Watches
February 20, 2022
An epic Rintaro adventure, kicking off a series of Madhouse films that would give 80s anime a global signature. There are clear references to the Madhouse greats here, the style just wasn't quite as established or elaborate yet. Fans of the production house are sure to have a good time with The Dagger of Kamui.
Taro is a young orphan whose family is brutally murdered. He manages to take revenge on the killer, years later he finds out that he actually killed his own father, and that the man who set him up is the real culprit. Taro wants revenge, which sends him on a quest that will take him all the way to the USA.
It's interesting to see an anime move from ninjas to cowboys, Rintaro sure takes his time to set everything up too. The film is adventurous, the action is pretty flashy, but the runtime is a bit much and the quality of the animation wasn't quite there yet. It's a nice 80s anime, but Madhouse would improve the formula considerably in the years to come.