Ichi (2008) [Film Review]

Ichi; or, The Tale of Female Warrior
     Those who cannot see... do not know where the boundaries are. We can't see boundaries, like whether it's day or night right now, or where the path we're walking on suddenly disappears. And since we can't see, it's terrifying. Who is good, and who is bad? Where are the boundaries for that?! I don't even know that much! I can't even see for sure whether I'm alive, or whether I'm dead!
Ichi is a 2008 adaptation of a manga series created by Hana Shinohara. Inspired by the Zatoichi figure, the manga centers around the character of Ichi, a blind woman who wanders through Japan in search of her mentor, the man who taught her the art of swordsmanship. Interestingly, the fans of the manga were disappointed with many differences conveyed in the movie adaptation.

Release Info

Directed by: Fumihiko Sori Starring: Haruka Ayase, Takao Osawa, Shido Nakamura

Language: Japanese Original Title: Ichi Runtime: 120 min

Synopsis
Ichi (a m a z i n g Haruka Ayase) searches for her mentor, the master of backhanded, straight-stroke style. While confronting a gang of thugs, she encounters Fujihira Toma (Takao Osawa), a wandering samurai who was expelled from his clan. The two venture into a village that is plagued by savage bandits. Contrary to Toma, Ichi does not want to get involved. Eventually, she faces off against the bandits when discovering that their leader might have some information about her mentor’s whereabouts…

Like Father Like Daughter
I have to admit that I did not read the manga, so I am writing this review from a standpoint of a person who has seen only Zatoichi movies. In this regard, that is Ichi being a modern take on the Zatoichi myth with double twist, the movie works flawlessly. However, I can understand the outrage of manga fans that the screenplay gives little care to the supporting characters.

The secret as to why Ichi works is primarily due to Haruka Ayase’s crazy awesome performance. I have seen the actress previously in such dramas as Hero and Mr Brain, but I have never suspected that she is capable of playing such a complex and kick-ass character. She absolutely owns the movie.

Another great advantage are the fight scenes, which seem to be an improvement over good-looking action set pieces from Takeshi Kitano’s Zatoichi (2003). It is exhilarating to see how Ichi obliterates the bad guys in slow motion.

Additionally, there is a variety of great actors in supporting roles, including Yosuke Kobuzoka as the righteous villager, Akira Emoto as the village leader, Eri Watanabe as the maid, and Shido Nakamura as bat-shit crazy samurai who went rogue.

The only thing that I disliked about the movie is that there are a bit generic villains. The screenplay desperately tries to make them come off as brutal and gruesome, but in reality they are no match for the main heroine.

Recommendations
If you want to experience a Zatoichi story from a different perspective, then Ichi is the movie for you. I’m not going to lie that I fell in love with Haruka Ayase after watching it. Hopefully, I will be able to check out the manga series in the future as well. Ichi definitely deserves another movie or even a drama series.Overall score: 9/10

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