History Film / SamuraiFiction

* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: The eastern philosophical kind, as in: ''Everyone was Siddhartha in a Past Life'' -- if Heishiro's acknowledgement of the 300 years since the story's setting is meant to be more than just a joke.

! Trivia:
%% This will be split later on.

* AllThereInTheManual: The producers published a photo book with behind the scenes material and impromptu photo-shoots done by the production photographer and even the director -- who also posted some on his own on his website in a form of a production diary.
* AluminumChristmasTrees: Unemployment as being OlderThanPrint -- The presence of "yakuza" and gambling so early as the 1696, but by then, the Tokugawa shogunate had been in control of the country for about most of that century, it started a period of peace that only suffered minor disruptions throughout. However, one of these disruptional factors were the taxes that made major parts of the society poorer if they happened to have been unnasociated with a clan... basically everyone except a very few. This period also created the "ronin" -- samurai that literally were let go or chose to leave because their clan might not have had the capacity or need to keep them on retainer since feudal borders were set and border disputes would of bought all the other clans upon the disrupting one. Strangely, the "ninja" are somewhat of an exception, but since their numbers started becoming "ronins" themselves even earlier, primarily because there was no more need for a warrior with a specialization. This also explains one of the major turning points in ninja history though, SamuraiShinobi becoming less samurai and more the legendary ninja associated with being non-samurai warriors.
* AuthorAppeal:
** Zen philosophy -- because that one hand gesture of plea from Mizoguchi toward Kazamatsuri is not there by happenstance. Nor is Heishiro's father's name being ''[[MeaningfulName Kanzen]]''.
** Rock-and-Roll or Music in general -- The soundtrack for this film as well as the director making two musical oriented documentaries some time after this.
** Thematic montage -- of which the intro is the only instance here but the director had made several throughout his career and would go on to make several documentaries. %% In 2018, the director completed a documentary about the various aspects of life in Japan, called Peace Nippon.
* AuthorTract: There are non-violent solutions to problems.
* BrokeTheRatingScale: And positively so, because according to many reviewers and critics, this film qualifies as a -- "Refusal to Rate", "Scores don't apply here" or "Impossible to Rate" because it is the best example of a {{Jidaigeki}} and a {{Comedy}} that it seems there are no precedence for up until this work released.
* BitCharacter: Gosuke, played by, later and often {{Type Cast|ing}} as TheDitz, actor Creator/HiroshiKanbe.
* TheCameo: Musician Creator/FumiyaFujii appears as Ryunosuke Kuzumi, the samurai Mizoguchi fatally defeats in combat. Fumiya's younger brother, Creator/NaoyukiFujii also makes an appearance as Shintaro Suzuki.
* DoingItForTheArt: In 1997-1998, when this film was produced and released, the {{Jidaigeki}} genre was in a steady decline in popularity, with most works predominantly being made for TV or made dramas. So it was quite a treat for everyone involved to do an original {{Comedy}} take that played well as a [[TitleDrop Samurai Fiction]].
* {{Fanservice}}: At the end, the narration points out that Red Shadow has quit the ninja and became a maid for Koharu, showing her character in a kimono. The actress is played by photo model Creator/AkikoMonou in her first role. And [[AllThereInTheManual the production photo book]] contains as many photos with her as there are of main cast, Koharu's Creator/TamakiOgawa.
* GoroawaseNumber: The year the story takes place, 1696, has several interpretations:
** ''Imekura'' -- are establishments that conduct elaborate and fetishized costume role playing, in an entertaining and erotic manner, for paying customers.
** ''One Ero-Guro'' -- as in ''1'', ''Ero'' from erotic and ''Guro'' from grotesque. A type of work that showcases grotesque imagery for erotic purposes.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The film itself is sparsely available on DVD, not to mention the extra "Making of" DVD, the photo-book and soundtrack album.
* MemorialCharacter: Kurosawa Tadasuke -- for Creator/AkiraKurosawa, the famed director had died one month prior to this film's release. The character named after him also dies partway through the film and he has a stick of incense lit up for him by Koharu and Mizoguchi and Heishiro sheds some tears some time after noticing it.
* NotYourDaddysX: The film had several such remarks made about it in its advertising:
