Master Ichi (Shintaro Katsu), the blind masseur, expert gambler, and master swordsman, goes on a pilgrimage to visit 88 shrines to atone for all the people that he's killed in the previous 13 movies. But wouldn't you know it, not long after visiting the first temple he gets caught up in a small village's drama, as they are being menaced by gangster and horse trader Tohachi (Isao Yamagata) and his cronies.
Ichi also begins a chaste romance with local girl Kichi (Michiyo Yasuda). Also featuring Masao Mishima, and Hisashi Igawa.
I liked that the script (co-written by Kaneto Shindo & Kan Shimozawa) addresses the mental toll that Ichi's character deals with as a good guy driven to violent resolutions. I was impressed with Yasuda as the plucky Kichi, who refuses to back down from the villains. I've read that she was a big star in Japan in the latter half of the decade, so I'd be interested in tracking down more of her work. This film's finale is also noteworthy, as it shows Ichi struggling a bit, which is quite a contrast to some of the earlier films that show him as an unstoppable force of nature.
