is a five-part 1954 black-and-white Japanese film series directed by Toshikazu Kōno. The film is based on the 1814-1842 novel ''

Nansō Satomi Hakkenden ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (; ), commonly known as ''Satomi Hakkenden'' () or simply ''Hakkenden'' (), is a Japanese epic novel ('' yomihon'') by Kyokutei Bakin, originally published over the course of twenty-eight years ( 1814–42). Set in t ...

'' by

Kyokutei Bakin , born , was a Japanese novelist of the Edo period, who wrote under the pen name . Later in life he took the pen name . Modern scholarship generally refers to him as , or just as n. He is regarded as one of, if not the, leading author of early ...

. Movie list: * ''Sorcerer's Orb part 1 Cursed Demon Sword: Murasame-maru'' 里見八犬伝　第一部　妖刀村雨丸 (1954) * ''Sorcerer's Orb part 2 Showdown at Horyukaku: Dragon vs Tiger'' 里見八犬伝　第二部　芳流閣の龍虎 (1954) * ''Sorcerer's Orb part 3 Dance of the Ghost Cat'' 里見八犬伝　第三部　怪猫乱舞 (1954) * ''Sorcerer's Orb part 4 Clan of Eight Warriors'' 里見八犬伝　第四部　血盟八剣士 (1954) * ''Sorcerer's Orb part 5 Crimson Moon Battle cry'' 里見八犬伝　完結篇　暁の勝鬨 (1954)

Cast

* Azuma ChiyonosukeWhile the names of most modern Japanese figures are given in Western name order (given name, then family name) on Wikipedia, those from a traditional arts background, such as

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actors, have their

art-name An art name (pseudonym or pen name), also known by its native names ''hào'' (in Mandarin Chinese), ''gō'' (in Japanese), ' (in Korean), and ''tên hiệu'' (in Vietnamese), is a professional name used by artists, poets and writers in the Sinosp ...

or stage name rendered in traditional order (family name, then given name). * Yorozuya Kinnosuke * Yuriko Tashiro * Atsushi Watanabe * Kanji Kosakae * Masaya Sanjō

Plot

The fate of the Satomi Clan lies in the hands of 8 warriors of prophecy, each of whom were born with a crystal orb. The monk, Daisuke, embarks on a journey to find these warriors and reunite the 8 orbs they carry so that they may fulfill their destiny.

Original story

The original story was the signature work of Edo period author Takzawa Bakin, called "Nanso Satomi Hakkenden". It was first published nearly 200 years ago in 1815. "Nanso" in the title refers to an area that is today southern Chiba Prefecture. Takizawa's Tale combines stories of the Satomi Clan, an actual family that controlled an area centered in southern Chiba from about 1450 until the early Edo period, with elements from the Chinese story known as "Suikoden". "Nanso Satomi Hakkenden" is a master-work that took Takizawa 106 volumes and 28 years to complete

Release

The film performed well at the box office.Fujiki and Phillips (eds), The Japanese Cinema Book, 2020
p 117
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References

External links