Guest GwaiLoMoFo Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Have started watching and enjoying the "Mute Samurai" series again recently. I had only watched Vol. 1 & 2 and just finished # 3 last weekend. Wakayama is cool as hell in this series. He looks sweet when he has that hat on w/scarf covering most of his face. I gonna try to get a capture of that for my next avatar. My fav episode so far is the last one on Vol. 2. I can't recall the name of the episode at the moment. Its the one where he helps that poor villiage fight some ronin bandits held up in a temple. The bandits have taken their water supply away and are blackmailing them. The first episode of Vol.3 is brutal. I was shocked to see a tv series show those samurai executing the villiage children. Rough stuff for basic television! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Daisho2004 Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 The episode in vol.#2 is called "A Bridge to the Dark World" I have all 6 volumes so far and they are all GREAT! I don't recall my favorite episode because there all so good, and its nice to see him use hand to hand combat and different things in this series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Yakuza954 Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I just saw the first 10 episodes of this show and it was great. One of the best series I've ever seen. There are 26 episodes, right? Anyone know where the rest are available? I want to see how he finds Gonzales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted September 13, 2008 Member Share Posted September 13, 2008 OK I just finished watching the final episode of "The Mute Samurai" now I don't want to spoil this series for anyone, but I will say that I wish the Final fight would've been better especially since it was directed by MISUMI, Kenji who in my opinion is a great director. It wasn't that action packed as I thought it should've been but still a great episode. This series is a must own for any fan of WAKAYAMA, Tomisaburo. While some of the episode's are a little slow on action until the end of each episode they're are all great. Merlin over @ SamuraiDVD.com has the entire series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted September 13, 2008 Member Share Posted September 13, 2008 Here is a summary of each episode: THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 1 Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Katsu Shintaro, Taichi Kiwako Episode 1 THE MAN WHO LOST HIS ABILITY TO SING Directed by: Katsu Shintaro Kiichi (The Demon) Hogan is a bounty hunter trying to raise enough money to journey to Spain so he can avenge the murders of his parents by Gonzales, the Spaniard skilled in swordsmanship who also cut the young man's throat, thus robbing him of his voice forever. Kiichi Hogan meets a mysterious ronin known as 'Manji', a man with a price on his head. Episode 2 A SILENT PRAYER FOR A LITTLE BOY Directed by: Yasuda Kimiyoshi When a little boy left in his care is orphaned, Kiichi Hogan must avenge the death of the boy's father and help a woman who may be willing to raise the child safely. In the first 2 episodes we not only meet the “Mute Samurai”, but also find the mysterious ronin known as Manji, dogging his trail. THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 2 Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Hama Yuko Episode 3 THE DANGEROUS HIGHWAY Directed by: Misumi Kenji An entire village is held hostage by brigands who have taken over the water supply during a terrible drought. Led by a beautiful woman, these vicious killers can only be stopped by one man, the 'Silent Samurai' Kiichi Hogan. Episode 4 A BRIDGE TO THE DARK WORLD Directed by: Yasuda Kimiyoshi A wanted man who speaks Dutch is holed up on an island of fugitives, and Kiichi Hogan has to decide if he wants the bounty or help from this man in his search for Gonzales. THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 3 Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Matsuo Kayo, Hama Yuko Episode 5 THE FATEFUL ENCOUNTER Directed by: Wakayama Tomisaburo Kiichi Hogan's past catches up with him as he has a bittersweet reunion with O-Kiku, his former fiancée. Her brother leads a merciless group of cutthroats who are terrorizing a village, and murdering women and children. This is the episode in which Wakayama as director almost lost his life when doing