Long running TV crime drama set in old Japan. Kichiemon Nakamura, a famous kabuki actor who came over to film and TV really made the series his own. Onihei ran for 9 seasons and had several TV Movie specials. He had an earlier hit series in Kiri-sute gomen. Western audiences could compare the old Gunsmoke series. Not only because Japanese Samurai stories were sources for the Western genre. Marshall Matt Dillon is similar to Heizo Hasagawa. Both are law and order all the way, both have a very engaging way of dispensing justice. NCIS: Los Angeles and Hawaii Five-O are current shows of the action drama. Onihei is well written and the cast is really wonderful. They do grow on you as you get to know them. So if your tired of reality TV check out Onihei Hankacho( hei=Heizo; Han=criminal; detective). The underworld fears him and the people all love him. The tough part is for audiences to find this show. There are websites that offer this Fuji TV production. These blue-blood sites don't offer subtitles, but they do charge several times what discs in stores would cost. The Gypsy Kings offer the great musical soundtrack, to bring the show along.
