Uncle?
Soza
His eyes are just like yours
Cut it out, you're wrong
What? He's not your child?
Uncle! Think about it I only left home 3 years ago
This boy is at least 8 years old
Is that so?
What's your name?
Shinnosuke
Your age?
Eight
Children these days grow up so fast...
I've kept you waiting
Why, thank you
Shinnosuke, come with me Soza san has important business
It's not so important
I feared his spirits might be low
Thought I'd take him to a brothel to distract him
But I'm relieved at what I see
There's absolutely no need for my concerns
I worry because he's always been a little immature,
but how's "it" going?
Uncle
What "it?"
I mean... with his pen
Oh... he's very skillful
Excellent
Onobu across the street says she's really improved because of him
That's amazing
My boy's getting better at it every day
What? Your boy!
Isn't he on the young side?
I was at least 12...
What will you do
for your father's anniversary next month?
Ah, yes...
When they find out "Shy Soza"
has quite a set-up here in Edo,
it won't just be relatives talking, it'll be the entire clan
Watch it, Ma!
Shut up!
You useless ass!
This place is full of life Wouldn't mind moving in myself
I swear I'll go to the fish market tomorrow
Please open up, Onobu
Onobu? Where's Onobu?
Uncle, let's go
But what about Onobu...
Take care
What on earth, have you been up to,
these 3 past years?
I am deeply sorry
You think apologies are enough, you idiot
I sent you off to avenge your father,
as if you had succeeded,
you might have slightly improved
your pathetic reputation
But not even a single lead...
The monthly allowance
the clan provides you
is not inconsiderable
Monthly?
Brother, there's another reason why he hasn't located
his enemy...
Uncle
Our Shy little Soza
has made a child with a beautiful woman
The child is already 8 years old
The sword is not merely intended
to inflict wounds and claim lives
When swords clash, life encounters life,
death encounters death, in a tempestuous conflict,
giving birth to a genuine dialogue
That is the samurai's joy and sorrow
That is the only path of the samurai
In these peaceful times which know no war,
the samurai must reveal this beauty
to the peasantry...
There are less of them... than 3 years ago
With war unlikely,
they know that fencing is useless in advancing their career
Look, here
Our enemy Kanazawa's, ancestral home
He'd been living alone with his invalid mother
Soon after he killed Father, his mother, unable to face the world,
and passed away...
I never knew
How sad for her
How sad?
How can you feel pity, brother?
He got what he deserved
But what did his mother have to do with it?
How can you be so soft?
Have you forgotten Father's dying wish?
I'm sorry
You're "sorry..."
You've changed these past 3 years
What sort of life have you been leading in Edo?
You have no right to pray at Father's grave
Observe my belated vengeance!
Prepare!
I avenge my father!
Take care of yourself
I've got a lady friend to visit here
Listen...
Your father was a prude, with no
enjoyment of life's subtle pleasures,
but now that he's gone, he's left a nice setup for you
The gods will punish you if you waste her
Revenge isn't the only way to demonstrate your devotion
Bye
Soza
Don't you think, that's overdoing it?
I'm a living creature, too
I deserve a better life
They say a dog's curse obstructs the birth of the shogun's heir
Maybe he ate one...
Fans, fans for sale
Sode san
Why would you be picking flowers?
What about you?
They're for my dead mother I don't have money to buy any
You look after your folks
Say, you're hurt
Another fight with gangsters?
You're hopeless. Why do you always get yourself beat up?
A mystery
Don't you have anyone special?
If I did, would it fill my stomach?
It wouldn't fill your stomach,
but if you had someone special,
maybe you'd be a little less reckless
You're such a baby, Onobu
You know, having someone special
would only make me more reckless
I'm just worried about you
Well cleaning, well cleaning
All right pull up
Slowly, slowly
All right, release
Release it more
A little more
All right, lift it
Let's go help
Soza!
Making New Year's cakes and cleaning wells are work for a samurai's servant
Never heard of a samurai pulling a rope
Look, the landlord's new wife
He sure managed to get himself a beauty
He spent good money buying her out of a brothel
Not even been 3 years since the last one died
Money does make the world go round
He knows her?
