This was an exceptional episode of the Zatoichi TV series because it introduced a really neat character, Hanpei. Unlike Zatoichi, this good guy is a pacifist at heart and uses a weird stick loaded with sticky silly putty to defeat his foes! While this sounds really ridiculous, it's no worse than a blind guy with a sword who can defeat anyone!! What I like about him is that for once, someone is a formidable friend and NOT someone Ichi needs to eventually fight. Plus Hanpei is really at one with the universe--and his sense of zen is something that Ichi longs for himself. Heck, Hanpei is so chill that birds come and land on him...and Ichi wants the same.
The show works well due to better than usual writing as well as some really imaginative camera-work--better than you usually find in the Zatoichi movies, actually. Well worth seeing because it is different and not just another episode where Ichi just goes in and kills a bunch of guys. Well, he does do this...but the plot is fortunately more complex as well.
The show works well due to better than usual writing as well as some really imaginative camera-work--better than you usually find in the Zatoichi movies, actually. Well worth seeing because it is different and not just another episode where Ichi just goes in and kills a bunch of guys. Well, he does do this...but the plot is fortunately more complex as well.