Ichi (2008) User Reviews

Decent Ichi

[poikkeus · 7/10 · 20 September 2009]

Swordplay movies can come with pretty high standards, and the kind of production that might have been forgiven with 50s and 60s epics have to be rethought as we approach modern treatments. Fact is, ICHI is a fairly traditional version of the Blind Swordsman, though Haruka Ayase has a one-two punch of strong acting and good lucks. Dressed in rags, glowering, and compelling, Ayase is entirely convincing. Takao Osawa has winning chemistry with co-star, playing the drifter who had accidentally blinder his mother years before.

The swordplay sequences are shot in mixed slow and regular motion, digital blood spurting everywhere. Despite the carnage, her blade is always clean, her fingernails perfectly manicured, and always looking breathtaking under the worst of situations. ICHI is not, however, about realism; it's an adventure-romance, and anyone looking for complete accuracy will be disappointed. The real problem comes with the villains - Riki Takeuchi, usually good with pulp roles, overdoes his role as baddie - a fault that's shared by other antagonists.

The most satisfying swordplay yarns have original writing along with thrilling fights, but ICHI only the second part of the formula. As a result, the story is agreeable albeit rather ordinary.

Good action drama suffers only if you compare it to the best of the Zatoichi films. Taken on its own terms this is a fine little film worth the time to see

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 15 June 2009]

Rethink, and perhaps continuation of the story of Zatoichi, the blind swordsman. here the blind masseuse and gambler has been replaced by a blind woman who is a trained musician. As the film begins she is looking for a certain man. One can pretty much assume that she wants to kill him. While staying with a blind woman some toughs decide to rough up her host when they won't pay for her services. A wandering samurai named Toma tries to help, but its Ichi who kills the men. Following Ichi Toma ends up hired as the protector of a village built around a town. They think Toma killed some of the gang that had been running rough shod over them, but it was actually Ichi. As the gang moves to take revenge, Toma and Ichi grow close. How it all plays out is the movie.

Some people really don't like this movie. I've seen somethings that have blasted the film for not being a real Zatoichi film. Some people have taken it to task for having poor performances, especially in the lead. I really liked the film. I had no problems with Haruka Ayase as Ichi. I found her fine for what the part is. This is not a real restart of Zatoichi, its more a continuation with flashback sequences implying that the elder Ichi was this girl's father. Its a film that is going in a different direction.

I have no trouble with the film being anything other than its own thing. You can't really compare it to the best of the Zatoichi series since its not really fair since those films had a couple of chances to hit their stride before they got it right. Its certainly better than the weakest of the series which could be downright dull. If I were to pin point the films flaws it would e the over length, I don't know if the film really needs to be two hours. Certainly it felt longer while watching it than when it was over. The other flaw is that the films budget at times makes it seem almost like a TV movie, especially with the use of computer generated blood.

I like the film a great deal and would recommend it, especially if you let the film do what it wants to do and not take for what its not, say a continuation of Beat Takashi's take on the characters. Worth a rental or an evening at the movies.

Between 7 and 8 out of 10

Remake is decent, but does not compare with earlier version

[ethSin · 7/10 · 5 April 2009]

I haven't seen the original films in the '60s and '70s, but I watched the 2003 Zatouichi starring "Beat" Takeshi, which was a very strong film.

This remake starring Ayase Haruka has its share of improvements, but just as many shortcomings.

Sori Fumihiko's direction, as with "Ping Pong", was wonderful. Cinematography was very beautifully done, and the slow motion in action sequence for dramatic effect was spontaneous and enjoyable.

One thing that really impressed me was the music. I saw the name "Lisa Gerrard" under musical scores in the opening credit. My first impression was, "huh? A Japanese jidaigeki with foreign sounds? Unthinkable!" But it turned out to be incredibly dramatic and accommodated every scene perfectly.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the casting. Ayase Haruka was really beautiful and cool as the blind assassin, but she was hopeless in a particular singing scene, and some other 'everyday' scenes. I can't help but to notice how blood wasn't spilling all over her face like the 2003 version. An inevitable consequence of an idol film. Nakamura Shidou as the villain was outright horrible. He severely overacted and made the film feel incredibly cheesy. Although I'm a huge fan of Kubozuka Yousuke, I must admit his presence was too modern for an edo-period film like this. He just seemed out of place, talking like a modern teenager. Only Oosawa Takao fit the role and delivered a decent performance.

