Ichi, the Blind Swordsmistress.
Image via WikipediaDirector: Fumihiko Sori
Writer: Kan Shimosawa
Ichi: Haruka Ayase
Banki: Shido Nakamura
Toma: Takao Osawa
Toraji: Yosuke Kobosuka
The story begins at an establishment run by a blind woman, which houses a second. A man comes by to do business, and intended to rip off the establishment’s owner by not paying. She decided not to stand for this, and told him to pay her. He decided not to, and took to stepping upon her with two of his roughneck buddies.
They then notice the second woman, and decide to take her for what she’s worth. An unrelated samurai then happens upon the situation, and commands the bandits to stand down. They refuse, and prepare to do battle with whoever stands against them. Much to their amazement, the blind woman stands to face them, wielding a sword that was hidden within a stick.
She makes short work of all three.
Afterwards, the two leave the establishment. On the path, they speak of many things(Such as shoes and ships, and sailing wax. Of cabbages and kings.). He remarks that the skirmish lost him a ten ryo promissory note, and claims that he did verily save her skin. She claims it was the other way around, to which she is told he could’ve taken them on.
They eventually make it to a town. She insists upon finding a place to gamble, where the pair then head. It is revealed that she is the ultimate cheater at said form of gambling, and thusly wins him exactly ten ryo. A late meeting in the streets revealed her intentions, but also reveals that the roughnecks in the gambling area would not allow him to leave with his prize.
He attempts to defend himself, but finds he cannot draw his sword. Again, the woman slays every enemy with relative ease. Moments later, members of the local family happen upon the scene, and assume that the man is the one responsible. Desperate for an end to the bandits, they hire him.
At a feast held to honor their new found weapon, the woman show up yet again. This time, she is there for entertainment, and plays the group a song. It is short lived due to the sorrowful nature, and she is commanded to play a more upbeat song. Overall, the greatest asset gained from the evening was her name, “Ichi”.
Afterwards, he seeks her out at the lake. He fishes, and they chat about the song that she didn’t get to finish. She tells him it’s about a girl abandoned by her father who would give anything just to see his face. The conversation didn’t last long beside that, and as they were walking back the man challenged the woman to a duel with sticks.
He won. It’s indeed a fact that he can handle himself in a fight, but is restricted by the fact he It cannot draw his blade.
The next day an inspector arrived, and on his back there was a hope for a peaceful solution to the bandit problem. This hope was quelled by a sudden raid, in which the male protagonist was easily defeated, and the inspector was frightened into inaction. Ichi looked upon the scene and overheard mention of her fighting style, and a man with one similar. Thusly, she requested that she be taken along with the bandits to find what they were speaking of.
Back at their camp, she met with and fought the bandit leader. It was entirely one sided. After defeating her, the bandit leader remarked that a man with a similar fighting style, presumably her father, had been struck down by disease. The bandits then imprison her, and go about doing nothing in particular.
It doesn’t take long for the male protagonist to rescue her.
Outraged by these actions, the bandits attack the town. A unified resistance is raised against them, and the bandits are evenly matched. The protagonist is then set to face off against the bandit leader, finding the strength to draw his blade. The duel ends in the protagonist’s death, after he severely injured the bandit. Ichi then happens upon the scene, finds her new friend to be dead, and finishes the battle he had started.
Her path ends as it started, with her wandering alone. However, this time a new destination is set: To return the man’s sword to his family.
Sam Glass: Ichi...
Divine_Malevolence: Dubs are the work of evil minds.
Sam Glass: Yea, I didn't like the voices.. you can't get the emotions that we have been getting out of the other movies.. and the voices didn't seem to match the characters...
Divine_Malevolence: Not really at all. @.@
Sam Glass: especially the bandits.. yakuza... and Toma. So Mr. Japanese - what is the difference between Toma and Tonma?
Divine_Malevolence: Toma's a name. Tonma was an insult, wasn't it?
Sam Glass: Yea, how?
Divine_Malevolence: I 'unno. He just didn't like being called it.
Sam Glass: Hmm.. yea and the kid kept saying it
Divine_Malevolence: Incessant child.
Sam Glass: So what ab out Ichi's opening line.. something about not really wanting love.. but a warm body at night was a necessity to keep her warm?
Divine_Malevolence: Lonely people are lonely.
Sam Glass: Yea, but she was a goze? Not lonely.. but her profession, when they have an affair.. are thrown out
Divine_Malevolence: Which doesn't mean all that much..... Blind people will kick ya right in the -, ya know?
Sam Glass: lol, but to defend themselves.. didn't you feel for her?
Divine_Malevolence: Goze isn't a profession. It's pretty much "blind woman".
Sam Glass: Ahh
Divine_Malevolence: I felt bad for the people she was defending against.
Divine_Malevolence: Braindead monkeys.
Sam Glass: ? You were pulling for the bandits?
Divine_Malevolence: Naw. Just pitying them.
Sam Glass: Wonder how they became that way? Parents?
Divine_Malevolence: It's a hard knock life, for us!
Sam Glass: Us- are you a bandit?
