Love has no boundries. Love doesn’t follow a specific timeline. It happens when you least expect it. And when it does happend, you have to be prepared to fight for your love.
Here are four monumental Japanese samurai movies that will make your heart fight for love and honor.
Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
1. The Legend and Butterfly
What’s It About: Nobunaga Oda has bizarre habits. Residents of his town gave him the nickname “The fool of Owari”. Married to Nohime due to political reasons for neighbor regions that are hostile. The marriage is not good and Nobunaga knows that. The two do not get along. When their prefecture is attacked and they are caught off guard, Nobunaga and Nohime devise a plan together to take on a large army. The two want to unify the country which has never been done before. Will they be successful?
Starring: Haruka Ayase, Takuya Kimura, Junya Ikeda
Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Watch The Trailer Here:
2. Love and Honor
What’s It About: A low level samurai named Shinnojo spends his days as a food tester for a feudal lord. He has dreams of opening a kendo for boys of all caste systems. One day he comes ill after eating some bad food. He wakes up in the hospital days later and learns that he has lost his sight. Devastated, Shinnojo is unsure how he will be able to care for himself and his wife. His wife, Kayo tells him she knows of a high-ranking samurai that is willing to help them…but for a price. Angered, Shinnojo vows to relearn his skills as a swordsman and challenge the ranking samurai to a duel to avenge his wife’s dishonor.
Starring: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Takashi Sasano
Where To Watch: Available on DVD on Amazon Prime
Watch The Trailer Here:
3. The Hidden Blade
What’s It About: Munezo Katagiri is a displaced samurai. Japan is rapidly changing and he is unsure if it will for the better. He lives at home with his mother and sister. Katagiri has recently said good-bye to his friend, Yaihiro. Yaihiro has gone off to take an important position in far away Edo. Kie is a smart girl from a close farm that has been hired as a maid to work in Katagiri’s household. Soon Katagiri’s sister get married and Kie is married off to a merchant. Katagiri is being forced to learn Western methods of warfare. He learns that Kie is ill and vows to go to her and rescue her from her horrible new family. Yaichiro is caught doing a failed political coup, and due to his association with him, Katagiri is now forced in a face-off with his former friend to prove his innocence. Katagiri must now choose between duty and honor.
Starring: Masatoshi Nagase, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Hidetaka Yoshioka
Where To Watch: Available on DVD on Amazon Prime
Watch The Trailer Here:
4. The Twilight Samurai
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI
Shochiku
What’s It About: Seibei Iguchi lives in the northeast region of Japan in the Shonai Province. He is a low-ranking samurai, and a widower with two daughters after his wife died. Between taking care of his daughters and ailing mother, Iguchi doesn’t have time to practice with his fellow samurai. One day, Iguchi runs into his old childhood friend and he tells Iguchi that his sister, Tomoe, is finally divorced from her abusive husband. Tomoe visits Iguchi the next day and the two start to rekindle an old love they once had between them. One night, Tomoe’s ex-husband barges into Iguchi’s house and demands Iguchi to a duel. Iguchi’s clan forbids dueling and now he is forced to choose between his code of honor as a samurai or his personal sense of social justice.
Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi
Where To Watch: Available on DVD on Amazon Prime
Watch The Trailer Here: (Only Available in Japanese)