** The director, by that point only having made music videos, was advertised as "Kurosawa of the MTV Generation".
** The film itself: "COOL! FUNKY! PEACE!".
** The trailer is very animated as if it is a buddy cop comedy or even action film, the music is very... funky with the music, it closes with a trailer voice-over reading the title card and one of Kagemaru dropping from the ceiling, gaining his balance, and saying "You called sir?", as if all of it, film, music, everything was a custom order.
* OfficiallyShortenedTitle: Of sorts, it is commonly known as ''SF: Episode 1'' -- it being one of several films and shorts, all prefixed with "SF".
* ProductionPosse: Director Creator/HiroyukiNakano has worked again with Creator/TomoyasuHotei, Creator/MitsuruFukikoshi, Creator/TamakiOgawa and Creator/AkikoMonou.
* ReferencedBy: This... might need it's own page... %% meant unironically
** Creator/QuentinTarantino, mostly in Film/KillBill:
*** The intro sequence (and poster) in black and red with the samurai doing sword drills/''kata'' was referenced in Film/KillBill during The Bride's fight with The Crazy 88, with some of her kills made behind some of the ''shoji'' walls and shown in shadowy silhouette form in black and blue -- in fact, the entire sequence surrounding it was made in black and white to punctuate with colors. Later, The bride is shown training with Pai Mei with a red background from a sunset.
*** The black and red during kills was similarly referenced and repurposed to show The Bride remembering previous scenes of violence done to her.
*** The Sword that has bought the story into motion was referenced and repurposed so The Bride would seek one from a master craftsman... who also has a Zen philosophy about his craft and reasons to have given it up.
*** Lady Okatsu introduction, walking on a very long and narrow table and going up against some rowdy samurai customers that have their swords out was referenced through O-Ren-Ishii's swift jump and run on a similarly long and narrow table and cutting off one of her disgruntled underling's head off. Of worthy note is that one ExtremeCloseUp of Lady Okatsu's [[{{Fetish}} bare foot]] might of been the thing that sold the deal for Creator/QuentinTarantino. Lady Okatsu's actor, Creator/MariNatsuki, [[SheAlsoDid also had a villainous part in]] Film/{{Death Shadows}}, named Oren.
*** The soundtrack was similarly enhanced with a multitude of non-diegetic pop rock songs, especially Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity".
* {{Shout Out}}s:
** To Film/PulpFiction.
** To {{Jidaigeki}} samurai films in general, most of the tropes commonly associated with the genre are PlayedForLaughs specifically to add {{Comedy}} into the mix.
** To Creator/KenjiMizoguchi, by naming the {{Deuteragonist}} after him.
** To Creator/AkiraKurosawa, by including roles for ThoseTwoGuys and making one of them named after him. Also, making the film in black and white.
** To Creator/ToshiroMifune, by borrowing a real sword from the actor's collection and making it a McGuffin that the story revolves around.
** To both Kurosawa and Mifune, who passed away a year apart during the production of this film, done by making The Sword about 80 years since the clan received it, that is to approximately account for the 88 and 77 years since Kurosawa's and Mifune's birthdays at that time in 1998.
** To Film/TheSwordOfDoom's Ryunosuke Tsukue by making [[MeaningfulName Rannosuke]] Kazamatsuri share some character traits, like the ThousandYardStare and the commitment to be a MasterSwordsman.
* StuntCasting: For Creator/TomoyasuHotei, who portrays Kazamatsuri, because he is very tall in stature and also made the soundtrack for the film -- which itself is noteworthy for being modern and rock and roll like, making people, who don't know about the musician and this circumstance, dis-consider it as entirely being made original for the film. Hotei even wrote a song and made a music video, in character, during production.
* TechnologyMarchesOn:
** The film was shot on, well, film, um, celluloid. However once it begun post-production, it was digitized for editing as well as soundtrack work since [[Creator/TomoyasuHotei Hotei]] by then had adopted digital workflows in creating his music, especially for the electronic elements of it.
** Credits at the end mention the use of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Media_and_Entertainment#Creative_finishing Inferno compositing work]] done on the film -- this was a software primarily meant for compositing visual effects, however, at that time it also introduced some color grading and non-linear editing among its features, considering the credits do not mention AVID, it is highly likely the producers used Inferno for all of it: color conversion, touchups, editing, etc.
** The released DVD even provides among the medium's first historical instance of BonusContent, being the first worldwide instance for a {{Jidaigeki}} film.