The man gets around
"Why Sode san, you're as handsome as ever"
"You're looking pretty yourself"
"You mustn't, I'm a wife, now"
You sure married well
A landlord's wife is a long way up from a humble village
It wasn't my choice
You didn't choose the brothels, either?
No woman chooses the brothels
Women have it good Always got a job waiting
You really want to hear, all about how I survived,
these last 15 years?
I'll pass
Why won't you build us a decent outhouse?
Don't be foolish
I'm destroying these tenements to build new ones
Unfortunately, you'll be ringing in
the new year somewhere else
Interesting...
These days, it seems like my shit's been runny
I'll be with you soon
Cut it out, Dad
Can't you see, I'm eating
Shut up! It's none of your business what I say to my wife
Talking about your shit, at this hour! You're not Mago san
If you're going to fuss, fuss over the back rent you owe
Listen, Onobu, about Kenbo...
No matter how you look at him, Kenbo's your child
In 10 years, I won't even be able to tell you apart
I've got my hands full now
I'm in no mood to discuss your shit with you, Dad! Just shut up!
Here goes!
Sode san's out
Please, don't come here
Why not?
Because... whatever happened in the past,
I don't think Sode san can find happiness with you
You get right to the point, don't you
And you think he'll find happiness with you?
I just don't want to spend my whole life in this dump
Listen Remember this
When you leave, it'll be because you're worse off than you are now
They say there's a place over in Nakano where they feed strays
If we get thrown out of here, we can go
Fool. They only feed dogs, not humans
I was born in the Year of the Dog Still no good?
We're less than dogs to the Shogun anyway
Pisses me off
With so many of us, how come
we can't figure out how many men guard their mansion!
There has to be a way to figure it out
Kichiemon Don't you have an idea?
The volume of crap in the outhouse should give us a good idea
Crap?
Spoken like a true ex-peasant
Excuse me
Who are you?
What do you mean by that? I'm here to collect your rent
The question is, who are you?
We're ill... ill...
You're ill...?
No, no, we have no ill intentions
And nothing to do with Kira...
We're just wounded is all
There are quite a few of you...
Chief retainer arrived from Kyoto!
Oishi-sama's here!
All right, let's go
Finally!
Hey, wait, that's my umbrella!
Let's have a look
Oh, no
Your business is really doing well
No charge
But can you wait for the rent?
No extra charge
I'm begging you
If you take that knife, Dad can't work at the fish market anymore
You owe 6 months' back rent!
Besides, he never works anyway
Hey there
If all my tenants were prospective avengers, I'd actually collect rent
You're welcome to move in to my new tenement
Um...
Can't you hold off...
Let us all live here a while longer
"Let us all live here?"
A fine phrase, but you're dreaming
No wonder they all take advantage of you
Don't talk to me like that, when you've never worked a day in your life
Or are you willing to cover everyone's back rent?
If you live here, you pay
My, my, the landlord making the rounds himself in this rain
My tenants are more likely to stay home in this weather. Easier to collect
Besides, I can't risk sending my gorgeous wife here
Who knows what might happen
What do you mean, "Risk?"
I heard You're childhood friends
You were engaged
What's that got to do with you?
Oh, how scary
Time to be going
Too bad, but she's my wife
I won't let you touch her
This fatty meat...
from that other white one was better than this black one...
Four of you eating from one pot?
You're all wet
Have a bowl and warm up
Don't mind if I do
By the way, that German or English doctor, Kaempfer,
who visited the Shogun,
sold him an elixir for immortality for 20,000 ryo
20,000 ryo!
I hear it's made of mermaid flesh
Wonder if it works
20,000 ryo is fantastic...
He's got no children so he's got to live as long as he can
Sure is greedy Just like a landlord I know
20,000 ryo, is like...
20,000 ryo is...
Hey... this...
Mind your manners Sit when you eat
What kind of meat is this?
This? What was it?
This is... you know...
You see it riding on that platform...
It's dog
Tastes pretty good
Today, it's a little tougher than usual
Than usual?
You know what'll happen if the Shogun finds out!
He won't, if you keep your mouth shut
Besides, you ate some, too
Hey, you can't eat and run Leave the knife in payment
I'll drive you out! Every last one of you!
Thanks for your patronage
Come back soon!
It's been 5 days now
Can't even go to work
You hardly work even when the sun's shining
But when it keeps pouring this way,
it even makes you feel poorly
Right?