a dangerous stunt, the signals to rescue him went unheeded. Episode 6 A WHIRLWIND OF BLOOD Directed by: Ozu Hitoshi Kiichi Hogan, the Mute Samurai has a reunion with O-Ran, a former enemy who has turned a new leaf. Has she truly cut ties with her villainous past, and will he help her as she tries to rescue her sister from a terrible fate? Full frame video with English subtitles THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 4 Starring: Wakayama Tomisaburo, Narita Mikio Episode 7 A SILENT PARTING OF THE WAYS Directed by: Mori Issei Assuming that a captured criminal will be rescued by members of his gang, Kiichi Hogan stays in the shadows so he can get the bounty when the escape is made, and he re-captures the killer. Complications arise when an innocent mute girl gets in the way. Episode 8 THE CAPTURE AT THE STREAM Directed by: Kuroda Yoshiyuki A woman sent by her clan with a secret letter must outwit the notorious Shogunate Spy, Fujimaki Samon, a man who will stop at nothing to get his way. Is the vile Samon too skillful for Kiichi Hogan to defeat? THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 5 Episode 9 THE GIRL WITH BLUE EYES (Aoi Me no Shojo) original airdate 12/2/73 Co-star: ABE Toru, Silvia WALKER Directed by: MISUMI Kenji When a little Caucasian girl who was shipwrecked in Japan befriends the leader of a band of pirates who have been marauding along the coastline, Kiichi Hogan has to overcome his feelings towards foreigners in order to find out the truth behind the pirate's hidden treasure. Episode 10 A WIDOW'S STRENGTH (Hoeta Toge no Onnagokoro) original airdate 12/9/73 Co-star: NAKAMURA Tamao Directed by: SAITO Buichi The widow running a delivery service tries to survive against all odds as her company is continually attacked by a rival shipping contractor. Kiichi Hogan has to decide which side to work for, as a bidding war for his sword skills opens up. THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 6 Episode 11: "Two Brothers In A Raging Sea" Doto no Kyodai) Original airdate 12/16/73 Co-star: KATSU Shintaro, ISHIBASHI Renji Directed by: KURODA Yoshiyuki Kiichi Hogan has gone to Yokohama which had just opened to foreign trade in an attempt to book passage to Spain so he can hunt down his mortal enemy, Gonzales. While there he runs afoul of Mr. Gaspar and his vicious henchmen who try to frame him for murder. Is this how it all ends? Will he be able to cheat death and finally get his revenge? A powerful episode filled with surprises! Episode 12: "The Flower Of 'Head-Display' Pass" (Gokumon Toge no Kiku no Hana)Original airdate 12/23/73 Co-star: OKI Minoru, NAITO Taketoshi Directed by: SAITO Buichi On the way to meet Tokaiya Shinbei, a man who may be able to arrange passage to Spain, Kiichi Hogan meets one of his former classmates from the dojo in Nagasaki. Samejima Gunjiro has become the Magistrate of Sakai in Oshu. Will he recognize his childhood friend, and how will they solve the mystery of the 3,000 gold coins that were stolen by a ronin wearing a straw hat? They never got a chance to have a match; will they finally have their duel for supremacy now? THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 7 Episode 13: ”A Dark-Haired Human Sacrifice” (Kurokami Jigoku) Original airdate 1/6/74 Co-star: MATSUO Kayo, ARASHI Kanjuro Directed by: YAMA****A Kosaku After their chance encounter a few months earlier, Kiichi Hogan’s former fiancee O-Kiku, feeling that he no longer needs her, makes plans to save a young girl by offering herself in marriage to a dreaded foreigner. With her life in the balance, can the Mute Samurai save her from a fate worse than death? Episode 14: ”The First Performance” (Hana no Butai) Original airdate 1/13/74 Co-star: KATSU Shintaro, Judy ONGG, KO Nishimura Directed by: MISUMI Kenji While searching for a notorious opium smuggler, Mute Samurai Kiichi Hogan again crosses paths with ‘Manji’, the mysterious ronin/high ranking official who is, in reality, his younger brother. There’s another surprise from his past when the girl he helped in the first episode shows up working at a carnival, and acting as the voice for another mute, who may be the fugitive Kiichi Hogan has been hired to capture. Is this an innocent man, and if so, can he be saved in time? THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 8 Episode 15: ”The Bounty Hunters Who Vanished” (Kieta Shokin Kasegi) Original airdate 