Shinobi no mono: Kirigakure Saizo

In spite of the ending of the third film bringing the story to a satisfactorily close, Daiei studio has continued on the series with a new ninja, Saizo Kirigakure, but still played by Ichikawa Raizo. This casting seems a little odd. Raizo is a good actor, but I think the film would have been less confusing had a new face played the new ninja. In addition to Raizo, Tomisaburo Wakayama returns in a new role (his first character dying in a previous entry). However, characters from the previous three films do appear in this entry, some still played by the actors in the previous films, making the plot a bit hard to follow.

This fourth film is set fifteen years after the events in the previous film. Ieyasu, the schemer from the two previous films, is trying to break the last of those opposed to his rein, these being the son and mistress of the late Hideyoshi, who lost an ill-advised invasion of Korea in the third film. Ichikawa Raizo's Kirigakure is on the side of the son and against Ieyasu. What follows are two sieges, a love interest, and our hero ninja turning himself invisible (is that historically accurate?). There is more action than in the last entry, but I have grown tired of the series. Fans might want to continue through all eight Shinobi No Mono films, but this is where I am bailing.

Those interested in Japanese military history might enjoy the Shinobi No Mono series. However, for those who just want to watch Ichikawa Raizo kill a lot of people, the Kyoshiro Nemuri films are the way to go.