I guess most of the blame should be placed on the script, which not only set the tone of each character (that the actors were not capable of...), it failed to illustrate the most important feature of the character Ichi. When I watched the 2003 version, what impressed me about the character was that he can be so deadly even though he was blind, merely using the sound of opponent charging and feeling of enemy presence. This remake, however, completely failed to show how the character was strong as she was, and also ignored the weaknesses, such as the scene where the crowd was making a lot of noise, but she was still able to easily defeat her opponent.

The movie had nice action and few touching scenes, but plagued by miscasting and a weak script that also over-dramatized the story. Not nearly as good as the 2003 version in my opinion, but still fun enough to watch.

A stylish take on a classic legend...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 19 September 2012]

Having seen other movies about the Zatoichi legend and having been less than entertained and having ended up ejecting the disc about half way through, it was with some hesitation that I sat down to watch this 2008 take on the legend.

I will say this this 2008 version was particularly stylish and interesting compared to the other ones I have seen. It stands out as it is heavier on the action and the acting, than the older movies that are heavier on the melodrama.

The movie is easily summarized for those not familiar with the legend of the blind swordsman. Ichi (played by Haruka Ayase), a blind traveling musician, is seeking out her mentor, and on her travels she meets up with Toma Fujihira (played by Takao Osawa) and the end up in a feud between the Yakuza and a gang of thugs.

"Ichi" has some good action scenes and sequences that were nicely choreographed, and they used a great combination of slow-motion and regular motion camera work to enhance the action. And the sword fight scenes were spices up with spray blood, although there wasn't actually any gore, so it was tastefully done. Oddly enough, though, with her skills with her sword, Ichi never got any blood on her and was always pretty and clean.

The movie was driven by a good story, and helped along by some pretty good acting. I must applaud Haruka Ayase for her portrayal of Ichi, because it was really nicely done; emotional and beautiful. The movie did suffer from the acting of Shidô Nakamura who played Banki, the leader of the thugs, it was overdone and very staged.

There was a lot of good camera work in the movie, and lots of nice scenes. They made good use of the scenery in the movie, and the sets were working quite well. And the costumes and props were working well in favor of the movie as well.

For a live action Manga, then "Ichi" was a good movie, entertaining and full of action. I was glad that I watched this, despite of my former bad experiences with the older movies. Recommendable for those who like feudal Japanese swords fighting movies.

Zatoichi or Crimson Bat???

[mmushrm · 6/10 · 24 March 2011]

Ichi is supposed to be a remake of Zatoichi but for some reason I feel that its more like the 1st Crimson Bat movie.

I think a lot of the negative reviews is because of its inevitable (since it claims to be a zatoichi remake) comparison to Zatoichi. The characters are of course blind but while the zatoichi characters have mannerism such as the way he acted, the facial expressions and the way he talked. This Ichi is totally devoid of all personality. Ichi's features range from wooden stoic to wooden sadness to wooden expressionless. Her speech is in monotone and her action/motion are no different from people with vision, except for the cane.

However if you compare it to Crimson Bat it becomes better. The plot and character becomes almost similar, abandoned by parent and took up Goze as a living. Travelling in search of the parent. The unseeing open eyes and expressionless face (although Crimson Bat still shows more personality). Even the gambling sequence where she wins by listening to the dice.

The actions scenes with Ichi are not bad, nice quick and slow motioned sequence. One cut type kills. But the action sequence are far in between. But the part where she fights the main baddie is weak.

A well shot movie thats worth a watch. Just don't compare it to Zatoichi.

The newest blind swordsman is a woman.

[lewiskendell · 16 October 2011]

Imagine if Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman had an adopted daughter that was also blind and that he taught his sword skills. Also imagine that he left her at goze house as he went out on his travels, and she grew up to be a skilled musician. That's basically Ichi, a satisfying spin on the long-running saga of the blind swordsman.

The plot centers on Ichi's search for Zatoichi (who has been missing for quite some time), her tragic back-story, a feud between two yakuza gangs in an inn town, and a traveling warrior that eventually befriends Ichi. Haruka Ayase makes for a good (and absolutely gorgeous) Ichi, and plays her as soft-spoken, reserved and stoic while letting her determination, dangerousness, and lighter side break through when appropriate. Ayase is also great in the action scenes, which are pretty well done and bloody without crossing the line into gory. 

