Samaritan Zatoichi is the nineteenth film in the franchise about the blind masseur, skilled swordsman and lowly yakuza. In this movie, Zatoichi reprises his work as yakuza to earn some money. Initially hired as observator, he ends up fighting and killing a man who owes his boss money. However, it is soon revealed that his boss is only interested in the victim's sister and wants to force her to become the servant of a government official in order to convince said official to attribute some land to him. Zatoichi deeply regrets his actions and decides to protect the deceased man's sister. She is initially reluctant to be protected by the man who slayed her brother but since the greedy boss, an ambitious punter and the owners of a brothel are out to get her, Zatoichi's skills end up being very welcome to help her.There are multiple elements that make Samaritan Zatoichi stand out. First of all, this is one of the few times when we actually see Zatoichi work as yakuza. Moreover, the film shows the gentle man's dark side as Zatoichi is not only shown killing an innocent man but also not paying rent for his hotel room and cheating at a dice game. That's why the film's title is somewhat misleading as this movie is one of the very few to show Zatoichi's weaknesses. Another great element is the relationship between Zatoichi and the dead man's sister that changes from hatred over doubt to affection in the young woman's case. The acting performances are particularly great in this film.Maybe there are a few too many characters and parties in this film as a stronger focus on the relationship between the blind yakuza and the grieving woman could have made a very good movie even excellent. The middle section of the film is a little bit plodding. The fight scenes are solid but not as impressive and memorable as in other movies of the series.Still, Samaritan Zatoichi is of great interest for collectors and fans of old date because it shows a different side of the unique main character. The character's darker side and his relationship with the grieving woman make this film stand out very positively. Since this nearly innovative approach is quite unusual for the series, I wouldn't recommend this movie to newcomers. If you want to discover a more traditional take on the blind swordsman, go for the franchise's earlier films.

This film contained the best Zatoichi one on one fight for me yet. Mainly because the fight lasted more than a few minutes. Of course, the fact that Ichi was deafened at the time probably is the reason the fight lasted as long as it did. In this film, the fact that Zatoichi is Yakuza is made clear, but he seems to belong to a band of bumblers. Zatoichi is very serious in this movie. It seems that among the hundreds of people Zatoichi has killed only once did he kill someone under false pretenses and boy does he regret it. His efforts to make amends with the sister of the man he killed come across more like stalking, but he saves her from a horrible fate. This movie does have one unusual thing - a government official that isn't corrupt! It figures that he doesn't last long. Zatoichi's fights aren't as good in this one, though the plot was more complex than the standard Ichi flick. The problem that I had is that it seemed Shintaro Katsu just can't muster the enthusiasm he has had in his other films. Highlight - trussed-up Ichi and armed only with a hairpin still manages to fend off his attackers, the above mentioned bumblers, but still fun to watch.

I have enjoyed Samaritan Zatoichi from the first viewing. If you enjoyed Zatoichi's Cane Sword, I believe you will like Samaritan Zatoichi as well.There is a great combination of drama, action, and humor. Very early in the film, we are introduced to another traveling yakuza named Shinsuke. Shinsuke is a real lively, interesting guy and the only character in the series who is easily identifiable as a person from Kansai (Osaka region). Early on in the film we also learn that Zatoichi does not have infinite patience. Don't call him a blind bastard more than twice!But the main attraction in this film is the complex and emotional story between Zatoichi and Sode. Zatoichi kills Sode's brother. He soon regrets the part he played in the killing and takes on a guardian role to Sode as she makes her way back to her aunt's home.The action scenes in Samaritan Zatoichi are good, but not the best you will see in the series. Zatoichi also does more than simply running his usual scam in the gambling scene. Did you know that he also carries a pair of loaded dice? Zatoichi comes close to paying the ultimate price for such behavior, but manages to pray to the right buddha as he is all bundled up and manages to escape. Samaritan Zatoichi is a fun journey full of twists and turns that leads to the requisite showdown with a samurai. A quick word of warning to the samurai. Zatoichi is most dangerous when he is on the ground!

The moral quandary that both Ichi and Osode find themselves in adds a bit more dimension to this entry in the series. Ichi has done a great injustice and seeks Osode's forgiveness. The action is first rate as always but we see that Ichi has to wrestle a bit more than usual with himself about his life and his action effects on others.