#Three Outlaw Samurai

[chernobog13]

The Three Outlaw Samurai (1964): spear master Kyojuro Sakura (Isamu Nagato), Sakon Shiba (Tetsuro Tamba, aka the hardest working man in Japanese cinema) and Einosuke Kikyo (Mikijirō Hira).

This fantastic film was director Hideo Gosha's first, and considered by many to be his best (not that the rest were shoddy by any means). It appears at first to be a story depicting the low depths men can bring themselves to. In the end, however, it is a surprising statement on the power of morality and how a few good men, standing by their principles, can make a difference.

The film is a prequel and origin story for the 1963 television series of the same name, also directed by Gosha-san, and starring all three men. I would love to see this series, but can't seem to find it anywhere.

There was a 1970 Three Outlaw Samurai television series, but I'm not quite sure if it is a reboot or a continuation. This is the series that usually shows up in Internet searches.

Of the original cast, only Nagato-san returns as Kyojuro Sakura. He is joined by two new actors playing new characters, Noboru Ando as Ukon Nagare, and Gen Takamori as Genzaburo Kaeda. Gosha-san returns to direct the first two episodes (the only ones I've seen), and they feel much more sophisticated and cinematic than other jidaigeki television shows of the time.

The film is available through the Criterion Collection, and the television series can be found in the "gray market." Both are highly recommended to samurai movies fans, Japanese cinephiles, or folks who just plain love good flicks.

[transea]

day three: three outlaw samurai (1964)

[swantonbomb]

and were you very very sad the week you watch a samurai movie every day?

but the little prince did not reply

[lilly-of-the-valley-artblog]

Ah, my favorite and most disturbing villain i've met - Bonhart ❤️

Obviously based on Lee Van Cleef, the most infamous villain in wild west... Btw, am i the only one who found ENTIRE Rats and Bonhart plotline very western? Like, the way they have a stand off, epic one liners, the way Sapkowski describes them entering every village riding on horses while people hide or glorify them. And ofc, Rats are outlaws. Anyway...

I gave him a nice cowboy hat, bcz similiar hats were present in slavic cultures for centuries, so it made sense that he would have one as well. And it hides his face in shadow so well.

Now you may be wondering, what's the upper right thing? Like, why does he have a braid? That thing is called Perčin in some slavic tongues, or in english it would be similiar to asian queue. Just like in samurai culture, hair meant a great deal in slavic nations. Having long, braided hair was a sign of respect, high position or bravery. So it made sense that Bonhart, undefeated bounty hunter, would give a visual warning to his enemies with this one hairstyle... We know that he was an officer in millitary, so he probably did have one anyway.

This is one example i used. He was a great warrior and politician in his time, as well as Lord. This is the picture i used for inspo...

These are three styles of slavic Queues. The third one, which you might have noticed, was used in the new Nosferatu remake, which i highly recommend btw. The other too were also very popular in southern slavic countries.

Regardless of how "silly" this hairstyle may look to foreigners, the truth is, costume designs in film and art industry should be more bold, more unique and more creative. There are thousands of historical costumes and hairstyles that will never be seen on screen bcz hollywood deems them not cool enough. This one detail, imo, adds a lot to the character, not only character wise, but also culturally.

Hope u like it! ❤️✨

[busy-isy]

So I add anime characters in my game, usually as my neighbors who live regular lives with no goals. I got bored of that. So I thought of five challenges/storylines that are based off of five different anime for The Sims 4. Hopefully, they give you something to do with your sims, whether they're the characters or not :> (the original video where these are showcased are linked way below)

♢ Tokyo Revengers

In another timeline, your sim has lost the one they’ve cared about most, due to a targeted murder. It's up to you to have your sim climb their way to the top of organized crime and use their influence to protect their loved ones.

Goal: -Become a top delinquent/gangster -Complete your sim’s aspiration (Can be any of the aspirations of how your sim wants to live their life)

Mods/Packs Required: Basemental Gangs, Basemental Drugs, Extreme Violence

Rules

❥ Have a young adult sim (only young adults/older can create gangs with the mod)

❥ Have an existing criminal gang that's level 10

❥ Your sim can have many connections with family, friends, and romantic partners

❥ Your sim must have a “stalker” who plans to murder you and your loved one/s (with the Extreme Violence “stalk” option, and “autonomous killing” setting which is optional)

❥ Your sim must max out any of the drug dealing skills in order to create a gang (Cocaine Dealing, Cannabis Dealing, MDMA Dealing, etc.)

❥ Two main skills your sim should prioritize is their Fitness and Charisma. You need to be level 10 at both skills before competing with rival gangs

❥ You cannot kill your sim’s stalker or get them arrested until they are at level 10 of their gang

❥ Your sim’s rivals should not be associated, or know any of your loved ones

❥ Your sim can not get arrested

❥ You cannot let any of your sim or your sim’s loved ones be killed

♢ Ouran Highschool Host Club

Under whatever circumstance, your sim managed to run into a host club and get into a debt of 500,000 simoleons. But who just has that money laying around? The only option here would be to work as a host yourself to cover this hefty fee, as an inexperienced specimen yourself.

Goal: -Have at least 500,000 simoleons in your business funds by the end of the sims-year (long calender recommended -Have at least 500,000 simoleons in both your household funds (optional)

Mods/Packs Required: Get Together, Get Famous, Get to Work /or Dine Out

Rules

❥ Have your sim join or create a club, with a requirement of level 2 Charisma and romantic social activities (Except Whoohoo, this is a classy business after all!)