I haven't been able to shit at all
How long?
It's 4 days now
It's 5 days for me
Look how bloated I am...
See?
You're right
What is it?
I've got no business with you
Move
Are you going to disappear again?
I hate the rain
When it rains, I always remember that night
I see your face against that bloody ceiling
I should've died, too, back then
If I had...
Is that how you've always felt? How sad
Cut it out
You're not the only one whose folks nearly killed you
What?
What do you want me to do?
Come with me...
Somewhere far away...
Of course not...
It's too late for that
I've got his baby, inside my belly
Is that so?
You're having a baby
You'll have a new family
That's good
Forget it
You have your baby,
become a mother,
get old,
and go all wrinkly
Can I watch you the whole time?
You live in a filthy dump, dressed up like a samurai
You'll never amount to anything, anyway
What's so great about being a samurai?
We were born better than you
Who says so? Bring him here
What!
Get 'em!
Wait!
What's with them?
Strange
Let's go
Yoshibo
Before you said, "What's so great about being a samurai?"
That's what Daddy says, when he drinks
I see... your father does
Daddy tells me to run from fights
But I hate running, so I had a different idea
People who are truly strong, don't fight without a reason
Your father must be a man of great character
Yeah
Excuse me
Oh, it's Mom
Hello
I live across the way
I'm sorry they've caused you trouble
Hey, Yoshi!
Were you fighting again?
What did you promise your father?
I wasn't in a fight, right?
Hi, Shinbo
Your mother said she has a few more customers to visit
Please wait for her a little longer
It's all right I'll wait until she returns
I'll be going then
Come play with my son again
Tomorrow
I wonder if Daddy will come home early
I wonder
He said he'd make me a wheel
Won't that be nice
There's a portrait of my father
Would you like to see it?
Of your father?
I know she looks at it secretly at night
Here it is
WANTED
Doesn't he look strong?
Don't tell Mother
What's wrong, Soza san?
I fell into the crap...
I... may be dressed up as a simple drug seller,
but in fact I'm a samurai
I say samurai, but I'm just a foot soldier, a former peasant
I see
So all I think about is wanting to die a samurai's death
Then I'll finally be a real samurai
That way, my son can truly live as a samurai's son
I can't leave him any land or money...
So it's the least I can do
Kichiemon san,
who taught you how to play Go?
After I began carrying swords, however badly
Everyone told me it would make me more like a samurai
I learned by watching
My father taught me
When I was a child
I'd forgotten that...
I learned more from my father than fencing...
You're very lucky
I'm grateful
Truly grateful
I'll pass on the basics of Go to Shinbo, soon
A revenge, a revenge... After a 3 year search for my enemy,
I, Aoki Sozaemon of the Matsumoto clan, have finally avenged my father
When cut down, a man...
The single, mortal blow ran from the right side to his back
What incredible swordplay...
My vengeance was a warrior's revenge Bear no grudge
Do you hate the man who killed your father?
I hate...
I hate him
The other day, your son stopped a fight...
He saved Shinbo, who lives in our neighborhood
Our Yoshi...
Is that so?
How old is he?
Seven
He's not mine by birth...
Why don't you
start sending him to my private school next year
It would make Shinbo happy
A repeat performance of our spring revenge play
Very cool
It's so like Soza san
But, isn't it risk y?
We screw up, we'll be in big trouble
But if we pull it off, we'll get at least 100 ryo
100 ryo!
With 100 ryo we can pay off all our back rent
and have some left That's 14 ryo each
I'm in!
I'm in, too!
Me, too
I want you all to play the excited passersby
Tomekichi san, I need you to find a pig
Can I please say that line "Now you deserve revenge"?
May I?
A samurai holds Justice dearer than life itself
Composed of Self and Beauty
He defends Justice and defending...
Enough of your crap Eat shit!
No,
even I won't eat shit until it's become rice cakes
Listen, "Eat shit" doesn't actually mean...
If you really want money, it has to be real
Turning it into a pantomime...
The whole point is, it's fake
I wouldn't dare kill someone
"Tall tales make flowers bloom but bear no fruit"
That's what they used to say
Well, I say, let's make a field of flowers bloom
Down to 9 ryo...
