Neko zamurai

What started as an amusing jidaigeki ended like a cat person's vanity-project to show the World how cuddly a cat is and how the characters go crazy over them. Sigh...

A Masterless Samurai Madarame who has fallen on hard times is hired by a gang to kill their rival's beloved pet cat, Tama. Upon accepting the assignment, he finds he cannot kill the cat, and instead brings it home. Backed by some great supporting characters, there are a lot of funny moments in this movie that make you smile that are not overdone. Tween cat-loving girl me would have thought that this movie is fantastic. Mid 30's Mom me now appreciates the history, clothing, and of course, the kitty. Light violence of the samurai sword wielding variety. Adapted from a popular TV series, this is sure to be a winner for date night or family movie night.

Madarame Kyutaro aka "Madarame Demon" is an intimidating ronin and sword instructor who lost his position. He has taken leave of his wife and daughter and moved to Edo (modern day Tokyo) to seek work. Desperate for any kind of income, he reluctantly accepts a job to kill a frightening monster cat that apparently has possessed its owner -- at least according to the man's servant. But when Madarame prepares to strike the killing blow, the little white cat turns, looks him in the eye, and is simply too cute to kill. The samurai takes the cat, called Tamanojo, back to his humble Edo dwelling and their adventures begin.

The plot is very simple; nevertheless, I found this program extremely enjoyable. It's funny, the cat, Anago, is exceptional, and the cast, which stars the gorgeous Kitamura Kazuki, is quite talented. The Edo setting is fascinating, including Japanese customs and lore about cats.

I'm watching the "Making of" video for Season 2 and learned that this piece is part of a genre called a "Samurai Healing Drama."

While the movie and tv series are similar the stories are not exactly the same.

In the movie Tamanojo the cat was to be a wedding gift but in the TV series it was thought to be a demon cat.

The cast list is also incorrect for the movie listed here.

Some scenes in the movie have been reused for the series with a slight tweak to fit the story.

Kazuki Kitamura has the best scowl in the business, that along side his dry, laconic delivery makes for the best depiction of an Edo era ronin in modern movies.

I recommend watching the movie first then binge the series, all available on YouTube ........

Anyone who rates this show with a low score doesn't have any appreciation for its subtle humor. I have really enjoyed the fun plot, the characters and yes, the mellow cat. Even the scary face of the lead actor and the song he sings to himself are amusing. He has perfect features for the role. Enjoyable cinamatography, cute characters. So nice to find some light entertainment that isn't hostile, violent, demoralizing, stressful and toxic. Americans have to seek out foreign shows like this to find emotionally healthy programming. Relax, don't expect a true samurai show and you can have fun with this.