Zatoichi Challenged (1967)

Zatoichi :  Shintarô Katsu

Director : Kenji Misumi

IMDb : 7.7

Grade :   A

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The movie opens with Zatoichi being attacked by about seven of his perpetual pursuers, and he quickly disposes of them.

Zatoichi  then checks into an inn where he shares a room with an ill woman and her young son named Ryota. Before the woman dies, she requests that Zatoichi take her son to his father, Shokichi, an artist living in the nearby town of Maebara.

Zatoichi and the boy meet up with a lady and her travelling troupe and travels with her. When they get near the town two local bosses send out escorts for her.

Zatoichi keeps running in to a ronin named Tajuro Akazuka.

We then see that the boy's father is bring held, probably for gambling debts by a local boss. he is making him draw adult art. Akazuka warns Zatoichi not to pursue his whereabouts.

Zatoichi finds Shokichi and tells him about his son.

Akazuka is looking to destroy the adult art and takes the boy to get to Shokichi.

Zatoichi goes after the boy and takes out about a dozen of his men, Zatoichi and Shokichi then leave with the boy, but Akazuka confronts them. He is going to kill Shokichi on behalf of the government because of the adult art business he was part of.

The law has no mercy Akasuka says, but in the end Akasuka lets him go because he Zatoichi had bested him in the duel.

Another good movie in the series. It seems like the production values are getting higher and higher with each one.