Divine_Malevolence: Nawwww.
Sam Glass: ookkkkeeeyyy... and so what did u like about this movie?
Divine_Malevolence: The main swordsmaster wasn't the best at everything.
Divine_Malevolence: Ichi. She got owned.
Sam Glass: OK, so it was comforting for you to know when wasn't the best at everything?
Divine_Malevolence: Naw. It's just a break from the usual.
Sam Glass: Would you be worried she might miss and chop off something else?
Divine_Malevolence: Nope.
Sam Glass: So she was that good. or was it the backhanded technique.. kind of limits her, doesn't it?
Divine_Malevolence: The blind oft' see more than those with sight. Limitations weren't plentiful.
Sam Glass: But she always cut with the sword blade facing forward and cut up. Rather than the normal blade cutting down.. she seemed to limit her moves to one area.. and do them very well.. but gave up others
Divine_Malevolence: Simple and fast. If something works, why change it?
Sam Glass: Yea, it seemed as if the one guy who beat her.. got to see how she fought first.. that seems to be a good strategy.. but she remembered later and anticipated his moves... what was his name?
Divine_Malevolence: Burned guy.
Sam Glass: Banke..yea.. gruesome..and what about how the father greeted his son when he brought Ichi home..
Divine_Malevolence: The guy was druuuunk.
Sam Glass: "Are you lying to bring women home again?!"
Divine_Malevolence: >.> Such an odd pair.
Sam Glass: And the dice? She could hear them?
Divine_Malevolence: Gotta love super sense cheating.
Sam Glass: But is it cheating? I thought it was impossible... but samurai movies do stretch things in other areas
Divine_Malevolence: Weirder things have been done.
Sam Glass: if you have a super power is it cheating?
Divine_Malevolence: I wouldn't say so.
Sam Glass: OK.... then... so Toma is hired by the yakuza who runs an inn.. are they bad guys too?
Divine_Malevolence: Honest gang members, I'd say. The pops seemed alright.
Sam Glass: Honest... yea.. guess that is Japan.. what about those tattoos?
Divine_Malevolence: Tattoos are awesome so long as they're not on the face.
Sam Glass: U have any?
Divine_Malevolence: Nein.
Sam Glass: U know that tattoo removal is the most popular cosmetic surgery in the US.. been that way for many years...
Divine_Malevolence: 0,o
Sam Glass: Banke had the quote.. "once person fallen cannot ever go back to being respected especially one who is seeped in blood." True? Grasshopper?
Divine_Malevolence: That's ego talking. A loss can be overcome if you still have a head.
Sam Glass: Really? Do you think someone running for President can have that kind of background?
Divine_Malevolence: I don't think people would mind if Obama got beat up. I mean, if he killed a bunch of people, then he'd be in some trouble. But I don't think that's what Mr. burn victim meant.
Sam Glass: Then what did he mean?
Divine_Malevolence: One who loses a battle loses the respect they'd otherwise have.
Sam Glass: I thought he left his past employ as a samurai because he made a mistake..and can't go back...
Divine_Malevolence: Hm?
Sam Glass: samurai have a code
Divine_Malevolence: Naw, he got burned and got kicked out because he was ugly.
Sam Glass: u'd better go back and watch that part again my friend...
Divine_Malevolence: Hm?
Divine_Malevolence: Or the main guy? Where he broke the sword and blinded his old woman?
Sam Glass: Banke.. how he became a bandit leader and not samurai
Divine_Malevolence: Banki got burned. Remember his face at the end?
Sam Glass: there were lots of things in the movie.. i think you missed this one too. U don't seem thrilled by this movie.. what was wrong with it?
Divine_Malevolence: Hm? It was a good movie. Just not as classic as some.
Sam Glass: OK. then anything you want to bring up?
Divine_Malevolence: Ichi's motivation! As mirrored by her song.
Sam Glass: the mother?
Divine_Malevolence: Hm? The blind swordswoman.
Sam Glass: what was the song.. there was the one she sang at the end.. and was going to sing to Toma.. what was it?
Divine_Malevolence: Not sure about the lyrics, but it was about a child who was cast away. She holds no resentment about it, and only wishes to see her parent's face.: Which tied into how she was traveling about lookin' for her pops. And the entire reason she did anything about the bandit problem.
Sam Glass: well.. yes.. and to save Toma... but is that the song she sang at the end?
Divine_Malevolence: I believe it was. And saving Toma came second. She wanted news about the guy with her fighting style.
Sam Glass: Yea.. but the blind master swordsman at the inn didn't seem to be the one she was looking for...
Divine_Malevolence: He wasn't. Banki mentioned he knew someone that used her fighting style. The person who taught her that style was apparently the only one who could use it. Thus Banki implied he knew her father. Who she was looking for.
Sam Glass: Yea, I thought that was toe case too.. and why Banke beat Ichi the first fight.
Divine_Malevolence: Banke had previous knowledge of her style, and knew how to counter it.
Sam Glass: yea... OK.. anything else?
Divine_Malevolence: Not that I can think of.
Sam Glass: OK, Last Samurai next week...