I liked Ichi. There's nothing groundbreaking about it, but I enjoyed the characters (even though the antagonists are unfortunately two dimensional) and the balance between fighting and character development/story is excellent. This isn't a pure action film by any means, it's fairly leisurely-paced outside of action scenes (Ichi doesn't play around with her enemies). There's more than enough here to make the story of the blind swordsman(woman) worth visiting again.

I agree with the other review--just try not to compare this to the Zatoichi series.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 January 2010]

For people who love the Zatoichi films, many will no doubt watch this film hoping to see their beloved character and stories recreated for the 21st century. Although the Takeshi Kitano version of Zatoichi (2003) did manage to recapture much of this original magic, the bottom line is that this new film really ISN'T a Zatoichi films--too much is different from the original tales. Shintaro Katsu (the original actor for the series) died some time ago and apparently Takeshi Kitano is not up for another film in the series (though apparently there IS another Zatoichi film coming out in 2010 starring Shingo Katori). Like the old saying goes, "you can't go back"...or, at least it's very hard to.

Here, there really is not Zatoichi as we know him but instead Ichi is a blind woman--a blind woman who seems like the old Ichi in some ways and definitely not in others. Yes, she's great with the sword and is blind...but otherwise, she is oh so different. Katsu's and Takeshi's versions had a sense of humor about them as well as foreboding. Haruka Ayase, on the other hand, seems to be mired in the depths of depression--saying far less and doing far less during the course of the film. Sure, she can fight (though not as good as the other Ichis, as in the first "boss battle", she gets her butt kicked), but most of the time she seems much more distant and disconnected than the old Ichi--probably even clinically depressed. Though, there's no denying that Ayase is incredibly beautiful--something no one would ever accuse the male Ichis of being! Yet you wonder, with so much going for her (despite her blindness), why didn't she just settle down and have a happy life?! The Zatoichi of old could not because he had to make up for his violent past as a member of the Yakuza--but why was this Ichi so sad and on her own--acting like a total outcast?! Even with the montage scene, her actions through the film didn't seem to make total sense. This was a weakness in this film.

Another weakness, and this is a big one, is that the new Ichi was actually NOT the main character for much of this movie. Instead, so much of the tale has to do with a samurai who refuses to fight--though his reasons seemed a bit silly to me--especially late in the film when so many died because of his inner struggle. In many ways, he just came off as a pathetic and somewhat annoying guy--certainly NOT someone around which to base a movie (get over your fear of the sword already and be a man!). Additionally, the son of a slain town leader also commanded much of the screen time and was a dominant figure in the film--and probably the one most will like the most in the film. Much of the time, Ichi was simply out of commission and unavailable for the fighting.

Now this is the key, however. If you DON'T consider this a Zatoichi film and simply accept it on its own merits, it IS a very good film. Sure, it's not enough like the old films...but is this perhaps asking too much in the first place?! Given that it's not really a Zatoichi film and you don't assume it will be, it's good entertainment throughout--even if the leading lady seems half asleep during the film due to her severe depression. Plus, despite the same name (which means 'number one'), she isn't supposed to be the same character--just a girl who was trained by him. The direction, music, special effects, most of the acting and even the story are all quite good. The biggest weakness was in the motivations for Ichi and the wimp--both seemed a bit hard to believe as they were written.

By the way, unlike the early Zatoichi films, this one is a lot bloodier and has a bit of nudity and adult content--so be forewarned--especially if you show it to your kids or minister or mother.

Stellar samurai movie

[Seth_Rogue_One · 7/10 · 15 July 2016]

About a blind but deadly woman forsaken by her home-village and a man she meets on the way.

It's not packed with non-stop action it's more story based than it is action based but the action that there is is really well orchestrated.

The story packs plenty of emotion, possibly a bit depressing for some people but I enjoyed it.

The acting, cinematography, music, editing etc is all good even if the second half gets a little too slow at times but one could argue that it needed to be, anyway yeah overall it's a stellar piece of work that should satisfy your samurai-movie needs.