❥ Have your sim create a restaurant or retail business and set it as the Host Club’s gathering

❥ Your sim must have the “Unflirty” trait or any other negative social trait

❥ Both your sim’s household funds and business funds must start off with 0 simoleons

❥ Your sim is allowed to have romantic meters with many sims, but cannot be in an official relationship

❥ Your sim is not allowed to marry until their debt is paid

❥ Your sim should prioritize their Charisma skill (maybe build their skill before joining the Host Club)

❥ Only 25% percent of the business’ profit can go to your household funds

❥ As your business goes up a rating, so does your sim’s fame

❥ If your sim’s fame and business rating is at three stars, then you can give your Host Club the Popular perk

♢ Samurai Champloo

An outlaw, a ronin, and a waitress. They all must travel across the world in search of a simurai who smells of sunflowers–or a hermit who owns a hundred cowplants. The goal here is not so much finding their samurai, more about scraping by, and trying not to encounter old foes.

Goal: -Live in every world in the game -Complete all three sims’ aspirations -Two of the fighters maxing out their sword skills -Have at least 60,000 simoleons for the three sims to split individually -Your trio must have at least 100 friendship by the end of their journey

Mods/Packs Required: Kysutso Path Of Legends, Extreme Violence, any packs with their own world

Rules

❥ You must have two fighter sims, with only one of the two sword-styles each

❥ Your third sim is not allowed to have either of the fighting skills, or have more then level 2 Fitness skill

❥ Your sims can only start with 500 simoleons

❥ You cannot let your third sim be killed! They’re supposed to be in company of bodyguards

❥ None of your sims can have a full-time job, and if they have a part-time job, it can only be for one week

❥ One fighter can only have a maximum of level 2 of the Fishing skill

❥ One other fighter can only have a maximum of level 2 of the Logic skill

❥ Each of your fighter sims must have enemies (with autonomous killing) that are littered across the maps, in which they must avoid

❥ If either of your fighter sims come into contact with these enemies, your household needs to move to a new map within 2 sim days

❥ If either of your fighter sims run into any of their enemies a second time, they must kill them

❥ Your sims must move into a new map every week, with the challenge ending either where you started, or the last world you choose

♢ Attack on Titan (Junior High!)

In Attack on Titan’s Junior High spin-off, Eren is obsessed with ‘cheesburgs’ and titans are always eating them. I thought it would be funny to mix junior high Eren with season 4 Eren. If his cheeseburgers aren’t appreciated by humanity, then humanity shouldn’t remain.

Goal: -Get your restaurant to a 5 star rating -Keep most of the sims population alive

Mods/Packs Required: Dine Out, Extreme Violence (optional)

Rules

❥ Create Eren Yeager, and any of the AOT cast you’d like

❥ Create Eren’s cheeseburg restaurant, starting the business/household funds off with 0 simoleons

❥ Have a mascot promoting the restaurant (preferably Armin in a bunny suit)

❥ If Sasha Braus is in your game, do not let her eat any of the food

❥ If a customer leaves the restaurant with a two star rating, Eren must beat them

❥ If a customer leaves the restaurant with a one star rating, Eren must kill them

❥ If a customer is rude to staff or your household, Eren must beat them

❥ If a customer or employee kicks a trash can, Eren must kill them

❥ If an employee is rude to customers, Eren must beat them

❥ If an employee is overall incompetent, Eren must kill them

❥ If the restaurant’s rating doesn’t go up in 3 sims’ days, Eren must kill every sim in one of the maps

♢ Danganronpa

Your sims have been accepted into an academy/university for particularly gifted students. Little do they know–it's been a year, and they’re all trapped in the school by an unknown mastermind. Only one can leave, unless they can overtake the mastermind first.

Goal: -Have your main sim max out the most skills -Avoid your main sim getting killed -The rest of the storyline is up to you :)

Mods/Packs Required: Extreme Violence

Rules

❥ Create eight sims or more if you have MCCC (Can be teens or young adults)

❥ Each sim must have a specialty that is incorporated in their aspiration, traits, and skill starting in the game

❥ Pick a sim you will be prioritizing and only taking care of needs for

❥ Your sims are not allowed to leave their lot

❥ Provide your sims with many activities in the lot so they can build skills

❥ Each sims week, whoever has the lowest amount of skills and skill levels must be set to “autonomous killing”

❥ You are not allowed to make the Blackened clean blood or themselves up (must be autonomous)

❥ Provide your sims a day of investigation

❥ An actual trial session is optional. If the Blackened is witnessed killing or covered in blood, they will be executed

❥ For each trial that goes on, take away a section that provides skill-building activities or any other luxuries that would keep your sims sane

❥ Any sim who finds their way outside the lot, invites other sims over, or calls police must automatically be killed

[bluntblade]

One thing I keep asking myself now in relation to Ahsoka is: does Filoni like samurai films? Does he have thoughts about any of them? And if he does, why isn't any of it in the show?

For contrast, regardless of anyone's views on The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson engaged with the genre. Rather than just pull from things that had already been used by Star Wars, he explored. He understood the themes of Rashomon and Three Outlaw Samurai, and understood why those films work. You can tell that he has a relationship to and appreciation for the material. He borrows Rashomon's "three versions of the story" and echoing that film, the truth lands in a murky in-between which exposes a critical error by a character, but also incites them to an act of real moral courage. The energy of Three Outlaw Samurai, meanwhile, comes through in the slovenly DJ and the frantic, scrappy melee combat.

In the same way, Andor and Rogue One are applying more than just the aesthetics of espionage thrillers and modern war movies to SW (also they understood what those aesthetics are for). For that matter, TCW's Umbara arc used Vietnam War film nods pretty well.

The Mandalorian, I think, has increasingly lost the sense of having anything to say with its Western elements, and in Ahsoka and its repeated riffing on samurai movies, it's even more frustrating. Characters pose with their lightsabers in ways that mimick the likes of Toshiro Mifune, there are musical echoes, the framing vaguely evokes those films at times... yet it stops there, at the surface. They're not doing anything more than The Jedi was when borrowing frames from Yojimbo back in Mando S2. It begins to feel solely performative, doing homage to the things which influenced Lucas because they influenced Lucas (and missing the fact that Lucas adored these films because they are terrific works of art).

