Taikoki: The Story of Hideoshi

One of Japan's great film directors, Okamoto Kihachi has brought his magic touch to television in one of the greatest stories of rags to riches in Japanese history. Rising from the lowliest of country samurai to the heights of power as ’Taiko', Toyotomi Hideyoshi is one of the pivotal figures of the Sengoku Jidai' (Era of Warring Clans). With equal mixtures of humor, powerful battles, and stunning swordsmanship, this highly entertaining 2 part historical drama is not to be missed.

Starring the charismatic Shibata Kyohei as ‘Saru' (Monkey) the funny-looking, but incredibly talented youth who would rise like an eagle to the seat of power, and supplemented with an outstanding supporting cast including Matsukata Hiroki as Oda Nobunaga (the first great Warlord of Japan) and Sonny Chiba as the treacherous Akechi Mitsuhide. With battles staged by the world famous Japan Action Club (JAC) this is a unique look at one of the most famous figures in Japanese history.

This double disc set is the first of our new WARLORD COLLECTION. These historical dramas will include the biographies of more major figures from Japanese history including TAIRA NO KIYOMORI, ODA NOBUNAGA, and TOKUGAWA IEYASU, just to name a few.

Taikoki: THE STORY OF HIDEYOSHI

Date Masamune: The One Eyed Dragon

Young Masamune (Takahashi Hideki) upon learning of the death of Nobunaga decides that he is the man to fill those sainted clogs. The fastest way to do this is to subjugate the neighboring warlords. This is an action that results in the death of his father and younger brother and not the least brings him to the attention of Hideyoshi (Tsugawa Masahiko) and not in a good way either but intervention by the regents nephew
Hidetsugu and Maeda Toshiie (Kitaoji Kinya) save his neck although he is forced to move to a smaller fief
and send his wife to Kyoto as hostage.

Although curbed of his lofty ambitions his friendship with Hidetsugu again lands him in hot water when
Ishida Mitsunari arranges the downfall of the
Unfortunate Hidetsugu, Toshiie and Ieyasu (Ishibashi Renji) save his neck and the flamboyant young warlord is sent to Korea where he wins great honors. Upon his return Hideyoshi is dead and Masamune allies himself with Tokugawa Ieyasu thus assuring the survival of the Date family. This Samurai made for TV movie is jam-packed with action (big battles), love, betrayal and intrigues. An amazing story from beginning to the end!
A gem for any Jidai-Geki movie collector!

Directed by: MASUDA Toshio and NISHIGAKI Yoshiharu
TV ASAHI - 1993 - COLOR - 4 HOURS - 2 DISCS

2 DISCS
Price: $24.95
Qty:

DVD
Price: $19.95
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Oda Nobunaga lives on in the annals of history as the one who began the unification of Japan during the warring states era. TBS has produced a star-studded drama that focuses on Nobunaga's early days, before his rise to power. Inde-pendent and rough-mannered, young Nobunaga cares little about the protocols of clan life, finding more fascination in the study of warfare. His vassals are exasperated with his wild ways and even his mother shows preference to her younger son becoming heir to the Oda Clan. But Nobunaga's father arranges the marriage of his elder son to the daughter of a political rival and sets into motion a chain of events that would change Nobunaga's life. Rock idol Kimura Takuya of SMAP is perfect in the role of the youthful, energetic Nobunaga and heads a line-up that includes Ishida Ayumi, Kobayashi Nenji, Nishida Toshiyuki and Nakatani Miki.

THE FOOL WHO CONQUERED JAPAN