Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (子連れ狼 子を貸し腕貸しつかまつる)

TOHO CO., LTD.

A KATSU PRODUCTIONS FILM

Our lord!

This is unjust.

My lord, I will follow you.

All of us will avenge you.

Even if it's the Shogun's will... Not our young lord...

Our lord!

- My lord! - Our lord!

All of you, do not lose your composure!

How unseemly at this last second!

Now that it's come to this,

the least you can do is...

...remain quiet and witness the last moment of our lord.

As his loyal vassals,

it is our duty.

I am Itto Ogami, Shogunate Executioner.

Please... Please do it well.

You only need to take this fan

and hold it against your stomach.

Are you ready?

Such is a lord of country and castle,

a fine samurai.

The Tokugawa Shogunate took an iron-fisted approach

in controlling the daimyo lords with their han domains within Japan.

Any sign of disagreement could cost a lord his title and his family land.

In this reign of terror,

three separate agencies were created.

First, a network of ninja spies called Oniwaban, or Garden Wardens,

was tasked to seek out reasons to abolish the han domains.

Second, Shikaku, or Assassins, were charged with killing domain officials

who might obstruct the Shogunate's political will.

Third, to assist condemned daimyo lords perform the seppuku self-execution,

the Kaishakunin, the Executioner, was tasked to be their second - their final decapitator.

The spy network was operated by the Kurokuwa clan.

The assassinations were performed by the Yagyu clan.

And...

...Itto Ogami was the Shogunate's Official Kaishakunin Executioner,

privileged to wear robes bearing the Hollyhock Crest of the Tokugawa clan.

LONE WOLF AND CUB

SWORD OF VENGEANCE

Produced by SHINTARO KATSU HISAHARU MATSUBARA

Screenplay by KAZUO KOIKE

Based on the Manga by KAZUO KOIKE GOSEKI KOJIMA

Cinematography by CHIKASHI MAKIURA Sound by TSUCHITARO HAYASHI

Lighting by HIROSHI MIMA Production Design by AKIRA NAITO

Starring

TOMISABURO WAKAYAMA

FUMIO WATANABE TOMOKO MAYAMA

SHIGERU TSUYUGUCHI ASAO UCHIDA

TAKETOSHI NAITO YOSHI KATO AKIHIRO TOMIKAWA

YUNOSUKE ITO

Directed by KENJI MISUMI

SON FOR HIRE - SWORD FOR HIRE

SUIO-RYU SWORDSMAN - ITTO OGAMI

What's that?

Let me see.

“Son for Hire. Sword for Hire. Suio-ryu Swordsman, Itto Ogami."

Itto Okami. “Okami” as in “Wolf”?

No, “Ogami” as in “Pray.” it must be the name of that ronin .

“Sword for Hire” makes sense, but “Son for Hire”?

Who knows?

Hello.

He looks down-and-out in these bad times, with a child to boot.

Can he make it?

Wow, what a cute kid!

So cute he's pitiful.

Come back!

O-Mine!

Come back!

O-Mine!

What are you doing?

Toramatsu!

O-Mine!

Toramatsu!

Stop that!

What are you doing to someone else's child?

I'm sorry for her rudeness. Please forgive her.

I'm so sorry.

Excuse me, but it says “Son for Hire.”

Would you really hire out this child?

Toramatsu, you must be hungry.

Here.

Have your mother's milk.

Drink a lot.

Daigoro.

Have some. Go ahead.

Isn't it delicious?

Toramatsu.

I got you. Good boy.

Thank you very much. Easy, easy.

Toramatsu, I'll save up money and come see you again.

Just a moment.

Would this be enough?

I don't need your money.

It just so happens he was hungry.

Is that so? Thank you very much.

A man deceived her and then left her.

She had put up her baby for adoption,

but he caught a cold and passed away.

Since then, as you can see, my daughter has gone insane.

She can't tell other people's children from her own.

Damn, it's started to rain.

Welcome home.

What's wrong?

You don't look well.

What's troubling you?

Tell me.

Of late, I have had awful nightmares.

I think it's the people you helped commit seppuku -

stuck in horrible places in Hell like the Needle Mountains and Blood Lakes,

howling at us in blood-curdling voices.

“We curse you and the Ogami clan.” Over and over.

I'm so worried about our son.

This is not like like you, a strong woman.

You must be tired.

Azami, neither you nor I shall ever forget

why we named him Daigoro.

We wish him to be undaunted when faced with hardship,

not to be spoiled should he become rich,

to be mindful of the five other Realms -

Hell, Ghouls, Beasts, Struggles and Heaven -

and to live out his life as a strong human being.

Yes.

Don't worry.

He'll be a strong boy who won't succumb to any unreasonable circumstance.

Dear.

Fortunately Daigoro is now one year old.

I'll introduce him to the souls of the various lords I've been second to.

I'll be in the family temple.

Just a monk at night...

COLD NIGHT PRAYER

Azami!

Azami!

Azami!

Daigoro...

Daigoro...

Azami.

Who could have done such...

Who did this?

Damn.

I'll hunt them to the ends of the earth.

I'll comb through weeds to the roots to find them.

I will avenge you.

This I promise.

I'm So-Metsuke , Inspector General, Yagyu Bizen-no-Kami.

I'm here on official business.

Master Yagyu.

I feared such a tragic incident.

You feared?

This morning, three men committed seppuku in front of the gate of the Yagyu clan.

I hurried over because of their letter vowing to punish evil.

Vowing to punish evil?

VOW TO PUNISH EVIL

“We vow to avenge our Lord Hirotada and placate his departed soul

and to eradicate the Ogami clan of the Shogunate Executioner.

Itto Ogami serves in the high office of Official Executioner,

but he abuses his authority, like a parasite in a lion's body.

He is a traitor who aims to overthrow the Shogunate.

Know that such proof exists inside the Ogami family temple.

In the name of the Shogunate

and mindful of the grief of our lord who met his demise by such a traitor,

we hereby punish the evil Ogami clan

and then follow our lord in death.

Sanshu-Ikoma Domain vassals Hyogo Otai,

Shichinosuke Watabe and Gorozaemon Makijima.”

Signed in blood.

Three samurai killed themselves to deliver this letter.

It is my duty as Inspector General to inspect your family temple.

Lead the way, Master Ogami.

The family temple is where I pray

for the peaceful rest of the souls of the various lords I was second to

in the name of the Shogunate.

A most admirable intent.

I am impressed, Master Ogami.

What is this?

What's the meaning of this?

A memorial tablet with the Hollyhock Crest?

Why do you have a memorial tablet for the Shogunate?

Answer me!

What do you pray for in this family temple?

I don't understand. I've never seen this tablet before.

Who could have...

So it was true what the letter said.

I don't get this. This can't be...

Disgraceful of you to make excuses!

Come with us. As Inspector General, I must interrogate you.

Come out and arrest Itto Ogami.

This is strange.

Master Yagyu, why are they prepared like this?

Have they been prepared to take me by force from the beginning?

It's an emergency. Naturally we came prepared.

Then you would come armed and prepared.

There shouldn't be any need to conceal the arms under robes.

And what about this chain mail?

Did you have time to put this on before you rushed over?

No need to talk! I will listen to you when I interrogate you.

You set me up, Yagyu.

All this makes sense

only if you and the Yagyu clan have plotted this whole incident.