Zatoichi's Revenge (1965): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1965, Zatoichi's Revenge is an action, drama and adventure film directed by Akira Inoue, running about 84 minutes.

What it’s about. Itinerant masseur and master swordsman, the blind Zatoichi, is near the village of his teacher, Hikonoichi, so he decides to visit. He learns of Hikonoichi's recent robbery and murder and the imprisonment of his virginal daughter, Osayo, in a brothel. Through friendship with Denroku, a local dice thrower and devoted father, Ichi uncovers an unholy alliance between the governor and the area strongman: among their scams is falsifying tax records to put farmers in debt, then forcing their daughters into prostitution at the boss's brothel. With help from Denroku's daughter, Otsuru, Ichi comforts Osayo until he can provoke showdowns with the villains and their henchmen.

Who’s in it. Zatoichi's Revenge stars Shintarō Katsu as Zatoichi, Norihei Miki as Denroku the Weasel, Mikiko Tsubouchi as Osayo and Takeshi Katō as Koheita Kadokura, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.7/10, Zatoichi's Revenge has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Zatoichi's Revenge page.

If you liked it. Fans of Zatoichi's Revenge tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.