1/13/74 Co-star: HITOMI Junko, YAMASHIRO Shingo Directed by: KOBAYASHI Masao In one of his most dangerous missions, Kiichi Hogan joins up with 7 other bounty hunters who are ordered by the Shogunate to assassinate a renegade Daimyo, whose clan has been officially abolished. Can the 8 bounty hunters find their prey on Mt. Oe and how can they survive against master ninja ”Spider” Gensai who has sworn to protect his lord’s life at all costs? Episode 16: ”Manji, Once Again” (Manji Futatabi) Original airdate 1/20/74 Co-star: KATSU Shintaro, NAMBARA Koji Directed by: YASUDA Kimiyoshi When the mysterious thief known as “Manji” breaks into Mr. Franco’s mansion in the foreign zone of Shimoda, Kiichi Hogan is asked to help a woman known as the “Goldfish” get secret information illegal smuggling in the area to the proper authorities if she is captured. Can Hogan and Manji find and save her before she is sent off on a foreign ship to a fate worse than death? THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 9 Episode 17: “The Peak Of Darkness” directed by Ozu Hitoshi opens with Kiichi Hogan being hired to bring a renegade religious group the ‘Burenkyo’ to justice after they have robbed the tax money from farmers to use in their attempt to overthrow the government and create a ‘New World Order’. The governor has ordered the farmers to sell their daughters into prostitution, and on his way to carry out his mission against the Burenkyo, Kiichi Hogan saves the women and thus inspires the wrath of the governor. Which side poses the greatest threat to the silent samurai… the rebels or the governor? He may have to fight both sides if he wants to survive! Episode 18: “The Bandits And The Children” directed by Misumi Kenji pits the Demon Magistrate (Kiichi Hogan) against an enormous gang of bandits as they mount an attack on a small town populated only by children and the elderly. It’s shades of “7 Samurai” as Kiichi Hogan teaches the villagers how to fight the ravaging brigands who seek the secret stash of gold that is hidden deep in the mountains. With brilliant direction by major filmmaker Misumi, this episode reaches the heights as Kiichi Hogan must draw his sword in a battle against overwhelming odds! THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 10 Episode 19: ”Who Shall Receive The Bounty” (Shokin Uketorinin)Original airdate 2/10/74 Co-star: KIMURA Isao, BANRI Masayo Directed by: WAKAYAMA Tomisaburo When three bounty hunters all are after the same fugitive, their code is very simple. Only one will survive and thereby receive the bounty for capturing or killing the wanted man. This is just such a situation, but with an added twist. The third bounty hunter is a former samurai who was expelled from his clan for speaking out when he shouldn’t have. Can he beat the others to the prize and still take home the money? Exciting and moving, this episode shows another side of Kiichi Hogan as he continues on his quest to raise enough money for his trip to Spain for revenge against Gonzales, the killer of his father. Episode 20: ”The Maiden Who Chases A Shadow” (Kage o Ou Hana) Original airdate 2/17/74 Co-star: KATO Takeshi, AZUMA Michi Directed by: OZU Hitoshi Kiichi Hogan comes to the aid of a woman who is trying to book passage to Spain in order to meet with her fiancé, who left to practice medicine overseas. Having learned the Spanish language, she is in a position to help the Demon Magistrate in his quest to find his mortal enemy, Gonzales. Will fate finally smile on the silent samurai as he attempts to escape Japan and get to Spain in any way he can. Will she be able to teach him enough of the language so that he can fulfill his vendetta? Powerful and surprising with bold action from the master swordsman. THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 11 Episode 21: ”A Mother & Daughter’s Crisis” (Boshizo Muzan) Original airdate 2/24/74 Co-star: ICHIHARA Etsuko, KOMATSU Hosei Directed by: KURODA Yoshiyuki In order to fulfill a dying man’s last wishes, Kiichi Hogan must warn the wife of a high-ranking samurai not to fall into a trap that has been set up to incriminate a rival in the clan. Meanwhile the woman and her daughter have left on their journey to Kyoto where the girl’s real father is unaware of the dangerous plot against him. Will the Mute Samurai be able to stop the villains from taking over the clan and save the women from certain death? Episode 