Zatoichi

[Drunk Monk]

This one was a little disappointing. Again, Ichi is saddled with a kid, a newborn no less, but that character is quickly moved on from to feature his impish brother. Again, he tries to suckle that newborn with his own nipple. Again, Ichi is blamed for a lot of stuff he didn't do. Again, he tries to save the innocent damsel from being sold into prostitution. Again, he cuts the clothes off some yakuza so there is gratuitous yakuza ass. Gone is the Tomita soundtrack, replaced by a really annoying whiny Japanese singer yowling some ballad about Ichi to 70s music. This one feels a little played out, sad to say. But the finale fight is still pretty awesome. It's a complex one. Ichi takes on dozens upon dozens of yakuza. There's a fire sequence, a slippery floor sequence, an Ichi in a demon mask sequence (fulfilling an early comment he makes about how one good deed turns him into a demon), an almost Jackie Chan-esque scene where he is trying to deflect one of his opponents who is mistakenly attempting revenge for something Ichi didn't do all while Ichi is cutting down yakuza all around him. Lots of well-timed blood spurts and sliced objects falling apart several moments after the cut. It's grim too. Ichi has really lost his sense of humor, a major selling point for the character IMO. I want to say this is the weakest one so far.