Don't be too hasty to write off Kinnosuke Nakamura's performance as Lone Wolf Ogami Itto. Tomisaburo Wakayama was exceptional in this role, especially with his unquestionably superior swordsmanship, but Nakamura plays the character with quiet, reflective dignity- there is a far greater focus on Itto as samurai than a mere killing machine. Thats not to say that there is less in the way of bloodshed- the bodycount for the series is staggering! This series is only available as a 3 season DVD set transferred from Japanese cable & is well worth the investment. My only criticism would be the repetition during Seasons 1 & 2 where Itto is approached (in almost every episode) by a clan under threat of abolition to carry out an assassination & thereby save the clan. This becomes the predictable plot template far too often, but its a minor gripe as there is a whole lot of good stuff on offer here- Itto has to fight everyone from greedy peasants to master swordsmen, ninjas & all sorts of bizarre weapons specialists. The best episodes are those detailing Itto's ongoing battle with the Yagyu- the 3rd season is absolutely superb. There is a genuine tension that accompanies this series, the numerical odds are often heavily stacked against Itto & his son but they are carried through by the Lone Wolf's incredible ability with the sword as well as a mental & tactical advantage over their attackers. The relationship between father & son is the focus of the series but the large number of episodes means that all sorts of themes are explored- this is a real window into the philosophy & nature of the samurai way of life. All in all a cracking series & one that should definitely be explored by any fans of the Babycart movies.

Produced after the first films came out, this TV series retells the same stories in the films and eventually continues with stories from the rest of the manga. Accounts says that the series achieved a popularity that eluded the films.A typical Japanese TV production from the period. It's shot in 16mm like other Japanese drama programs of the time so the show has a "cheap" look that sometimes works well. The direction varies from episode to episode as can be expected but is of higher standards then any US show from the time. There's lots of melodrama that was never in the films and the bloodshed and nudity are nearly non-existent. The mass killing is still here although. Kinnosuke Nakamura is a reasonably good Ogami Itto but Tomisaburo Wakayama basically owns the character. And he was a better swordsman too.I saw this on local cable years ago. It was entertaining but the films cast a long shadow over it. Watch them first then try the series.

Though the motion pictures are much better (not to mention the manga), the old TV-series is not bad also. There is nothing new for those that have already read the manga and seen the films, but still it's quite good to watch. Kinnosuke Nakamura's sword skills are of course also inferior to those of Tomisaburo Wakayama's, but is still think he's done a good role. In all dimensions it's cheaper and cheesier than films (i mean, Wakayama's eyes reek of death when he's cutting down the countless enemies - nothing like this in here). But the stories are much more in-depth than in films, and also - there's more of them :) which is definitely good. Also, the setting and the life of medieval japan is also much more explained than in the films - in that it resembles the manga.Anyway, if you like Lone wolf & Cub and you have the spare time, it's definitely worth to watch.