Rating: ****
Review Date: 5/20/00
Cast: Shintaro Katsu
Fifth film in the series.
More chambara goodness from Shintaro Katsu. During his travels, Zatoichi (Shintaro Katsu) stumbles upons a dying man who begs him to take care of a young girl named Omitsu. Zatoichi promises to safely escort her home to Edo where she'll be safe from her pursuers, but Zatoichi's enemies want to use the girl to get back at him. Once again, everything boils down to a fight between two rotten clans, and Zatoichi sets everything right by killing EVERYONE. Heartbroken, he sends Omitsu on her way, knowing that she'll forever be in danger if he stays with her. Another great Zatoichi outing full of all the tense drama, exciting action, and lush cinematography that you've come to expect from the series.