A movie for the senses

[dustin-196-676503 · 10/10 · 27 December 2014]

Epic! I loved this movie! The action scenes are really cool. the swordplay is a lot of fun. there are some bullet-time action scenes. the classic blind samurai portrayed through a lonesome girl is very intriguing. it's going to catch your attention and take you into ichi's world. ichi is special because, we feel for her, become attached to her, and don't want to see her suffer. "ichi" envelopes you through sound and hearing. we all know she is blind, and develop a keen sense of the sounds that trigger events. the shots are very cool, soothing, and warm colors express vibrancy and visual sensation. the play on sounds pulls the viewer into "ichi's" vision-less world. it's easy to fall in love with the main characters, because they have so much personality, and are very charismatic. i highly recommend this movie! It was awesome from beginning to end!

Character-focused samurai drama comes recommended

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 11 April 2015]

ICHI is a Japanese samurai movie with a twist: the blind warrior of the title is a woman in this one. Heavily based on the popular and long-running ZATOICHI series of films, the story sees Ichi ending up in a small town that's been overrun by bandits. The plot is complicated when another swordsman, traumatised by the events of his past, falls in love with her, is mistaken for an expert swordsman, and becomes the town's protector.

There are shades of YOJIMBO in the look, style, and feel of this production, but it manages to be a successful film in its own right. It also reminded me a little of AZUMI, although ICHI is more drama than action focused. And it's in the characters and the human drama where this film excels: there's emotion to spare in this story, along with characters you learn and care about throughout, and the acting as a whole is superior for the production.

ICHI is hardly an action packed movie but there are some key moments that impress, alongside an extended climax that makes up for some of the slower points in the story. The swordplay is over with pretty quickly, as is the norm for samurai cinema, and CGI blood is overused, but it's not much of a detraction. As a whole this is a mature, intelligent, and enjoyable piece of historical film-making.

sometimes shines, but mostly clunky

[trcky1 · 5/10 · 3 June 2011]

I had totally forgotten about Zatoichi until I saw some of the other reviews. But there were no similarities btw the two films, and I don't think there were supposed to be either. So this film stands on its own merits (or lack thereof).

Ichi starts off kind of weak, with some hokey dialogue. But the hokey dialogue does play off as somewhat endearing btw Toma, the insecure samurai trainee and Ichi, the cold and bleak musician. The story and the relationship btw Toma and Ichi are developed decently, so we are kept interested in the movie throughout. However, the film's pacing is rather clunky and some of the symbolic imagery and the profound dialogue isn't set up well and comes across rather forced. It's almost as if the director is making up for plot holes by inserting random bits of poetic images and dialogue that aren't set up well and don't make that much sense.

The action is more or less decent, but the climactic fight scenes are too short and simplistic. All in all, it's not a great action film, not a great romance, and not a great drama, although it aspires to be all three. It's a film that's OK for killing time with, but I wouldn't set aside any part of your day with it.

Underrated great movie

[ayserisi · 9/10 · 14 June 2020]

Ichi is one of those films that make you remember that cinema is actually art and not just a tool for Western propaganda. It is very beautifully done, elegant and subtle. Especially if you like anime and manga you will enjoy this piece of art.

Lord, Give Me a Personality!

[masercot · 7/10 · 23 October 2010]

The premise of this movie is simple: What if Zatoichi had a daughter who was born blind and without a personality? The result would be Ichi. Those who say we shouldn't compare this to the Zatoichi movies should understand that the movie itself is based upon the Zatoichi series. Fair is fair.

It is a shame that the woman took on a personality like the Takashii Zatoichi as opposed to the superior Shintaro Katsu version of the character. It was a solid movie; however, there was very little that was likable about Ichi's character. As an action movie, it wasn't too bad.

This is the second time that someone has missed the point concerning the success of the Zatoichi franchise. Shintaro Katsu's Ichi was interesting, with or without a sword. He was a mixture of Jesus Christ, Toshiro Mifune and Curly from the Three Stooges. The copies have been life-less cut-outs...with one exception...

The Crimson Bat series had a title character with a personality...a different personality in each of her four movies. I hope that, when the next blind swords-person movie is made, they pay attention to what made the old ones great.

Just Angry at this film. *Spoilers*

[karateluke2000 · 3/10 · 9 January 2010]

I hate this film, It is really one of the worst Asian films I have ever seen. Now everyone who has heard of Zatoichi or seen even some of his films or episodes,then you know how the story goes. Me personally I only saw the last movie with the original actor and the 2003 adaptation so I am not biased in the least. Now some people are either giving it flack or praise for casting a female lead. To me I don't care in the slightest. Haruka Ayase is really good in this role as Ichi and she comes in and slices and dices her foes as expected.

