He befriends a Rōnin (a masterless samurai), and later decides to live in a village, which happens to be doomed and besieged by the unholy alliance of the Yakuza lord Boss Goemon with the mad and corrupt Inspector Hasshuu.
On the morning of Monday 26 December 1988, Ryûtarô Gan (the eldest son of Shintarô Katsu), who played Boss Goemon, while on set shooting the film, stabbed and killed actor Yukio Katô in a tragic accident.
[6] The A/V quality release is presented in its proper 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio, while the audio is Japanese 2.0 LPCM stereo (48 kHz/16 bit), with optional English subtitles are available.
[7] Katsu went on to co-star in Kazuo Kuroki’s mud-caked remake of the silent classic Roningai in 1990, which received a fair amount of critical notice and international festival exposure.
In between episodes of carnage, Katsu's final turn as the Blind Swordsman offers moments of his characteristic humor, a bit of reflection, and his usual humanity".