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Haruka Ayase, Shidou Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Akira Emoto, Riki Takeuchi ... see more see more... , Go Rijyu , Mayumi Sata , Tetsuta Sugimoto , Megumi Yokoyama , Eri Watanabe , Takao Osawa

Director Fumihiko Sori simultaneously reinvents and continues the Zatoichi legend with this tale of a blind, wandering musician who was trained in the art of one-handed sword fighting as a young girl.... read more read more... Ichi (Haruka Ayase) learned how to wield a sword with the help of a blind masseuse. These days she keeps her sword concealed in her cane, only drawing it when the situation necessitates. She's searching for the man who trained her, the man she believes to be her father. When Ichi is ambushed by a group of vicious gangsters, a sympathetic samurai rushes to the rescue. But Ichi can fend for herself, and before long she's saving his life. Traveling together to a nearby village, the duo later encounters a young orphan, who becomes their guide. It seems that a disfigured gangster named Banky (Shidou Nakamura) has the village in his iron grip. Even the local yakuza head has failed to end Banky's reign, a fact that the crime boss' ambitious son doesn't take lightly. When Ichi gets drawn into the fray, swords start swinging. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

619 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

8 critics

R, 2 hr.

Directed by: Fumihiko Sori

Release Date: October 25, 2008

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DVD Release Date: December 29, 2009

 

Stats: 104 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (104)

  • lewiskendell
    October 18, 2011
    lewiskendell
    Imagine if Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman had an adopted daughter that was also blind and that he taught his sword skills. Also imagine that he left her at goze house as he went out on his travels, and she grew up to be a skilled musician. That's basically Ichi, a satisfying spin o... read moren the long-running saga of the blind swordsman.

    The plot centers on Ichi's search for Zatoichi (who has been missing for quite some time), her tragic back-story, a feud between two yakuza gangs in an inn town, and a traveling warrior that eventually befriends Ichi. Haruka Ayase makes for a good (and absolutely gorgeous) Ichi, and plays her as soft-spoken, reserved and stoic while letting her determination, dangerousness, and lighter side break through when appropriate. Ayase is also great in the action scenes, which are pretty well done and bloody without crossing the line into gory.

    I liked Ichi. There's nothing groundbreaking about it, but I enjoyed the characters (even though the antagonists are unfortunately two dimensional) and the balance between fighting and character development/story is excellent. This isn't a pure action film by any means, it's fairly leisurely-paced outside of action scenes (Ichi doesn't play around with her enemies). There's more than enough here to make the story of the blind swordsman(woman) worth visiting again.
  • garyX
    October 19, 2010
    garyX
    A small town terrorized by a clan of bandits find their only hope of salvation in the shape of a wandering minstrel and a pacifist samurai who is unwilling to draw his sword. The mantle of Zatoichi is passed on to the blind swordsman's daughter who has become so bitter at her con... read moredition and treatment in life that she has become indifferent to the suffering of others. Ichi may not be uber-original in its themes or plot but they are approached with enough sensitivity and maturity to create characters you not only root for when the blood starts spraying, but also care about. Our heroes are not the usual gung ho tough guys and are in their own way as damaged as each other, making for a much more interesting character dynamic than the usual hack and slasher. Having a female protagonist draws obvious comparisons with Azumi but it shares enough of the flavour of Yojimbo and The Twilight Samurai to make it feel a bit more adult, despite some rather over-ripe performances from the villains. Not as cerebral and artful as Beat Takeshi's reinvention but still a worthy addition to the long running franchise.
  • deano
    March 7, 2010
    deano
    It is a fairly traditional version of 2003's Zatôichi, though Haruka Ayase has a one-two punch of strong acting and good lucks. Dressed in rags, glowering, and compelling, Ayase is entirely convincing.
    The swordplay sequences are shot in mixed slow and regular motion, digi... read moretal blood spurting everywhere. Despite the carnage, her blade is always clean, her fingernails perfectly manicured, and always looking breathtaking under the worst of situations. IchiI is not, however, about realism; it's an adventure-romance, and anyone looking for complete accuracy will be disappointed.
  • skactopus
    June 14, 2009
    skactopus
    Fresh off of Vexille, Fumihiko Sori tackles Ichi, which is another tale regarding the blind swordsman. In this case, however, it is a blind swords woman.

