Post by Zone Fighter on Aug 6, 2007 0:18:34 GMT -8
Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Conspiracy (1978)
original title: Yagyû ichizoku no inbô (Intrigue of the Yagyu Clan)
Kinnosuke Yorozuya Nakamura - Tajima Yagyu
Sonny Chiba - Jubei Yagyu
Hiroki Matsukata - Iemitsu Tokugawa (Older Prince)
Teruhiko Saigo - Tadanaga Tokugawa (Younger Prince)
Reiko Ohara - Okuni (Singer)
Yoshio Harada - Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)
Etsuko Shihomi - Akane Yagyu (Yagyu Sister)
Kentaro Kudo - Matajuro Yagyu (Yagyu Brother)
Jiro Yabuki (Jirô Chiba) - Samon Yagyu (Yagyu Brother)
Hideo Murota - Sagenta Nogero (Leader of Negoro Clan)
Mayumi Asano - Mon (female Fighter of Negoro Clan)
Hiroyuki Sanada - Hayate (Fighter of Negoro Clan)
Ichiro Nakatani - Gyobu Amano (Masterless Samurai)
Tetsuro Tamba - Ogasawara Gensinsai (Tajima's Rival)
Etsushi Takahashi - Matsudaira Izu (Iemitsu's Chamberlain)
Isao Natsuyagi - Shozaemon Bekki (Tadanaga's Retainer)
Mikio Narita - Ayamaro Karasumasu (Noble)
Sanae Nakahara - Lady Kusaga (Iemitsu's Aid)
Shinsuke Ashida - Chamberlain Doi (Tadanaga's Chamberlain)
Isuzu Yamada - Oeyo (Mother)
Toshirô Mifune - Lord of Owari
The plot of this film was popular with Japanese film makers and television producers, they kept repeating it.
Typical of these period pieces its a tragedy in which characters you like are doomed to die.
Ths Shogun is dead, poisoned. He died quickly without naming his heir. By tradition the eldest son Iemitsu Tokugawa should be the next Shogun. The Yagyu and the Negoro clans side with the Iemitsu Tokugawa. The Yagyu because the clan leader, Tajima Yagyu, is his fencing instructor, the Negoro because Sagenta Nogero sees it as the way to regain his clan's homeland. The late Shogun's widow, Oeyo, supports her younger son, Tadanaga. The nobles of the Imperial Court play both sides against each other, hopeing the time will come when they will be able to raise their own forces against both and restore power to the Emperor and themselves.
Jubei Yagyu (Sonny Chiba) was taught ninja skills by Sagenta Nogero and considers the Nogero to be his brothers and sisters and his pleased to help them regain their homeland. In protecting his father Jubei loses an eye so for the rest of the film Sonny Chiba wears an eye patch. Interestingly enough the Koga ninja (lead by Hanzo Watanabe) are on the opposite side. Sonny Chiba plays the same role, in the television series, The Yagyu Conspiracy, which followed this film.
Prince Tadanaga is in love with a dancer, Okuni, and she with him, but he's a samurai and she's a commoner so they cannot publically announce their love. Her flute player wants her and although once a soldier refuses to go of to war, he stays with her hoping she will come to her senses and forget the prince. When she doesn't Sanza Nagoya sets out to kill Iemitsu and gain himself a castle, then he will take her by force. His plans don't work out. The Lord of Owari is fascinated by the girl and wants her to come dance for him at his castle.
I think its funny that Etsuko Shihomi (Mari the "human" form of Bijinda in Kikaida 01) and Jirô Chiba ("The Man Who Loved Bijinda") play brother and sister in this film. I think this is the first film I've seen in which brothers Sonny and Jiro are not playing enemies. For once Jiro isn't killed by his older brother. When Samon Yagyu is killed Akane Yagyu sends young Hayate of the Negoro clan to her father to bring him the news and her brothers hair. Realising it puts him out of combat he doesn't want to go, which is probably why she sent him. Deleving the sad news Hayate learns that Mon, his female counterpart has been assigned to Iemitsu's harem so she can act as his secret bodyguard. Naturally Hayate and Mon are in love. Mon soon takes a thrown blade for her prince.
Tajima Yagyu is a hard hearted sob who thinks Iemitsu Tokugawa shows weakness when the Shogun wannabe apologies to him for the fact that two of Tajima's children have died fighting for him. I myself had tears in my eyes.
Being a Toei production I wasn't surprised when some of the background music sounded like it was lifted from Kamen Rider.