Then comes in the secondary character, the buffoon Fujihara who likes to run to the rescue, but can't draw his sword because when he was little he swung his sword, broke the tip of said sword, which flew across the court yard while his mother who happened to be passing through who gets slashed across the eyes blinding her. This is which in turn makes him unable to draw his sword. You honestly would think you were watching a Final Destination film. And you know what it didn't bother me until he starts lecturing Ichi on stepping up and saving lives and that is when he the film goes down hill. This man claimed he stepped in to help, yet if Ichi wasn't around he would have been killed along with the hooker.

Now I don't know if the director is a chauvinist, but if you have movie, named Ichi, and the lead actress is named Ichi and if her picture is posted on covers, trailers and posters, then why doesn't she play second fiddle to the buffoon? I mean seriously, the girl is badass, she's tough and you like her, but after one confrontation with the big boss (another problem with this movie) the buffoon suddenly realizes he is an ass and takes out the bad guy in a few strokes? Isn't she the star, shouldn't she have the chance to redeem herself as so many other characters do in movies like this? Instead they make her contemplate life and gets saved by a man and cry!

This is the kinda crap that gets me with movies and shows in general. They build up these characters and make them larger than life, but for reasons that defy me, they add a little dose of "realism" and make the character fall into a generic stereotype. Its like making The Bride in Kill Bill find her daughter midway through the film and she spends the rest of the film dodging assassins and panicking like a concerned mother. Didn't this character mow down dozens of bad guys in the previous films? It doesn't follow the same tone.

If you want to watch this movie for Haruka Ayase's looks and acting ability, just remember; there are two little things called youtube and google and you can watch her anytime you want instead of shelling out twenty dollars on this movie. Skip this movie!

Beautiful film

[les6969 · 2 August 2011]

I read a lot of the negative reviews in here, most seem to be around comparisons with other movies but I saw it as a movie in it's own right. In doing so I was not disappointed. Ichi is a goze who is travelling Japan in search of her mentor, who was the actual Zatoichi. She was born blind. As an infant, Zatoichi rescued her and left her in the care of a group of goze, visiting her and secretly teaching her the techniques Zatoichi had mastered. After being abused, she is exiled by the goze. She pleaded to the man who had abused her to say nothing happened, but he refused and she killed him. She wanted to see her mentor one last time before she died, so she began searching for him. While on her search, she gets involved in a war between residents of a small village ruled by a yakuza gang and a group of bandits, Banki-to. It is all beautifully shot and acted. The main character has been criticised in here for no personality, whereas I saw lots of personality and emotion, subtlety done as is often the case with Japanese women. And Haruka Ayase as Ichi herself is stunning and beautiful and at the same time a convincing swords-woman. Also the film is not as bloodthirsty as some in this genre such as the Azumi series. Overall I would definitely watch this again.

Moving drama

[ekdsbay · 7/10 · 24 July 2022]

Well performed by actress portraying a difficult role. The movie takes a common theme used in Japanese genre and her ability to show strength & restraint as a blind swordswoman is remarkable.

Poetically Beautiful yet, at times, Brutally Uncompromising, Ichi is an Unmissable, Poignant Adventure of the Heart and Mind

[totalovrdose · 9/10 · 5 June 2015]

Beset by tragic circumstances, often instigated due to her unfathomable beauty, the cruel fates bestowed upon her poignantly explored over the course of the feature, Ichi (the enthralling Haruka Aysae), a goze (a blind performer, who serenades people with her vocal talents and shamisen playing capabilities), with uniquely outstanding sword fighting skills, provided by a master she longs to discover, is forced to wander alone, after been accused of nefarious activity that was not of her own doing.

Set during an unidentified ancient period in Japanese history, the self-titled Ichi combines exceptional cinematography that wondrously captures the environments, while at the same time, the lavishly rich musical score heightens the beauty of the environments, and the poignancy of the horrible occurrences the leads are forced to endure. The bloody violence that accompanies the fight scenes is neither over the top, nor too little, and much like the rest of the feature, efficaciously encapsulates what can only be perceived as an accurately brutal portrayal of how cruel and barbaric, yet at the same time, vivid, life in this particular period could have been.

