Rating: ***
Review Date: 1/30/00
Cast: Ichikawa Raizo, Miwa Takada
Much better than the first film in the series - either that, or my tastes and/or expectations are changing. This time around, Nemuri Kyoshiro is wandering around in Edo and stirs up trouble when he befriends the kind local finance officer. The Shogunate's bratty daughter and a group of greedy politicians want the meddling finance officer dead, but they don't count on Kyoshiro stepping in to protect him. Thus begins an interesting tale of intrigue as Kyoshiro slices and dices his way through all that oppose him. Good stuff, and Kyoshiro doesn't seem nearly as arrogant as he did in the first film. Despite the somewhat slow pacing and bloodless battles, the film never fails to engage the viewer and the cinematography is gorgeous. My biggest complaint about the film is that I can't stand looking a people with rotting teeth. Yuck!