Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings 2016

7.63

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

2016

Sword of the Stranger

Sword of the Stranger 2007

7.61

Pursued by formidable Chinese assassins, young Kotaro and his dog run into No Name, a mysterious stranger who gets pulled into the chase. The unlikely companions form a bond over saving the dog from a poison attack, but chaos erupts when the assassins find Kotaro, and No Name must face his past before a horrible fate is met again.

2007

Yojimbo

Yojimbo 1961

8.10

A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.

1961

Ran

Ran 1985

8.10

With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa's late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power.

1985

Ugetsu

Ugetsu 1953

7.97

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

1953

The Deer King

The Deer King 2021

6.50

Following a brutal war, former soldier Van toils in a mine controlled by the ruling empire. One day, his solitary existence is upended when a pack of wild dogs carrying a deadly and incurable disease attack, leaving only Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. Finally free, the pair seek out a simple existence in the countryside but are pursued by nefarious forces. Intent on protecting Yuna at all costs, Van must uncover the true cause of the plague ravaging the kingdom—and its possible cure.

2021

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III 1993

5.45

The four turtles travel back in time to the days of the legendary and deadly samurai in ancient Japan, where they train to perfect the art of becoming one. The turtles also assist a small village in an uprising.

1993

Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Afro Samurai: Resurrection 2009

6.81

Afro Samurai avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio.

2009

The Life of Oharu

The Life of Oharu 1952

7.77

In Edo Period Japan, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page signals the beginning of her inexorable fall.

1952

Sanjuro

Sanjuro 1962

7.90

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.

1962

Kagemusha

Kagemusha 1980

7.81

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.

1980

The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai 2002

7.80

Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?

2002

The Hidden Fortress

The Hidden Fortress 1958

7.94

In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.

1958

Love and Honor

Love and Honor 2006

7.44

A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.

2006

Throne of Blood

Throne of Blood 1957

7.93

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

1957

Sansho the Bailiff

Sansho the Bailiff 1954

8.10

In medieval Japan, a woman and her children journey to find the family's patriarch, who was exiled years before.

1954

Hana

Hana 2006

6.70

In a poor district of Edo lives a young samurai named Soza. He has been sent by his clan to avenge the death of his father. He isn't an accomplished swordsman however, and he prefers sharing the life of the residents, teaching the kids how to write etc. When he finally finds the man he is looking for, he will have to decide whether he follows the way of the samurai or chooses peace and reconciliation.

2006

Demons

Demons 1971

7.70

Tells the story of the samurai Gengobe, who seeks revenge after falling prey to the schemes of a geisha and her husband.

1971

Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice

Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice 1972

6.29

Fearless Edo-period police inspector Hanzo Itami, nicknamed The Razor, has developed his own unique way of extracting information for his inquiries. His first adventure sees him investigating his superior officer's mistress, whom he suspects of having ties with a reputed criminal on the loose.

1972

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai 2011

7.25

A tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.

2011

Shōgun

Shōgun 2024

8.55

In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

2024

InuYasha

InuYasha 2000

8.59

Kagome Higurashi is a modern day young girl who lives with her family by the old Higure shrine. Unbeknownst to Kagome, she is the reincarnation of priestess Kikyo and posseses the "Jewel of Four Souls" (the Shikon jewel). One ill-fated day, Kagome locates an ancient well near her home and is abruptly transported through the well and into a feudal Japan, inhabited by demons. There, she encounters Inuyasha, son of a powerful demon father and a human mother, who is pinned to a tree by an enchanted arrow.

2000

Ninja Girl & Samurai Master

Ninja Girl & Samurai Master 2016

6.50

The anime centers on a young female ninja named Chidori, whose dream is to help the Warring States-era warlord Oda Nobunaga to achieve his goals.

2016

Into the Badlands

Into the Badlands 2015

7.61

In a land controlled by feudal barons, a great warrior and a young boy embark on a journey across a dangerous land to find enlightenment. A genre-bending martial arts series very loosely based on the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West.

2015

Jin

Jin 2009

8.00

A brain surgeon named Minakata Jin has spent the last two years in anguish, as his fiancee lies in a vegetative state after an operation he performed. One day, he faints at the hospital and awakens to find himself transported back in time to the Edo period. He is soon attacked by a samurai, but he escapes with the help of a man named Kyotaro. Kyotaro suffers a serious injury to the head while trying to protect him, but Jin manages to save his life despite a lack of proper medical equipment. Because of that, Kyotaro's sister Saki begins taking an interest in Jin and becomes his assistant. Meanwhile, Jin is determined to find a way back to the present.

2009

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles 2022

6.00

A teenage rabbit aspiring to become a real samurai teams up with new warrior friends to protect their city from Yokai monsters, ninjas and evil aliens.

2022

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan

Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan 2021

7.13

Dynamic reenactments and expert commentaries bring to life the tumultuous history and power struggles of a warring 16th-century feudal Japan.

2021

Triple Combination: Transformers Go!

Triple Combination: Transformers Go! 2013

10.00

Triple Combination: Transformers Go! is an animated series available via DVDs packaged with TV Magazine and TV-Kun. It was created to promote the new characters sold in the toyline and ostensibly takes place after events inspired by the Beast Hunters portion of Transformers: Prime. The story ignores the events of the third season of Prime, stemming instead from a truncated cliffhanger created specifically for the final episode of the Japanese dub of Prime, which left everyone's fate ambiguous instead of ending on the Decepticons' victory from the English version. The series is formatted into two concurrent chapters of episodes, each one assigned to one of the two magazines and focusing on a specific protagonist group. The "Samurai Chapter" began with the August 2013 issue of TV-Kun and highlights the Swordbot Samurai Team, while the "Shinobi Chapter" began with the September 2013 issue of TV Magazine and centers on the Swordbot Shinobi Team.

2013