(by bighouseaz on 17 January 2005)

This is a solid entry in the series. It's true that there is little action until the closing minutes, but when the dam breaks, it breaks big!
I very much appreciated the portrayal of the two bosses. In many Zatoichi films all bosses are equally bad and sometimes disgusting in their greed and avarice. In this film Zatoichi winds up in the house of boss Bunkichi. Bunkichi turns out to be the real deal. He avoids confrontation, does not exploit the locals, and even puts on a fireworks display during O-Bon (summer festival). Zatoichi respects Bunkichi's household and the values they stand for.
In contract, the boss on the other side of the river is Yasugoro. The actor who plays Yasugoro shows up in many of the films in the series. Here he does a great job as the bad guy, strutting around when he is safe and stuttering with nervousness whenever things get rough.
And while the fireworks go off overhead, Zatoichi crosses the river to make Yasugoro pay for his crimes. The lighting in the last fight scene is menacing. Ichi wreaks bloody vengeance in a systematic and frightening manner. As the last firework explodes overhead, Zatoichi delivers the final devastating blow.