Kage Gari (1983)

Confusing but Nakadai Tatsuya made it worthwhile viewing

If you don’t know the story around Shadow Hunters and the main characters this special can be confusing to watch. I had to go back and rewatch the first quarter to see if I’d just missed characters’ names and titles being introduced. Nope. Old pop culture reference alert---at least if you watch Bonanza someone will call Little Joe by his name or Hoss by his. Only a few characters received names and the plot was thin. Nakadai Tatsuya carried this show on his back.

While at the Yoshino Inn, the five-year-old lord of the Takashima clan is attacked as he sleeps by a ninja. He’s been ordered to Edo to perform the sankin-kotai. Wounded or not, he has to be in Edo in three days or the clan will be annihilated. The evil Oba has sent ninjas and other assassins to stop the child from arriving. Three ronin known as Shadow Hunters decide to make sure the young lord Tadamura makes it to Edo. They will face danger every step along the way as they escort three samurai carrying a box containing Tadamura on their shoulders.

The Shadow Hunters were led by Nakadai Tatsuya and his wildly expressive eyes. He was joined by Ito Binpachi and Ryu Daisuke. Three scruffier ronin would be hard to find. Jubei (Nakadai) was also hunted by the daughter of a man he had killed five years ago. Most of the sword fights were swipe and fall with shiny clean swords. There were some exciting fights on horseback. Japanese tv was more lenient than my country in 1983. There were bare breasts and also children being murdered if either of those things are deal breakers for you.

Jubei's fellow Shadow Hunters were never named in this special although in the manga they were called Sunlight and Moonlight instead of basically "hey you 1 and and hey you 2". It was well into the movie before Oba’s name was brought up and why Jubei despised him. The woman stalking his every movement looking for a chance to kill him also received a name late in the movie---Chiaki. Other characters were never explained. For those like me, who had no idea what sankin-kotai is, it was the process of daimyos living part of the time in Edo so that the shogun’s men could keep an eye on them. By having to maintain two households and pay for traveling back and forth, it cut into their finances, thereby keeping them weaker. Why the young lord being murdered by a jealous rival or even the shogun himself, would cause the annihilation of the clan is beyond my understanding. Greedy lords or a greedy shogun hoped to access their wealth and reduce threats, but it didn’t seem like a way to engender peaceful cooperation. What do I know? A shattered vase could also cause a clan’s demise. Falls under he who has the gold makes the rules. Although the ones under threat also found a creative use for gold.

Despite the confusing and incomplete way the story was told, the three ronin were compelling to watch because of the actors playing them. Nakadai Tatsuya commanded the screen whenever he was on it. If you are familiar with the source material going into it or patient enough to follow the story until it begins to make more sense, there are entertaining moments to be had in Shadow Hunters.

24 May 2024

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