And that doesn't even get into how much of Kurosawa's actual style isn't imitated at all here. Kineticism, the thing which the master did better than basically anyone else, is pretty much absent, let alone his dramatic use of weather and smoke.

The reason I'm harping on about this is that Filoni and his writers room could really have made hay if they dug into these stories, because they would've found themes that informed the story they were ostensibly setting out to tell. Plenty of Kurosawa films are about ronin (sometimes left masterless by a war that destroyed their clans) and their ambiguous, often fraught relationships with the rest of the world.

Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro all get into this stuff. The former also asks searching questions about what place there is for a warrior in a land at peace, which Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri explores through a much darker and more cynical lens. All of that feels extremely applicable to an Ahsoka who is meant to be scarred by her experiences and feels a gap in her life, where so much of the Jedi's traditional role as peacekeepers and protectors was meant to go. (There is a similar struggle at the heart of David Kirk's wonderful Musashi Miyamoto novels).

But instead we end up with this very shallow attempt at doing homage, which comes out as rather disrespectful in itself when you break it down.

[bigupsdog]

Intro dialog for every Guilty Gear character day 3: Johnny

Sol: Your bounty is high enough to pay for my trip to the moon three times over.

Johnny: You ain't the first person to try to claim that bounty, you ain't gonna be the last.

Ky: You were also orphaned by the Crusades?

Johnny: That bloody war took many a good man's life.

May: When are you going to let me pilot the May Ship again?

Johnny: The last time I let ya drive her ya nearly crashed into Illyria Castle.

Axl: Out of curiosity what's the craziest thing you've ever stolen?

Johnny: Alright, now I wont say which, but one of the Kings of Illyria’s crown is a fake, if you know what i'm saying.

Chipp: Come on, you're wearing all black and you wield a katana, just take the full plunge and become a ninja.

Johnny: Sorry buddy, but if I became a ninja, I would just be too cool for the world to handle.

Potemkin: I'm here to retrieve stolen property from Zepp.

Johnny: What are you talking about? I haven't taken anythin from you guys… recently.

Faust: How’s… May’s… Condition???

Johnny: She’s doing a lot better thanks to you, Doc.

Milia: I work for the government now, so I have to take you in.

Johnny: I’m sure ya asked for this job personally, to see good old Johnny.

Zato: This is nothing personal, I'm just doing my job.

Johnny: And when I cut ya down, it also won't be anythin personal.

Ram: I'm confused, I thought pirates were supposed to be in the ocean, not the sky.

Johnny: Ya don't have to have such strict definitions for everythin sometimes a spade is just a spade.

Leo: A lawbreaker stands before me, and I will be the mighty judge, jury and executioner.

Johnny: I’m startin to think this ain’t no jury of my peers.

Nago: Your swordsmanship, it reminds me of samurai from ages past.

Johnny: You lookin to relive some of your glory days? Because I'm more than willin to help.

Gio: Look I have my orders to take you in, but I still owe you one, so even if I win I'll just say you gave me the slip.

Johnny: Ah that's sweet, looks like it ain't a dog eat dog world after all.

Anji: Steal from the rich, give to the poor, you’re a real Ishikawa Goemon.

Johnny: First time I heard that one, normally I get Robin Hood.

I-No: Don't even try it lover boy, I'm way out of your league.

Johnny: Damn, and I had a great witch related pick up line and everything.

Goldlewis: Outlaws like you give us cowboys a bad name.

Johnny: Nah, lawmen like you ruin the real spirit of the cowboy.

Jack-O: Is that a cowboy costume? Shouldn't you have a gun not a sword?

Johnny: It ain't no costume, I'm the bona-fide real thing.

HC: Ah the showdown, the best part of any western movie.

Johnny: In a quick draw it all comes down to who's faster, unfortunately for you.

Baiken: Put that sword down, you ain't no damn samurai.

Johnny: Cowboy, pirate, samurai, what can I say I have a lot of feathers in my cap.

Testament: I hear you've adopted many an orphaned child from the Crusades.

Johnny: I'd like to think your old man Kliff woulda been proud of me.

Bridget: Your bounty is HOW MUCH!!!

Johnny: Run along now lass, bounty hutin ain't nothin you want to involve yourself with.

Sin: Hey man, your ship looked so cool while I was riding next to it on a dragon!

Johnny: You did what now?

Delilah: Your ship was nice… um, thanks for letting me ride in it.

Johnny: Ah much alleged, good old Johnny's always willin to lend a helpin hand.

Asuka R#: I am not the real “That Man” I am simply a clone.

Johnny: So the coward made a fake to hide from his past, I see how it is.

Asuka R Kreutz: I am deeply sorry for all the pain my past actions have caused.

Johnny: Ah ain't that sweet, ya apologized, to one person who you helped make an orphan, what about all the rest?

Elphelt: Is that a noble outlaw, coming to steal this fair maiden's heart?

Johnny: Normally I'm the one who uses the cheesy pick up line, feels weird, the shoe being on the other foot.

ABA: Your ship is a whale, yet you didn't paint it blue, what is wrong with you?

Johnny: I didn't paint the May Ship, she was just born that way.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

While we're on good samurai stories, oldie but a fun little series of pulp novels I've been circling back to for bedtime reading. Feel like most people know Magic the Gathering is a thing and part of me is glad so many enjoy it today, but I'm a bit of a curmudgeon about it as an old player. I can't look at what it is today and summon the faintest interest in picking it back up. Especially compared to what you used to get back when I first started. When a new set came out you used to be able to get this thing called a fat pack. It'd have six boosters at a good price and some extra swag including a straight-up novel set in the world of that release. Since they'd come in blocks of three sets centered around one world/story, the novels would be a trilogy. Kamigawa is where I started, a set themed around Japanese folklore. So this novel was the first in that cycle, Outlaw.