Touma (Takao Osawa) is a swordsman on a pilgrimage, and though he is capable of pretentiously boasting about his capabilities, he finds himself unable to draw his sword, for reasons that are conveyed over the course of the plot. The decision to not automatically reveal the back-story of the two leads brilliantly makes both characters mysterious and enchanting, as we hang on their journeys, in the hopes of discovering more about them, the depth provided to their characters been exceptionally orchestrated. Upon venturing into Ichi's life, she is forced to defend him against members of the villainous Ban-ki gang, their deaths spurring a vendetta, cast by their fellow members.

Led by the antagonistic Banki (Shido Nakamura), a once revered Samurai, past events left his face hideously scarred, though these afflictions are not nearly as grotesque as his mind, this man being turned into a lunatic warrior with a thirst for bloodshed, his violent origins having a direct link to Ichi, which is again further developed as the plot progresses. Accompanying Banki are a collection of equally violent men, one of whom being Izo (Riki Takeuchi), a fighter who proves to be almost as equally terrifying as his leader.

On their journey, Ichi and Touma come upon a town run by the Shirikawa's, a family consisting of Chobee (Akira Emoto) and his son, Toraji (Yosuke Kubozzuka), both of whom are members of the Yakuza, their township been plagued by continuous raids from the wretched Ban-ki gang, the local governmental personnel been unwilling to provide support. With the help of Kotaro (Ryosuke Shima), a young boy, Ichi is able to explore the town, during which she punishes members of the Ban-ki gang, Touma taking the credit for this particular brand of justice, which causes the town to hire him as their protector, unknowing that he is in fact incapable of providing the assistance they require, as the advances by the enemy continue to rapidly escalate.

As Ichi and Touma begin to spend more time together, a unanimous form of understanding and respect begins to grow between them, as the two traveling individuals discover they need each other for separate reasons. It ought to be noted, some of the sexual content in the film evolves around rape, and though I personally loathe films that use rape, or the threat of rape, as a form of entertainment, in the case of Ichi, this hideous act is used to not only realistically depict the horrors of the climate, but strengthens the sympathy we feel towards specific characters.

Although I have not previously witnessed the Zatoichi films this particular feature carries on from, so am unable to offer a comparative analysis, Ichi is a moving film with an equal amount of heart, brutality, character, depth and action, which elegantly and continuously captures the attention of its audience with the use of adventurous direction and poetic beauty.

Expected more from the director of "Ping Pong"

[KineticSeoul · 3/10 · 24 March 2011]

I wasn't really hyped for this movie but still looked forward for it. Since it's directed by the same guy that directed "Ping Pong" which is one of my favorite Japanese movie. It really isn't good as "Ping Pong" and lacked elements that made that movie great. But this film is still watchable despite the really manga influenced style of it all, even if it worked for the movie "Ping Pong". Everything just seemed a bit too crisp and clean for this type of movie, even if they wanted to modernize it a bit. If the movie was suppose to be a comedy than it's understandable but it's not. The movie wasn't as engrossing as expected but it was still sort of entertaining watching the blind female swordsman cut down bandits although the movie is a bit too vivid and colorful in a negative way. The script just wasn't as sharp as it should have been and the characters weren't all that interesting. If at least the direction would have been better it could have had potential to be a great movie, but the direction of it all wasn't that great. This movie was a bit of a disappointment and maybe this director should just do another manga adaptation with a good and engrossing story. Another thing that got annoying is how the villains are always way too over the top and it gets a bit irritating to watch, but than again they are obnoxious and annoying to the point I actually liked watching them get sliced and diced. There really isn't anything that stands out from this movie and nothing special.

3.2/10

The Blind Swords Woman

[Angelus2 · 8/10 · 25 November 2010]

Ichi is a blind woman with a gift, she is a expert swords woman. However,she has chosen to remain isolated, in search for her father. On her journey she encounters a samurai who fears killing people, a village plagued by the Yakuza.

Ichi is a film that focuses on the story rather than action and although the action is always great, it holds the audience's attention with likable characters and at times its very intense. The actors are all brilliant in their roles, and really give the film some depth. When the final fight finally does arrive, we've seen the lives of the characters making the end very satisfying, as well as sad.

Nicely shot movie without real deepness

[barna-brbs · 5/10 · 20 May 2016]

Sorry for my English, this is not my mother tongue..

