Haruka Ayase, Kazuma Chiba, Shido Nakamura, Takao Osawa, Yôsuke Kubozuka

Ayase plays a blind woman who roams about town with her shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar), but she has exceptional sword skills with which she fights off yakuza and other villains.

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57% liked it

144 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

7 critics

R, 2 hrs.

Directed by: Fumihiko Sori

Release Date: October 25, 2008

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DVD Release Date: December 29, 2009

Stats: 30 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (30)


  • December 17, 2009
    A new take on the Zatoichi story but this time having a woman playing the blind swords person instead of a man. I'll be honest and say this was better than the Beat Takeshi version I saw years ago. I liked Ayase Haruka in the lead, she did pretty well in the sword fighting scenes...( read more) but her singing left a lot to be desired. If you're expecting an all out action movie then you'll be disappointed. Another problem is the use of CG blood. It spoils the movie, I'm not a fan of it at all. The script isn't the best but the actors involved did what they could with it apart from the lead villian who really hams it up badly. The movie length could have been shortened too. Despite the flaws it's still a pretty decent flick with much to enjoy.
  • June 14, 2009
    Fresh off of Vexille, Fumihiko Sori tackles Ichi, which is another tale regarding the blind swordsman. In this case, however, it is a blind swords woman.

    Don't be fooled into thinking this is an action adventure because it really isn't. This is all about the sto

    ...( read more)ry and characters, and maybe it is a little too much story. I'm not saying that there is a lot going on because there isn't. What I'm saying is that there is maybe just a little too much dramatization on what little is given. The pacing is fairly slow and while this works well for character buildup, it doesn't benefit much else. The story as a whole is pretty weak and the the villain has not enough background either. The two heros, on the other hand, have enough going for them.

    There is a decent amount of action, however they are all fairly short. This isn't surprising, since Japanese samurai swordplay is usually a one or two slasher before a kill. There is nothing really fancy to entertain the eye, however the blood is there and so is the camerawork. There are some Zack Snyder-ish slow motion scenes for one of the fights and it turns out great because it isn't overdone.

    The beautiful Haruka Ayase pulls off a convincing blind swords woman, however her singing scenes are just mediocre. Shido Nakamura doesn't have much to work with, but he matches the villain nicely. Takao Osawa is the star of the show and his character is just as big and important as Ichi.

    Ichi is one samurai movie with flaws and disappointments, but it does have its positives, which makes for a more than decent film.

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Ichi Trivia


  • ichi the.......  Answer »
  • which of the following directed the movie "ichi the killer"?  Answer »
  • The Taste of Tea Zatoichi Eli Eli Lema Sahachthani Hakuchi Ichi The Killer I played in a lot of movies, including those five. Who am I ?  Answer »
  • Complete the title of this ultra-violent movie directed by Takashi Miike: Ichi The ________  Answer »

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