! YMMV
%% This will be split later on.
* AbortedArc: It is possible that the plot involving Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke was more elaborate but ended up on the cutting room floor. Because as this film was in production, Creator/AkiraKurosawa had passed away and in the final version of the film, the MemorialCharacter -- Kurosawa Tadasuke, dies early on. Leaving the other of ThoseTwoGuys, Shintaro Suzuki to be PutOnABus instantly. It is a bit jarring because the sequence that has Mizoguchi telling Suzuki to leave and not to return -- is an insert composed of close-ups that manage to hide the fact that they might of been filmed at a later date. Also, the following scene with Heishiro's finding out about his friend's passing could have similarly been set up at a later date -- since this scene introduces the incense as a visual landmark, accomplishes to inform Heishiro by inference of Tadasuke's death, and have Mizoguchi tell him that Suzuki survived but had minor injuries and was taken care of by another household, he got better so he went home. This scene also ends with Heishiro crying for his fallen friend. No other mention of Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke are ever made in the rest of the film.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** That one clansman in the beginning that dies, seems to consider taking care of The Sword much too serious, posing the possibility that he is very envious of Kazamatsuri for that chance... instead of him. His overreaction at the sight of Kazamatsuri looking at The Sword also indicate that his attempts to kill was just so he could be a hero for the clan and get to take care of The Sword instead.
** Mizoguchi keeps Heishiro around specifically so he would develop feelings for Koharu. Indeed, it is a long journey back for Heishiro but he could of probably done it with some supplies and some help, especially since Mizoguchi had sent Suzuki away claiming how dangerous it might be to stay. Why not make one stay until the other gets better and send them both packing? %% don't answer that
** Kazamatsuri is not AmbiguouslyGay, just confused and without a proper role model, wondering around unsure of what to do, wishing the heavens to help him -- an interpretation that is partially proposed by actor/singer [[Creator/TomoyasuHotei Hotei]] in his song for the film: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seqANGnCLZ4 Save Me]]".
** Lady Okatsu's death happens off-screen, yet the last we see of her alive is having been restrained by Kazamatsuri in a hand hold -- it is possible that he simply let her go but she persisted in attacking him and gave him no choice. Her scream that alerts her men starts out strong and sure and ends broken, possibly indicating that she was stabbed by Kazamatsuri just as it was happening.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Among the film's {{DVD Bonus Content}}s, there are a few scenes from the final movie but instead they are in color -- this posits the possibility that the final product could of been entirely in color too but was converted to black and white in post-production as an homage to Creator/AkiraKurosawa. Indeed, certain scenes lack the typical contrast in shades of black and white usually associated with the single silver halide crystals layer of BW photography film.
** A prequel with Kanzen and Kagemaru and the history of The Sword; A sequel with Falcon and Red Shadow and maybe a romance between them; A sequel involving Kazamatsuri, because this film leaves open the possibility that he might not have died. These could all have been possibilities in the eyes of many fans -- even after Film/RedShadow was made.
ReferencedBy: ''VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima'', the developers included the ''Kurosawa'' mode that is in black and white, this is an interesting choice because in honor of the famed director, Samurai Fiction was also made in black and white.

** Once he gets going to retrieve the sword, his friends join him with the narration saying their names and how they are compared by the townfolk with the {{Three Stooges|ShoutOut}}, but he doesn't personally see it as them being that foolish -- this all happens as the three of them are shown running around like fools in an attempt to overtake eachother on a stretch of road.
** Around the conclusion, Heishiro's narration pops in to remind us that the "ronin" was Kazamatsuri, and being defeated, in the end, jumping off the cliff into the water. Heishiro comes to the cathartic realization that Kazamatsuri showed no anger or resentment. As he is shown praying for Kazamatsuri, the narration continues that he felt a great power watching over him from above, concluding that when one abandons ego and obstinacy one can accept the gods and truly begin to love.

* MacGuffin: The Sword, it was given to Heishiro's clan by the Shogun 80 years prior to the story's setting. It is a prized possession by the clan that has its lord hiring Kazamatsuri to take care of it. Once Kazamatsuri ''steals'' it and ''runs'' away with it, Heishiro's father Kanzen, works up a plan to create a fake/replacement sword because their clans's young lord is approaching his attainment ceremony and the sword needs to be part of it. Of course, the clan sends men to try and retrieve the sword but Heishiro wants to go too so he can prove his skill toward his clan and father... in spite of all his father's dissuasive efforts. Kanzen then asks Kagemaru to send ninja to look after him. Once the fake/replacement sword has been made, Kanzen has Kagemaru send it to Heishiro to convince him to return home. At the end, in Kazamatsuri confrontation with Mizoguchi, the latter manages to disarm the former of his main weapon, only making him grab the real sword and use it instead. Finally, once Kazamatsuri was cornered on the cliff edge, and he jumped off, he took the real sword with him in the water below, it is then that Falcon reveals it is the real one and the fake one was just a BaitAndSwitch. They find the sheath for it on a tree, and the sword somewhere in the water where it is retrieved by Heishiro.

