two cowardly palanquin carriers know the culprit of a murder, but are too scared to report it to the police. In the meantime, an innocent man is arrested as the murderer and chaos ensues.
One night in Edo, a mysterious woman in a palanquin appeared at the moneylender Yamashiroya, revealing herself to a beautiful woman. She told the owner, Shigebē, that she had come to collect a life he owed from twenty years ago and then left. The same night, Maruiya Genbē also received a visit from the woman's palanquin, and nearby, a man named Manbē was murdered. The detective Hayanawa Gohē concluded the murder was the work of a fox spirit, but another detective, Den Shichi, skeptical of this theory, noticed footprints on the tatami and decided to investigate further.
In the age of priests and warriors which the film denounces, a woman revolts after she is sold as a prostitute.
The phantom thief, known as the "Actor Kid", who was creating a stir in the Daimyo's mansion, especially in the inner chambers, was called Inaba Goutaro. He was the adopted son of a samurai, Inaba Buemon. An incident occurred where his foster father collided with the palanquin of the lord's concubine. In the subsequent altercation, Goutaro killed one of the attendants. Taking responsibility for the act, his foster father committed seppuku, and Goutaro was hunted down. Facing death, his foster father revealed to Goutaro that after the death of his biological father, Goutaro's real mother and his younger brother were forcibly made to serve a lord. This revelation ignited Goutaro's determination to infiltrate the Daimyo's mansion to meet his birth mother.
Kofu duty guard Yamauchi Hinata-kami cultivated illegal drugs and had them sold through Omiya, a drug wholesaler in Edo Muromachi. One day, a strange spell descends on Omiya, killing his wife Osetsu, and then his second daughter Okyo as well. After that, there was a rumor that a ghost playing a flute appeared in the town of Edo. Sanshiro Tachibana, a member of the Kitamachi Magistrate Doshin, asked Denshichi to investigate these incident.
Okazaki Domain samurai Inaba Gotaro accidentally killed a superior while trying to save his beloved geisha, Ko-en. On the run, they were rescued by the actor Nakamura Utaemon, but Ko-en was taken by the Hatamoto, Ono Issai. Gotaro, who fell off a cliff, was saved by the Dutch-trained doctor, Shibarai Ryokai, and his daughter Oume. While traveling to Edo, they met Utaemon in Mishima, who was suffering from a serious eye disease. Ryokai’s treatment saved Utaemon from blindness, and a strong friendship was formed among the three.
Around the Genroku era, there was a man named Saotome Shusui-no-Suke, nephew to the senior councilor Matsudaira Sakon Shogen. He was commonly known as the Bored Samurai of the Hatamoto rank. Just as he was engulfed in boredom, Tokugawa Jo-Kaibo, claiming to be the Shogun's illegitimate child, made a grand entrance into Edo. At the behest of Sakon Shogen, Shusui-no-Suke was tasked to investigate Jo-Kaibo's background and had his young page Kyoya disguise as a woman to infiltrate Jo-Kaibo's gun mansion.
During the end of the shogunate, there was a group of black-clothed masked samurai known as the "Crow Squad" who resisted the shogunate's oppression, taking down key figures one by one. During a Go game with a visitor named Seki Hikonoshin, the government inspector, Nozoe Minbu, was attacked and killed by what appeared to be the Crow Squad. The witness, Yoshi Goro, was also injured by their blade. Minbu's son, Katsuma, returning from a trip, learned of this and, along with his sister Sakura, vowed revenge.
Ginpei, in an act of desperation to get money for his gravely ill mother, was laughed at and ended up fighting with the companions of the castle patrol Matsunomura Genba, including Onimatsu. He was later reconciled by the family elder Ishikawa Yoriimo, who also gave him some money. Returning home happily, Ginpei found that his mother had already passed away. Okin, the daughter of a soba shop owner, comforted the heartbroken Ginpei, who in gratitude became affiliated with the Ishikawa household. Ginpei, a ruffian but ordinarily a quiet and honest man, became favored by Yoriimo's wife Chiyo and their child Harunosuke, and he began to accompany Yoriimo to the castle. Inside the castle, the family elder Otsuki Gyobu was in cahoots with Yoshitada's favorite concubine, Osada no Kata, and together with the treacherous Genba, they were plotting to establish Osada no Kata's child, Seinosuke, as the heir.
Follows the life of an illegitimate son of a kabuki actor.
When wealthy Ochika marries desolute Danpei, she devotes herself completely to him and takes over her business, to the point of sowing dissensions within the Jōruri troupe in which her husband plays.
Detective Denshichi is called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Kishu family's daughter Teruhime and the activities of a dangerous group dressed as skulls and their female leader.