Is it high literature? No. Is it fun pulp fantasy that's hard to find these days? Hell yeah. The outlaw in question is out main man up there in the pic, Toshiro Umezawa. Cool for a Magic set where the black-mana character is the hero and the white-mana Daimyo Konda is the main antagonist. Basically he kidnaps a Kami setting in motion a big war with the spirit world that rocks Kamigawa. Toshiro gets dragged into it especially when he meets Michiko Konda, the daimyo's daughter who wants to find out how to bring all this to an end.

This was actually a really fun, easy read. Toshi's a great karma Houdini antihero. Michiko was always a favorite card of mine, which is also a great aspect of this personally since I have a lot of fond memories of the cards I recognize inspiring the story. The mysterious Soratami moonfolk, the savage serpentine Orochi, the Kitsune...all fun fantasy elements. Got a nice early-00s willingness to be pretty violent. Enough good twists I was eager to dive right into the second book.

[beardedmrbean]

Ah the rumors are true (and these gaming companies coordinate)

https://x.com/xbox/status/1785308276063633588?s=46

I already figured out given last year Xbox revealed Star Wars outlaws and next day we had a gameplay reveal at the Ubi forward

Remember that leak AC red menu I sent? Well that was taken down to copyright, but I think that was a Xbox not a Ubi move.

Because the leak show the build being April third and most press conference game builds are usually a few months old as they are the most stable

So I heard original red would have it reveal in May 31st…hmmm if that still true

May 31st- a press event where we get a pre render cgi trailer, proper Yasuke and Naoe reveal, details, in game screenshots. And title reveal

June 9th- Xbox will have a gameplay demo showing off the capabilities of Xbox (and if Xbox bribed them enough. Ac red will be the first day one ac game on gamepass as the last three ac rpgs on it)

June 10th- a story trailer and “bts” video where they show how yes finally we are going to Japan and their ideas and inspirations for it

With probably the nice explanation why Yasuke was chose for the second playable character

Because people want red to be reveal at Ubisoft forward…but people need to digested Yasuke at first

Like my theory craft on how to use Yasuke in a what if continuation is interesting…but modern writers are not exactly smart.

Also there a fundamental difference between my black teen dad Jrpg idea vs writers who have critical theory plaguing their minds

Not to mention they think having more non whites will bring black people into fantasy games.

When the last time they went to the cookout? The vast majority of casual players only enjoy playing Cod, GTA, tekken and other fighting games, and the occasional license hero game

Okay okay fornite

Like here my pitch

Hey casual black gamers (who barely desire to play Normie games. WHAT I still deal with it) you remember Afro samurai? Well here a game where you play as the weapon bearer Yasuke in this game Assassin Creed Shadows (that is what some people saying the game is going called) where you help a secret ancient order unify Japan. And there more it’s a RPG where you can spend over 100 hours into and explore the beautiful recreation of feudal Japan!

Warning your dumbass might become a pseudo historian and desire more knowledge

(Or you might be interested in more ac games. Hmm here an Egypt one! Now might give you more! HEHEHEHE)

And noting bad wait- okay probably will be 70 dollars…..oh great a season and battle pass!….wdym online only?!

Ubi you now got 5-6 months to reform red market system (most ac game comes out on October or November) because you seen how your own game skulls and bones and SS kills JL flopped

Ugh why I had to be born during the hard times of gaming?

Maybe in May I get more leaks

Also college educated students, people do like organic diversity.

But white people don’t like the demonization of themselves from people who make more money they do in their lifetimes

Seriously what the fuck is the culture in California and New York where it socially acceptable to treat white people like fictional characters

June 10th- a story trailer and “bts” video where they show how yes finally we are going to Japan and their ideas and inspirations for it With probably the nice explanation why Yasuke was chose for the second playable character.

This all was the official timeline then, nice of them to post it, probably gonna be a few more leaks tho

Like my theory craft on how to use Yasuke in a what if continuation is interesting…but modern writers are not exactly smart. Also there a fundamental difference between my black teen dad Jrpg idea vs writers who have critical theory plaguing their minds Not to mention they think having more non whites will bring black people into fantasy games.

They need to stop with all the tokesism crap, even a MC can be a token if it's all just stereotypical nonsense. Then again certain parts of the audience that's all they want.

Gay guys need to be flaming, lesbians are lipstick or mega dyke, Latinos are gardners, and black people are thugs or you're doing it wrong.

If Yasuke breaks into a Undercover Brother type monolouge at some point I would laugh and cry.

When the last time they went to the cookout? The vast majority of casual players only enjoy playing Cod, GTA, tekken and other fighting games, and the occasional license hero game.

Oh I miss the cookouts, had a few friends that would invite me to different ones, damn fine food. Sometimes I acted extra white just to be funny too.

Prev and Warning your dumbass might become a pseudo historian and desire more knowledge (Or you might be interested in more ac games. Hmm here an Egypt one! Now might give you more! HEHEHEHE)

I like it, I also like tricking people into learning, makes things fun and interesting.

And noting bad wait- okay probably will be 70 dollars…..oh great a season and battle pass!….wdym online only?!

Grrrrrr

Ugh why I had to be born during the hard times of gaming? Maybe in May I get more leaks Also college educated students, people do like organic diversity.

There really was a golden age for it, late late 90's till the 10's when things all started to go online, get really good complete games and y you could hit up gameFAQ's if you needed help with something (used to have to know someone who knew or call the Nintendo Power hotline at $1.99 a min if you were stuck.