The IMdb had some names listed family name last and some family name first. The western style seemed to be the majority so I rearranged the Yagyu character names putting Yagyu last.
original title: Yagyû ichizoku no inbô (Intrigue of the Yagyu Clan)
Kinnosuke Yorozuya Nakamura - Tajima Yagyu
Sonny Chiba - Jubei Yagyu
Hiroki Matsukata - Iemitsu Tokugawa (Older Prince)
Teruhiko Saigo - Tadanaga Tokugawa (Younger Prince)
Reiko Ohara - Okuni (Singer)
Yoshio Harada - Sanza Nagoya (Flute Player)
Etsuko Shihomi - Akane Yagyu (Yagyu Sister)
Kentaro Kudo - Matajuro Yagyu (Yagyu Brother)
Jiro Yabuki (Jirô Chiba) - Samon Yagyu (Yagyu Brother)
Hideo Murota - Sagenta Nogero (Leader of Negoro Clan)
Mayumi Asano - Mon (female Fighter of Negoro Clan)
Hiroyuki Sanada - Hayate (Fighter of Negoro Clan)
Ichiro Nakatani - Gyobu Amano (Masterless Samurai)
Tetsuro Tamba - Ogasawara Gensinsai (Tajima's Rival)
Etsushi Takahashi - Matsudaira Izu (Iemitsu's Chamberlain)
Isao Natsuyagi - Shozaemon Bekki (Tadanaga's Retainer)
Mikio Narita - Ayamaro Karasumasu (Noble)
Sanae Nakahara - Lady Kusaga (Iemitsu's Aid)
Shinsuke Ashida - Chamberlain Doi (Tadanaga's Chamberlain)
Isuzu Yamada - Oeyo (Mother)
Toshirô Mifune - Lord of Owari
The plot of this film was popular with Japanese film makers and television producers, they kept repeating it.
Typical of these period pieces its a tragedy in which characters you like are doomed to die.
Ths Shogun is dead, poisoned. He died quickly without naming his heir. By tradition the eldest son Iemitsu Tokugawa should be the next Shogun. The Yagyu and the Negoro clans side with the Iemitsu Tokugawa. The Yagyu because the clan leader, Tajima Yagyu, is his fencing instructor, the Negoro because Sagenta Nogero sees it as the way to regain his clan's homeland. The late Shogun's widow, Oeyo, supports her younger son, Tadanaga. The nobles of the Imperial Court play both sides against each other, hopeing the time will come when they will be able to raise their own forces against both and restore power to the Emperor and themselves.
Jubei Yagyu (Sonny Chiba) was taught ninja skills by Sagenta Nogero and considers the Nogero to be his brothers and sisters and his pleased to help them regain their homeland. In protecting his father Jubei loses an eye so for the rest of the film Sonny Chiba wears an eye patch. Interestingly enough the Koga ninja (lead by Hanzo Watanabe) are on the opposite side. Sonny Chiba plays the same role, in the television series, The Yagyu Conspiracy, which followed this film.
Prince Tadanaga is in love with a dancer, Okuni, and she with him, but he's a samurai and she's a commoner so they cannot publically announce their love. Her flute player wants her and although once a soldier refuses to go of to war, he stays with her hoping she will come to her senses and forget the prince. When she doesn't Sanza Nagoya sets out to kill Iemitsu and gain himself a castle, then he will take her by force. His plans don't work out. The Lord of Owari is fascinated by the girl and wants her to come dance for him at his castle.
I think its funny that Etsuko Shihomi (Mari the "human" form of Bijinda in Kikaida 01) and Jirô Chiba ("The Man Who Loved Bijinda") play brother and sister in this film. I think this is the first film I've seen in which brothers Sonny and Jiro are not playing enemies. For once Jiro isn't killed by his older brother. When Samon Yagyu is killed Akane Yagyu sends young Hayate of the Negoro clan to her father to bring him the news and her brothers hair. Realising it puts him out of combat he doesn't want to go, which is probably why she sent him. Deleving the sad news Hayate learns that Mon, his female counterpart has been assigned to Iemitsu's harem so she can act as his secret bodyguard. Naturally Hayate and Mon are in love. Mon soon takes a thrown blade for her prince.
Tajima Yagyu is a hard hearted sob who thinks Iemitsu Tokugawa shows weakness when the Shogun wannabe apologies to him for the fact that two of Tajima's children have died fighting for him. I myself had tears in my eyes.
Being a Toei production I wasn't surprised when some of the background music sounded like it was lifted from Kamen Rider.
The IMdb had some names listed family name last and some family name first. The western style seemed to be the majority so I rearranged the Yagyu character names putting Yagyu last.