Don't you hate him! Don't you despise your father's killer!
No,
you're all wrong
Each of us has our own method of hating
Soza san is... Making that hatred...
It's larger than...
You see...
That's it!
Soza san has turned shit into rice cakes
Taken the shit inside him and made it rice cakes...
Osae san
"Shit this and shit that," is Mago's line
Turning shit into rice cakes inside you...
Amazing!
No, Mago, it's not like that
There's no way you can fake a corpse?
Leave it all to me
I've got enough bones
No, any fool can see they're dog bones
You can't fool a temple priest
Leave it to me I'll take it to my family's temple
Your father's a priest?
A priest?
Yeah, didn't I tell you?
The Jodo sect
All right
If you insist, I will help you with this plan
Should we succeed,
recommend me to your clan
- Your real motive! - What a nerve...
Can't I at least say "Not so fast!" I'll get it right
You always mix things up Shut up
Yeah, we don't need you to mess it up
Mago san, I'd like you to play the lead in this revenge
A revenge!
Took him 3 years but he avenged his father
What incredible swordplay!
Incredible
A revenge! A revenge!
I, Aoki Sozaemon have avenged my father's murderer,
I, Hirano Jirozaemon, did duly witness this revenge
Deadly combat
Well done!
It was deadly combat
The notices have been posted
In these peaceful times...
a truly commendable spirit
Now for the autopsy...
The mortal blow ran from his right side to his back
Felled by a single blow
When cut down,
a man bleeds so tremendously... I was shocked
Oto! Intestines!
You're right
How awful...
What will you do?
Do you still want to see it?
My beloved!
Daddy!
Darling!
Daddy!
He's got a red mark that matches this likeness
This avenging was a warrior's revenge
Bear no grudge
Shinbo, do you hate the man who killed your father?
I hate him
Do you want revenge?
Yeah
Your mother feels exactly as you do
So I can't tell you not to hate him
But you see...
If all your father left us...
was hatred,
how would he feel?
It might make him feel sad
So, now,
let's take what he left behind
and gradually make it into something better
I'll help you, Shinbo
Will you help me, too?
Yeah, I'll help you I'll play Daddy's part, too
That's right, J-I-R-O-Z-A-E-M-O-N
It worked, it worked
I can't believe we pulled it off
That idiot said, "Bury him with respect"
Otokichi, why are you crying?
Because Osae san and Shinbo...
Idiot, they were acting
But still...
Hey, Mago, you can stop now
Somebody pull off the matting
He's asleep
Seven ryo and 2 pence...
No guts spurting out
It was a single mortal blow
Too much noise to get any sleep tonight
Well, all that rain, I couldn't go out
I was stuck inside for so long... Right?
That's how it is
What do you mean? You call that an answer?
Don't ruin the celebrations
If we live together, we halve the rent
Live together!
Of course, we're getting married
I'm moving in with Oto san, too?
Sure, why not, Onobu You and Otokichi will be siblings
No, not siblings...
In any event, let's have a toast
Congratulations
Not for me
Congratulations
Suzuta ran off?
What's going on? That's news to me
"My mother, long bed-ridden in illness,
"has fallen into a bad condition and truly needs..."
A sick mother, huh
News to me
"If you commanded me to leave my mother,
"it would be like abandoning a part of myself..."
Says his mother's more important than revenge
On the eve of avenging, he loses nerve
He disgraces all samurai!
Hey, Terasaka
How many remain?
This month, Yano san, Seo san, Mori san,
and Suzuta san have left our company
We now number some 50...
This is why I told you...
We must strike now. Who knows how many will stay into the new year
Now, your dojo back home will flourish
All's well in the neighborhood and I can head off to your clan as well
The wedding within this neighborhood count to...
One, two, three...
Eight marriages
- How was I as the lead? - Oh, excellent
Really?
Now with Otokichi and Onobu under the same roof
You fool, we're only siblings
Which means, if I can stand having you as my brother,
I can take Onobu as my wife?
What an idea...
As her brother, I can't allow that
You're a mere trash collector
If only it hadn't rained so much...
Mom...
So we end up attacking them in their sleep
How pathetic
News! News!
A revenge!