Think most college educated people like that too, it's just the loud ones that are the issue.

Seriously what the fuck is the culture in California and New York where it socially acceptable to treat white people like fictional characters

Speaking as a Californian let me say, fuck those guys doing that.

this is more like it

[chernobog13]

THREE OUTLAW SAMURAI (1964)

This was director Hideo Gosha's first feature film, and it's a masterful one at that. Three samurai from different backgrounds get involved in a battle between a local magistrate and the peasants he is overtaxing. The three warriors end up siding with the peasants and defend them from the samurai forces sent to put down their revolt.

The film is a prequel to Gosha-san's successful Three Outlaw Samurai television series that was broadcast in Japan in 1963. The series told the tale of the three samurai wandering from village to village, battling the injustices they encountered in their travels. The three actors from the series - Tetsuro Tanba, Isamu Nagato, and Mijikirō Hira - reprised their roles for the film, showing the story of how their characters first met.

The concept was so popular that Gosha-san revived the television series in 1970. Only actor Isamu Nagato of the original trio returned, and his character Sakura Kyujiro is joined by two new samurai, but the first two episodes (the only ones I've viewed), under Gosha-san's direction, are terrific.

I hope to be able to track down the rest of the 1970 series, as well as the original from 1963.

[lucascecil]

First Doctor - Project: Blue Box

TV Stories

◆ An Unearthly Child

◆ The Daleks

◆ The Edge of Destruction

◆ Marco Polo

◆ The Keys of Marinus

◆ The Aztecs

◆ The Sensorites

◆ The Reign of Terror

◆ Planet of Giants

◆ The Dalek Invasion of Earth

◆ The Rescue

◆ The Romans

◆ The Web Planet

◆ The Crusade

◆  The Space Museum

◆  The Chase

◆  The Time Meddler

◆ Galaxy 4

◆ Mission to the Unknown

◆ The Myth Makers

◆ The Daleks’ Master Plan

◆ The Massacre

◆ The Ark

◆ The Celestial Toymaker

◆ The Gunfighters

◆ The Savages

◆ The War Machine

◆ The Smugglers

◆ The Tenth Planet

Audio Stories

- 1st Doctor Adventures

◆ The Destination Wars

◆ The Great White Hurricane

◆ The Invention of Death

◆ The Barbarians and the Samurai

◆ The Phoenicians

◆ Tick-Tock World

◆ Return to Skaro

◆ For the Glory of Urth

◆ The Hollow Crown

◆ The Outlaws

◆ The Miniaturist

◆ The Demon Song

◆ The Incherton Incident

◆ Fugitive of the Daleks

◆ The Living Darkness

- The Companion Chronicles

◆ The Beginning

◆ The Sleeping Blood

◆ The Alchemists

◆ Quinnis

◆ The Transit of Venus

◆ The Library of Alexandria

◆ The Flames of Cadiz

◆ E is for…

◆ The Wanderer

◆ Here There Be Monsters

◆ The Revenants

◆ Starborn

◆ The Rocket Men

◆ The Sleeping City

◆ The Unwinding World

◆ Daybreak

◆ The Time Museum

◆ Frostfire

◆ Fields of Terror

◆ The Founding Fathers

◆ Across the Darkened City

◆ Upstairs

◆ The Suffering

◆ The Anachronauts

◆ The Home Truths

◆ The Drowned World

◆ The Guardian of the Solar System

◆ The Perpetual Bond

◆ The Cold Equations

◆ The First Wave

◆ The Vardan Invasion of Mirth

◆ Mother Russia

◆ Tales from the Vault

◆ Return of the Rocket Men

◆ The War to End All Wars

◆ The Bonfires of Vanities

◆ The Plague of Dreams

◆ The Crumbling Magician

- The Early Adventures

◆ The Age of Endurance

◆ Domain of the Voord

◆ After the Daleks

◆ The Fifth Traveler

◆ The Doctor’s Tale

◆ The Bounty of Ceres

◆ The Ravelli Conspiracy

◆ The Dalek Occupation of Winter

◆ An Ideal World

◆ Entanglement

◆ The Crash of UK-201

◆ Daughter of the Gods

◆ An Ordinary Life

◆ The Sontarans

◆ The Secrets of Det-Sen

- The Lost Stories

◆ Farewell, Great Macedon

◆ The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragance

◆ The Masters of Luxor

- Short Trips

◆ Rise and Fall

◆ A Star is Born

◆ A Small Semblance of Home

◆ Flywheel Revolution

◆ Home Again, Home Again

◆ 1963

◆ Etheria

◆ Helmstone

◆ O Tannenbaum

◆ Peace in Our Time

◆ Out of the Deep

◆ This Sporting Life

◆ The Horror at Bletchington Station

◆ Falling

- Prose Short Trips

◆ The Last Days

◆ Mondas Passing

◆ There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden

◆ 64 Carlysle Street

◆ Romans Cutaway

◆ The Longest Story in the World

◆ Nothing at the End of the Lane

◆ Planet of the Bunnoids

◆ The True and Indisputable Facts in the Matter of the Ram's Skull

◆ The Little Drummer Boy

◆ A Long Night

◆ The Exiles

◆ Mire and Clay

◆ Ash

◆ Katarina in the Underworld

◆ The Glass Princess

◆ Corridors of Power

◆ The Thief of Sheerwood

◆ Bide-a-Wee

◆ Scribbles in Chalk

◆ The Rag & Bone Man's Story

◆ The Schoolboy's Story

◆ The Juror's Story

◆ Every Day

◆ All Our Christmases

◆ The Duke's Folly

◆ Waiting for Jeremy

◆ Making History

◆ Mars

◆ Set in Stone

◆ The Gift

◆ The Mother Road

◆ The Three Parts

◆ Childhood Living

◆ The Ruins of Time

◆ Room for Improvement

◆ The Long Step Backwards

◆ Indian Summer

◆ Tell Me You Love Me

◆ Snowman in Manhattan

◆ Losing the Audience

◆ The Price of Conviction

◆ iNtRUsioNs

◆ Do You Smell Carrots?