First of all it is almost impossible not to compare this movie to the Zatoichi series - if you watched that earlier. Zatoichi's character has nothing to do with Ichi, not because she is a female character, but she lacks of inner deepness - Ichi got stuck with her past and the feelings from that - she hasn't overcome her sadness, hasn't go beyond it. Unlike Zatoichi , who is ever present, yes he has a past too, but he is able to free himself of it (past is past - he says in one of the series about an event and walk away dancing joyfully). Yes, it is a comparison, but with it I just want to point out that in reality no one can be called a master, who hasn't look beyond the surface. Stillness is inside, outside - like face expressions can be changed according to the situation. The master is who is still inside (like before fight the master stand still - the posture is like he or she is going inside of him or her and from there he or she acts - very effectively), not outside. Ichi's face is, as mentioned by a lot of review, motionless, which makes the movie very unreal. At the end there is a smile on her face, which gives a bit of "hope", but it doesn't elevate the movie. The fighting scenes are all right, the movie is nicely shot, this could be a real potential - if the writer could have more insights about the real martial arts, which is about the Presence - not just in fight, but in other circumstances too. The character development of Toma also could be portrayed much better, remain wasted potential; and Ichi's character could be more visually influenced by the character of the child and Toma too.

Otherwise the music is absolutely amazing. Real gem is: Lisa Gerrard and Michael Edwards - The Memory Of The GOZE

Yet, I would advice to watch this movie, because it can be a caricature about us: if we stuck with our so called past mentally, we could become as dead as this character(and almost the whole movie) in most of our lives...

Beautiful Movie

[mchgothmog · 10/10 · 25 August 2018]

I'm a big fan of foreign films especially Korean and Chinese films I saw the trailer of Ichi it looked good so I bought it and I'm glad I Did Ichi exceeded my expectations the movie takes place in feudal Japan and follows a blind woman Ichi who's very adept with musical instruments as well as a sword she is looking for the blind swordsman who trained her along the way she comes across a village being harassed by a brutal warlord and his gang and gets dragged into the conflict there's lots of great and gory battle scenes many men think Ichi is easy prey big mistake on their part the acting cinematography soundtrack and storyline are all great the main actress who plays Ichi was AMAZING Truly a great performance the ending is very emotional and a little sad but is still a good positive happy ending

I got the blu Ray version the picture and audio quality are amazing and the blu Ray includes both English dub and the original japanese with English subtitles I highly recommend watching it with the original Japanese with English subtitles dubbing really sucks and lowers the quality of the film don't get upset about the subtitles once you get into the movie you won't even realize your reading them

Overall Ichi is an amazing movie with quality acting and storyline Foreign films are easily destroying Hollywood these days especially Asian cinema

Highly recommended

A Simple Beautiful Love Story

[delightful-life · 23 June 2012]

Hope you have read the official storyline.

And you would have seen the bad 6.5 rating here at IMDb, I guess the reason for that is because:

1. The bad ending. The way the story went, we expected a different ending, and it was a big disappointment. This was the primary reason.

2. The storyline leads us to believe that this is a samurai movie with great sword fights and martial arts, but the fights are just mediocre.

In spite of the above things I greatly enjoyed this movie. The beauty of this movie is comparable to that of Tokyo Story or The Twilight Samurai. The beauty is mainly in the cinematography, the immaculate sets, the delicate love story, the fantastic audio, etc. And being a new movie it comes in blue-ray and that greatly intensifying the beauty.

So, despite the bad rating, I would say, go see it, at the very least you won't feel that you wasted your time. :-)........

Cheers!

A beautifully rendered mix of love and swordplay....

[s3276169 · 9/10 · 22 April 2020]

Ichi is a beautifully rendered film, that mixes a tale of love and hope, with Samurai swordplay.

The back story is touching and heart felt, a tale of hope and love, that's wonderfully shot and subtly acted. The dialogue is a minimalist but what is and in some cases, not said, makes an indelible emotional impact.

You care about these characters and that carries over into the skilfully shot combat scenes. Many of which are frenetic and rather bloody but not overly so.

Indeed there's a certain oddly gentle restraint about this film that should be at odds with the viciousness of the combat scenes but somehow, is not.

A really unique film that I rate highly because its skilfully does more with less.

9/10.