This chief Oishi's amazing
Acted the lady's man to fool the enemy
They say news of Aoki Sozaemon's revenge made him tougher
Says they figured out the number of guards by the privy. Sure original
That noodle shop owner is the chicken samurai who took off,
three months before it happened
No wonder his noodle broth tasted like chicken stock!
Chicken samurai
Sweet revenge buns here!
Don't miss out!
Listen up!
Here's the place where Dr. Onodera, the 6th most important
of the 46 avengers, lived in hiding
Preparing for death, he wrote many letters to his wife in Kyoto
He sent her this poem the day before the revenge
Listen up
"Thoughts once conveyed,
"in parting, seem yet unspoken"
He thought he had told her everything he had to say,
at this final parting, he fears much remains unsaid
Enough to make a grown man cry
I always knew there was something noble about him,
and I always refused his money
Buy some sweet revenge buns
Pay to see his house
Look, there he is
Mentor to the 46 avengers
Welcome home
What a result!
There's no result, we've done no harm
It's those 46 samurai who did harm
That's what I think, too
What they did was bad?
Of course it was, a sneak attack in the night
The whole swarm of them killing a poor old man,
that's cheating
But the landlord's getting rich
Those sweet buns marked "Loyalty" are selling like hot cakes
Mom's all excited about opening a street front shop
Where on earth can that coward be hiding?
Maybe he's hiding in the shit pile
Just a foot soldier after all...
I don't see what's funny
What's a shit pile got to do with a foot soldier?
I was putting on my attack robes,
when I remembered that Soza san had learned to play Go from his father
Yeah, both are black and white
Sada san!
I realized I'd never taught my son to make straw sandals...
And that thought...
See, Soza san saved Terasaka san
Um...
What! What do you want?
A word with master Terasaka
You ask him
No, you do it
What the hell is it?
You can't keep hiding like this forever, right?
Why not say that chief Oishi commanded you
to spread word of the avengers' exploits?
So, reluctantly, you had to leave the others
Assuming you'd agree to that,
we came up with these
I think we'll call them, "Kichi Buns"
We made them black and white, like those Go pieces you so enjoy
And naturally you can keep a tenth of the profits
Not bad, for a couple of bums
That's enough!
Revenge... is good for business
That's right Onobu
It's important to cash in, even on misfortune
That's right!
Me... It was only at the chief's command
that I report the revenge, that reluctantly, I...
No, it's true
I hadn't told anyone,
but I did not flee in fear, but for the good of the clan...
That's right, I've no time to waste
I must go home to give a full account to the families of the 46 samurai...
The flowers bloomed all right, but they bore some very strange fruit
Now what about those sweet buns?
What about them!
Hey, hear the latest? All 46 samurai committed hara-kiri!
Such noble men
But...
maybe now, he'll be able to teach his son to make sandals
Back at home
Hey, Shinbo. Come ask Hirano san to teach you fencing
After all this, boys won't need teaching, they'll need swords
Now, listen up. For samurai, the moment of death is all
As they say, "Cherry blossoms are blessed only when they have all fallen"
But... Just as Mago san said,
cherry blossoms only fall
to return again next spring
In even greater beauty
Say
Is there a private school around here?
OKADA Junichi
MIYAZAWA Rie
FURUTA Arata
KAGAWA Teruyuki
TABATA Tomoko
UESHIMA Ryuhei KIMURA Yuichi
KASE Ryo CHIHARA Seiji
HIRAIZUMI Sei EZAWA Moeko
NATSUKAWA Yui
KUNIMURA Jun
NAKAMURA Katsuo
ISHIBASHI Renji
TERAJIMA Susumu ENDO Kenichi
TANAKA Tetsushi NAKAMURA Yuji
KATSUJI Ryo ISHIDO Natsuo
Tommys' Masa MINAKATA Eiji
ASANO Tadanobu
HARADA Yoshio
Executive Producer: HISAMATSU Takeo
Development Producer: YASUDA Masahiro
Producers: SATO Shiho, ENOKI Nozomu
Cinematographer: YAMAZAKI Yutaka
Lighting: ISHIDA Kenji
Production Designer: ISOMI Toshihiro, BANBA Masao
Costume Designer: KUROSAWA Kazuko
Music: Tablatura
Presented by HANA Film Partners
Written, edited and directed by KORE-EDA Hirokazu