◆ White on White

◆ The Power Supply

◆ The Reign Makers

- Virgin Decalogs

◆ The Book of Shadows

◆ The Golden Door

◆ The Nine-Day Queen

◆ Tarnished Image

Books

◆ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

◆ The Empire of Glass

◆ The Man in the Velvet Mask

◆ The Plotters

◆ The Witch Hunters

◆ Salvation

◆ City at World’s End

◆ Bunker Soldiers

◆ Byzantium!

◆ Ten Little Aliens

◆ The Eleventh Tiger

◆ The Time Traveller

◆ Time and Relative

◆ Frayed

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: Samurai Wolf

In Samurai Wolf, director Hideo Gosha shaves his already minimalistic chanbara formula all the way down to the bone. Although conspiracies, intrigue, conflicting loyalties, and double identities abound, these recurring tropes merely provide narrative context rather than serving as central themes. The setting is likewise quite modest compared to the lavish, densely populated feudal cities and quaint, fertile farms that tend to define the jidaigeki genre; the story instead unfolds in a remote ghost town nestled amidst an imposing mountain range, where the ramshackle buildings and dusty, desolate roads evoke an almost post-apocalyptic atmosphere. Even the heroic ronin du jour lacks his archetype’s trademark tragic origin, swaggering onto the screen pretty much fully formed, with only the clothes on his back (his frequent shirtlessness notwithstanding).

The simple, straightforward, no-frills plot allows Gosha to focus his creative energies on what truly matters: the style. Every image is a beautifully crafted work of art. The action is, of course, exquisitely choreographed, making excellent use of slow motion, precise editing, and dynamic framing (including claustrophobic closeups, sprawling wides, and disorienting Dutch angles) to add variety to the intentionally chaotic battles. Expository dialogue is filmed with equal care and attention to detail. In one early scene, for example, our protagonist negotiates with a prospective employer while casually trimming his beard, using his sword as a makeshift mirror; thus, both characters remain visible in each shot/reverse shot via the reflective surface of the blade, lending visual flair to the otherwise basic compositions.

Samurai Wolf isn’t Gosha’s best movie (that title rightfully belongs to either Three Outlaw Samurai or Hunter in the Dark, despite my personal preference for Sword of the Beast), but it certainly ranks among his most effortlessly entertaining. Running a lean, breezy seventy-five minutes without sacrificing any of its emotional resonance, it proves the old adage, “Sometimes, less is more.”

[macchiatolatte]

My favorite period of time next to the Edwardian era (1901~1910) is Victorian, so you're right on point! I've seen like 5 variations of the "cowboys and samurais are contemporaries" post, so here's my two takes:

1) It's funny how both cowboys and samurai are romanticized in pop culture when both are incredibly different in reality by this point.

The cowboy of this era is just a cow-herding lad, driving cattle across the glorious plains of the West. What you're looking for is the outlaw, ranger, or any other armed folk out there. And by the 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate and the various samurai daimyo (clans) are well-solidified in their rule for about three hundred years now. The romantic bushido-following katana-wielding warriors in pop culture samurai were gone in that time: the Edo period was mostly a peaceful period of time, save for the beginning, the Bakumatsu period, and the Shimabara rebellion. The samurai you're likely looking for are either Sengoku Jidai era (16th century) or Genpei War era (12th century). To say that both met their end in/around 1868 is… inaccurate, I'd say. 1868 is indeed the legal end of the samurai (with the Meiji restoration and the end of Bakumatsu), but the people who were samurai still retained their social and economic sway. Many samurai sided with the pro-imperial forces, and many opposed it in the case of the more pop-culture-esque Shinsengumi. That's also not to say the general adoption of the bushido fantasy by the Imperial Army. And 1868 is still only 3 years after the end of the Civil War. By this point, the cowboy/frontier is just beginning its heyday. The West between the Mississippi and California is still an "untamed" (if you ignore the Natives) wild, and it really only ends by the 1890 census. Even then, you can stretch cowboy stories well up to World War I. Just look at Red Dead.

But! The time difference doesn't make the combo any less cool. 2) Ronin and outlaws together are fuckin' awesome!

The Bakumatsu didn't come quietly. As I've mentioned before, the Shinsengumi gives you a nice ground for samurai at the end of an era. Plenty of them survived long after the restoration. Saitou Hajime is a great example: he lived well into the Meiji era (he passed in 1915!) and ended up serving as an agent for the Imperial government in Tokyo. And there were plenty of samurai in the pro-Meiji factions. Sakamoto Ryouma, hero of the restoration. Man was a badass that strutted around with both a revolver and katana on his hip, and went out in a battle against Shinsengumi assassins. I recommend you read his story, he's one of my personal heroes. Many of the samurai that sided with the restoration later fell in their own battle against Imperial forces which matches that narrative of the dying code during the Battle of Shiroyama, which you've probably heard of before thanks to the Sabaton song.

However, the romanticized ideals of the bushido code and the samurai never really left until the end of World War II. The Imperial government is a touchy subject considering it leads to the fascist state of the 30s and 40s, but it's where the idea of bushido starts and has its main foothold. Those who enlisted in the Imperial Army believed in the idea of this code as a justification for their actions, and of course that can lead to the eventual outlaws and vigilantes. Ronin, you could say.