    Don't be fooled into thinking this is an action adventure because it really isn't. This is all about the sto

    ... read morery and characters, and maybe it is a little too much story. I'm not saying that there is a lot going on because there isn't. What I'm saying is that there is maybe just a little too much dramatization on what little is given. The pacing is fairly slow and while this works well for character buildup, it doesn't benefit much else. The story as a whole is pretty weak and the the villain has not enough background either. The two heros, on the other hand, have enough going for them.

    There is a decent amount of action, however they are all fairly short. This isn't surprising, since Japanese samurai swordplay is usually a one or two slasher before a kill. There is nothing really fancy to entertain the eye, however the blood is there and so is the camerawork. There are some Zack Snyder-ish slow motion scenes for one of the fights and it turns out great because it isn't overdone.

    The beautiful Haruka Ayase pulls off a convincing blind swords woman, however her singing scenes are just mediocre. Shido Nakamura doesn't have much to work with, but he matches the villain nicely. Takao Osawa is the star of the show and his character is just as big and important as Ichi.

    Ichi is one samurai movie with flaws and disappointments, but it does have its positives, which makes for a more than decent film.
  • loymabait
    May 13, 2011
    loymabait
    this moive is asomely cool sword play with excelent story line. they use ansome translation company wich is funnanimation. this like what if the legendary blind swords man Zatoichi had child. totaly rocks i would if dub this moive again and use the real acotrs voice. and this cha... read moreracter tomi by shido nakamura they could make moive or series a samuria that use kendo but shidou nakamura poses if hand drew his sword an normail reaction of person in shock could never place his hand on weapon. him keep hold kanata like that look quite odd but still play his well . this good moive after all

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Critic Reviews

Mark Pollard
February 4, 2010
Mark Pollard, Kung Fu Cinema

A melancholy period drama colored by spurts of violent, blood-splattering swordplay. Full Review

Derek Malcolm
July 10, 2009
Derek Malcolm, This is London

Fumihiko Sori's attempt to make an original addition to the Zatoichi martial arts franchise never reaches the virtuosity of Takeshi Kitano's original. Needless to say, the fight scenes are better than... Full Review

David Jenkins
July 10, 2009
David Jenkins, Time Out

With its hokey, flashback-heavy plotting, unadventurous camera use and a clutch of cloyingly earnest performances, it comes across like an irony-free, mid-season episode of 'Xena: Warrior Princess'. Full Review

Catherine Bray
July 10, 2009
Catherine Bray, Film4

Ultimately a romp, albeit one with some entertaining quirks and a strange melancholy undertow, we shouldn't make overly high-falutin' claims for Ichi, but fans of balletic fight scenes should get a ki... Full Review

Kevin Maher
July 10, 2009
Kevin Maher, Times [UK]

The villains are from the broad "har-de-har" school of banditry, the action is mostly fudged, and the resolution achingly obvious. Full Review

Xan Brooks
July 10, 2009
Xan Brooks, Guardian [UK]

Fumihiko Sori's film contains flashing blades and great sprays of arterial blood. The pacing, however, is as languid and soothing as a lullaby. Full Review

Jonathan Williams
July 10, 2009
Jonathan Williams, Little White Lies

The fight scenes directed by Kurosawa's choreographer Hiroshi Kuze are exceptional, actually enhancing the pathos at the heart of the film. This might be a simple story, but it's well-told and has an ...

Rob Daniel
July 10, 2009
Rob Daniel, Sky Movies

With Ran action choreographer Hiroshi Kuze on swordplay duties, the fisticuffs is suitably impressive, with even Ayase not relying too heavily on quick editing. Full Review

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