Produced after the first films came out, this TV series retells the same stories in the films and eventually continues with stories from the rest of the manga. Accounts says that the series achieved a popularity that eluded the films.
A typical Japanese TV production from the period. It's shot in 16mm like other Japanese drama programs of the time so the show has a "cheap" look that sometimes works well. The direction varies from episode to episode as can be expected but is of higher standards then any US show from the time. There's lots of melodrama that was never in the films and the bloodshed and nudity are nearly non-existent. The mass killing is still here although. Kinnosuke Nakamura is a reasonably good Ogami Itto but Tomisaburo Wakayama basically owns the character. And he was a better swordsman too.
I saw this on local cable years ago. It was entertaining but the films cast a long shadow over it. Watch them first then try the series.