So, imagine it. An Imperial Army deserter finding their way boat-side to the American frontier, finding their ronin fantasy running with an outlaw gang. Sure, you're still on the run, but the open air of the Rockies beats marching and dying in a trench in Manchuria. The weapons and guns flow smoothly here, too-- there's no way you would've been able to ever touch one after your conscription ends. You never really liked the smog in the cities, anyway. A former Shinsengumi agent trying to relive their glory days as a bounty hunter. They heard that a nephew was living in San Francisco, and knew that those across the Pacific were more… brutal with their criminals. They always missed the feeling of riding into battle on horseback. So, don the white-mountain and blue-sky haori once again, a bright warning amongst panchos and suits. A shishi, a follower of the late Sakamoto Ryouma, searching for the modern republic that he dreamed of. The barbarians across the sea might have the answer, and the more scholarly among the restorationists are already opening diplomatic missions as part of the Meiji government. Maybe a journey through lands more wide and vast may bring a new perspective.

But cross-cultural pollination isn't a one-way street: it's an ongoing exchange. A former sheriff disgraced by the collapse of his town with the construction of railroads eliminating the need for the frontier town, now finding themselves recruited as an advisor for Osaka's police force. The prefectures themselves are finding their footing, being the replacement for the Tokugawa's provinces, and Westernization is the big new thing in town. Maybe there is enough space in this town for the two of us. An outlaw skipping the country altogether and winding up still doing the same trade they've always done. The yakuza are finding their footing in these chaotic times, with the country still licking the wounds of Bakumatsu and the transition away from the Tokugawa government. Maybe it's not as wild as you'd like, but the depths of the cities still offer a haven to those looking for it. A Lakota warrior fleeing far beyond, after Sitting Bull's surrender, and finding themselves across the Pacific, and finally in Hokkaido. A land much like their home, free yet now encroached by waves of colonizers. Another dream of freedom, if fleeting.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries is a fascinating time to me, and it's ripe with potential. I apologize for a bit of lackluster sources, but I recommend you do your own research on the societies of the time! The world's in the midst of transitioning to its modern environment, and there's plenty of space for more wild crossovers.

Also: go read Golden Kamuy! It gives a wild west vibe in Hokkaido and it's sick.

every western movie ever made: The wild west is dying. theres no more room left for cowboys anymore…

me everytime: :(

[gertlushgaming]

Fate/Samurai Remnant Review (Playstation 5)

For our Fate/Samurai Remnant Review, it is the 4th year of the Keian Era, Edo Period. It has been several decades since the end of a turbulent, blood-soaked era. People were enjoying peace and tranquility. But, a battle between seven pairs of Masters and Servants is about to begin, as the "Waxing Moon Ritual" unfolds in the shadows. Miyamoto Iori, a young man in Asakusa, finds himself caught in the violence of a Holy Grail War.

Fate/Samurai Remnant Review Pros:

- Anime graphics. - 29.02GB download size. - Platinum trophy. - Action RPG gameplay. - You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game. - 21 save slots. - Three difficulties - sword novice, sword fighter, and sword expert. - Dialogue speed - slow, average, fast, and instant. - Blood - on/off. - Controller settings - Invert the axis for vertical and horizontal. Control assist, rebind controls, and battle camera sliders for sensitivity. - Auto saves regularly. - You can skip and pause cutscenes. - Remarkable cutscenes that feature both Anime and in-game sequences. - Opening tutorial section then ongoing pop-ups. - 3rd person view. - Save and load when you want. - Display settings - brightness slider, display HP (on/partial/off), map display, and map rotation. - Text conversations can be fast-forwarded, paused, slowed down, or auto-scrolled. - Stance change changes your fighting style and you start off with Earth and Water. - Red enemies are about to do a heavy attack, you can attack them and stun them quick enough, when stunned they take double damage. - Moves at a fast pace. - With combat the basics are you have a light and heavy attack and doing any combo with them performs a different attack. - Deal damage to fill your Valor gauge and do an insane over-the-top attack. - Afterglow is when you fight for a time as one stance and then change to another. Depending on which stance you go between determines what happens. - Handy camera reset button. - The full 3D world with 360-degree camera control. - Powerful soundtrack. - Duels can trigger and it's a button mash to bush the bar in your favour. - Magecraft spells - consume a gem to cast a spell assigned to your face buttons. - When you get in trouble or low health, a servant can come in and help you temporarily. - Affinity techniques are powerful attacks and you build the bar and then unleash one with your face buttons and affinity button. - The map shows all destinations, mission markers, and points of interest. - General stores are available to buy items and equipment. You buy from them to increase new stock. - Trials can appear and these vary from fights to tasks. - Outlaws can appear for fights, they can even show on the map. - Outside of the combat you get free reign of the world and can explore and interact with NPCs. - Earn EXP and level up to get skill points that then get put into the massive skill tree. - You can have up to four spells assigned at one time, but you can freely swap them out. - Your house is the hub where you can acquire skills, rewatch/read the story so far, and more which unlocks as you play the story. - Memorable characters. - Excellent character and enemy designs. - The combat is very fast, Devil May Cry/Bayonetta speed but with the enemy on-screen count of a Dynasty Warriors game. - Find items within the game world. - Handy mission markers that are easy to follow. - Fantastic artwork. - Saber can call out interesting finds in the world as you explore. - You can reread tutorials. - Saber, Lancer, and Rider are your starting servants who accompany you and can jump in and help in combat. - The biography menu fills in with details of all encountered characters. - Place your own markers on the map. - Gems for casting spells can drop from enemies. - Slow Mo final kill. - Mountings are where you add/edit the four types of swords - scabbards, guards, handle wrapping, and decorations. These add and change the stats of the sword. - She'll gauges on enemies are basically Shields so you have to do techniques and heavy attacks to deplete it. - You can pet the cats and dogs for a healthy regen. - Substitute is the act of changing who you control when in combat. - The world map lets you leave and go to whole new locations. - Fast loading times. - Saber gets her own skill tree and skill points. - Combat is good from the start but as you unlock more techniques and skills it opens up even more and is just so much fun to not only pull off but to watch. - Saber learns new abilities during the story and you just have to equip the ones you like. - Link strikes are callouts where you go near your servant and press the button prompt to do a crazy tag team attack. - The technique attacks look so cool and over the top. - I find myself constantly getting lost in the world and just exploring and chatting with people. - When you start fighting over servants the difficulty goes up but it's such a spectacular fight. Fate/Samurai Remnant Review Cons: - The combat takes a lot of learning because getting the dodge and techniques to flow is a game in itself. - The start of the game is slow with stop-start action and huge cutscenes. - Using health items is a shortcut but it brings up a menu and you have to click it, this slows the lightning-fast combat right down. - The icons on the map are not selectable. - So much to take in. - Outside of combat, the game is quite dry, with a lot of fetch questing and little fights. Related Post: PAYDAY 3 Review (Steam) Fate/Samurai Remnant: Official website. Developer: KOEI TECMO Publisher: KOEI TECMO Store Links - PlayStation   Read the full article