22: ”A Lad And A Vendetta” (Shonen to Adauchi) Original airdate 3/3/74 Co-star: SAKAI Shu Directed by: KOBAYASHI Masao While searching for a wanted man, Kiichi Hogan is approached by a youth who had seen his sword in action and requests that the Mute Samurai teach him how to fight so he, too, can avenge his father. In one of the most remarkable episodes in this series, we get to see this master swordsman take the young man under his wing and teach him the skills necessary to cut down the man who had brutally slain his father. Kiichi Hogan sees much of himself in the youth and shows his human side when the much awaited vendetta is about to be carried out. When faced with a life or death choice, what will he do? THE MUTE SAMURAI Volume 12 Episode 23: ”A Camellia In Winter” (Kantsubaki Bojo) Original airdate 3/10/74 Directed by: YASUDA Kimiyoshi While hunting for a wanted criminal Kiichi Hogan turns down a woman’s request to help her with a vendetta against the yakuza boss who framed her father and caused the death of her mother. The silent samurai has an entirely different plan in mind. Playing the role of her fiancé, he is able to infiltrate the band of cutthroats who are responsible for the illegal smuggling of foreign goods into the area and try learn just who the mastermind of the operation is. Will he be able to keep up the charade long enough to find out the truth behind the smuggling operation and the frame-up of an innocent man who has lost the will to live? Episode 24: ”A Woman’s Tears” (Kanashii Onna) Original airdate 3/17/74 Directed by: OTA Akikazu When Kiichi Hogan meets a man who has been cut down by assassins, he is plunged into an adventure that threatens his very life. The man gives the Mute Samurai his life savings with a final plea to use the money and redeem his daughter from the bordello he sold her to, but upon his arrival the yakuza boss has already sold the girl to a foreigner named Franco who will send her across the ocean to a life worse than death as a prostitute for the hated gaijin. Further complications arise when her lover, a young man named Sokichi attempts to escape with her and elude the deadly knife-thrower who acts as bodyguard for the boss. Can Kiichi Hogan stop Franco from taking the girl out of Japan after he, himself is taken prisoner by the yakuza boss? THE MUTE SAMURAI - Volume 13 Episode 25: ”A Man To Man Promise” (Otoko to Otoko no Yakusoku) Original airdate 3/24/74 Directed by: KOBAYASHI Masao Mute Samurai Kiichi Hogan’s hope to avenge the murders of his father and mother appear within reach as he is able to find a Spanish sea captain willing to smuggle him out of Japan on the next ship to Spain for a fee of one thousand gold coins. With time running out, he is short by only 200 ryo but must contend with a plot against his benefactor Tokaiya Shinbei, the merchant who arranged his passage on the ship. Will he be able to make the final payment and catch the ship before it sails, or will the forces of fate and destiny line up against him and deny him the one opportunity to carry out his vendetta against the brutal slaughter that has haunted him all these years? Guest stars: OKI Minoru, NARITA Mikio Episode 26: ”Duel At Kanei-ji Temple” (Kanei-ji no Ketto) Original airdate 3/31/74 Directed by: MISUMI Kenji He is neither alive nor dead. Cutting off all tender human feelings, burning with his one desire for revenge while keeping his personal misfortune deep within his heart, Mute Samurai Kiichi Hogan has pressed on for the past 18 years seeking vengeance against the Spaniard who murdered his parents and cut his throat thus robbing him of his voice forever. Will destiny finally reward him with the chance to carry out his vendetta and end this painful quest for good? Meanwhile, his younger brother Lord Sagara, the ‘Foreigner Magistrate’ has risen in the government to a position of power that may be endangered by the vendetta against Gonzales, who is now a high ranking Spanish official and a favorite of that nation’s Queen. The tension mounts to a fever pitch as the forces of destiny finally present the ‘Mute Samurai’ with a chance to meet his mortal enemy face to face or will he cause an international incident that could cause war between the two nations? Guest stars: KATSU Shintaro MATSUO Kayo, OKI Minoru, Judy ONGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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