[bluntblade]

Also, having watched a lot of samurai films lately, I swear that the combat in those is faster than a lot of what we see Ahsoka do. From Three Outlaw Samurai:

This one was an influence on TLJ both for DJ's scraggly outlaw, but more pertinently for the frantic vibe of the Throne Room Throwdown.

And from Sword of Doom:

I couldn't find fight GIFs from Sanjuro or Rashomon, but watch a Kurosawa film and you'll see that, surprise, the Master of Movement often created rapid fight sequences, the intensity heightened by really kinetic filmmaking. The dramatic pauses make some key moments, but they are not at all the one key ingredient.

Ahsoka is so slow I could cry. She was trained by Anakin and presumably Obi-wan and several other Jedi, and Rosario can hardly do an actual lightsaber twirl, let alone make me believe she could survive Ventress, Maul, Grievous, or Vader, survive order 66, or run in a way that looks fast. Bo-Katan moves faster, Shin moves faster, Sabine moves faster, Ezra moves faster, even Ewan's lazy twirls while walking around and not actively engaged in battle in the prequels were roughly as fast as Rosario's in an actual duel.

It's also canon that in this era, in a less prequels flashy version of standard Jedi abilities, a Jedi can leap SEVERAL feet. Luke in ROTJ- even GROGU can jump higher, while Rosario's feet are consistently glued to the ground. Her choreography and speed are so inconsistent with this established era and people keep writing it off and praising it as her fighting like a samurai now, even though it makes NO sense for her to, given who trained her. She isn't A New Hope Obi-wan, nor sad cave dwelling Obi-wan who hasn't stretched or lifted a weapon in a decade, and a 44 year old Jedi is still supposed to be in their prime.

I truly wonder if part of it is that they can't keep her lekku on properly if she does a flip, and they are shorter because they were meant to be more practical, but I'm really not seeing a character agile enough to need stunt modified lekku.

If they couldn't bring this to life in live action convincingly, it should have remained animated and each passing week demonstrates this more and more.

I'm sorry to anon into your inbox like this, but your post about the last episode has been so refreshing, and I've felt like I've been watching a completely different show than other people and don't know how they considered any of the actors ready. (Rosario has said she was training during filming). Thank you for your brutally honest take, you're spot on on all counts.

Couple of things.

A) I agree with everything you just said. Always feel free to come and rant into my asks.

B) I HAVE BEEN ANTI TINY LEKKU SINCE MANDO S2. It's laughable that we've seen cosplayers with more Rebels accurate headpieces. And of course everyone defends it with the 'it wouldn't be fair to the stunt person to have them try and do flips in that' and it's like NEWSFLASH Ahsoka isn't doing flips anyway!!! And sure, they probably stuck Rosario in a 5 week sword training class, but she's clearly not had to do any serious combat training given how clunky her fights are. And again, this was also a problem back in Mando s2, only she was in the middle of a foggy woods, so it was easier to hide the fact that she is incompetent when it comes to fight choreography.

C) "If they couldn't bring this to life in live action convincingly, it should have remained animated" Exactly. This is why every passing day I am increasingly pissed that this show killed and ate the animated Rebels sequel series that was in fucking development. Everything about this show, from Ahsoka, to Hera (hell, even TBoBF cameos like Cad Banes) prove that Disney is not willing to shell out for a decent makeup and/or CG designer. No shade to the artists that are currently working on it, they are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. What I mean is they didn't have anyone on set that was in a high enough positions to say 'Hey, have any of you heard of contouring?' Like, just looking at the alien makeup of the OT...which somehow holds up better than state of the art Disney budget makeup. It's just fucking embarrassing at this point. There is no reason everyone should look as flat as they do, but it's no surprise that they do when mary elizabeth winstead is celebrating that her makeup only took an hour. Sure, it's understandable that you don't want to be sitting in the makeup chair every morning of hours on end, but in the end you are an actor who signed up to play an alien...Suck it up buttercup.

D) I totally understand how hard it is to be not liking this show right now. The amount of people who've told me that "well, clearly it's just not made for you" after I point out a simple fact that a character is out of character is painful. Looking at twitter after each episode as everyone seems to think Filoni is creating the second coming is painful. Because it really does feel like we're watching a different show than them.

Okay, I think I covered everything. Thank you again for your kind words and your wonderful rant!!!

[chernobog13]

Poster for Goyokin (1969), one of my favorite samurai films. It's got a great cast and story, and is directed by Hideo Gosha (Three Outlaw Samurai, The Secret of the Urn, Sword of the Beast) a master of the jidaigeki and chambara genres.