** Heishiro, himself, in the intro narration mentions it is a [[LampshadeHanging good name]] -- ''heishi'' means ''soldier'' -- given his {{Nosebleed}}s and his notable SpitTake once they are disclosed by Koharu to her father... perhaps FreudWasRight. He also doesn't take no for an answer and wishes to kill Kazamatsuri, not even considering that a simple request for the sword might get it back.

** The most suspicious of Kazamatsuri, of the two clansmen that give Kazamatsuri the task of looking out for the sword, walks in on him while he is looking at the sword itself, he starts rambling that he knew something was strange about Kazamatsuri and, witnessing it, he is sure that he planned to steal it all along. Kazamatsuri denies it by stating that he simply wanted to look at it. The clansman starts calling him a liar and draws his sword attacking him repeatedly, only making Kazamatsuri kill him in self-defence -- not much for Kazamatsuri to do after that, except play on the clansman's suspicions.
** Mizoguchi goes to talk to Kazamatsuri to try and settle the matter about the sword peacefully. But the men at Lady Okatsu's think he is out for revenge and try to push him out. Gosuke grabs Mizoguchi's sword by mistake and falls on his back, only managing to unsheathe it a bit -- this causes all the men to pick up swords and attack Mizoguchi who does his best to dissuade them non-violently. He then puts a stop to it all and says he will return once Kazamatsuri is not indisposed and leaves. But his prowess has been witnessed from the back by Kazamatsuri who later seeks out a duel between them.

** Mizoguchi -- Who has given up the sword in order to make amends with a past deed. He has since given up the sword and instead seeks to lead an ordinary, conflict-free, life.

* {{Ronin}}s: There are many shown throughout but two stand out:
** Kazamatsuri -- initially taken in by the clan, he later ''stole'' the sword from, due to his prowess in mock combat.

** Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke -- Heishiro's two best friends growing up, who accompany him to get back the sword.

*** Later, as the three of them are cleaning up, they discuss Kazamatsuri's possible motives for stealing the sword as well as how he looks like and how tall he is. The moment Kazamatsuri's WantedPoster pops up, after looking at it and commenting on his hideousness, Heishiro tears it up in a fit of rage and throws it in a nearby water, prompting, hilariously, the other two to throw a stone, a few branches and about half of a tree in the water with it.

* TroubledBackstoryFlashback: Kazamatsuri has one in the beginning as he is looking at a fire, it shows how he was looking at the sword for which he was appointed to take care of for the clan. Suddenly, one of the two clansmen that has given him this responsibility, walks in and starts accusing him of trying to steal the sword. Kazamatsuri denies it but the clansman doesn't beleive him and starts attacking him. Despite Kazamatsuri repelling each of the clansman's attacks, he persists only leaving him with a fatal solution.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Unemployment as being OlderThanFeudalism -- The presence of "yakuza" and gambling so early as the 1696, but by then, the Tokugawa shogunate had been in control of the country for about most of that century, it started a period of peace that only suffered minor disruptions throughout. However, one of these disruptional factors were the taxes that made major parts of the society poorer if they happened to have been unnasociated with a clan... basically everyone except a very few. This period also created the "ronin" -- samurai that literally were let go or chose to leave because their clan might not have had the capacity or need to keep them on retainer since feudal borders were set and border disputes would of bought all the other clans upon the disrupting one. Strangely, the "ninja" are somewhat of an exception, since their numbers started becoming "ronins" themselves even earlier, primarily because there was no more need for a warrior with a specialization. This also explains one of the major turning points in ninja history though, SamuraiShinobi becoming less samurai and more the legendary ninja associated with being non-samurai warriors.

* BitCharacter: Gosuke, played by, often {{Type Cast|ing}} as TheDitz, actor Creator/HiroshiKanbe.

* DoingItForTheArt: In 1997-1998, when this film was produced and released, the {{Jidaigeki}} genre was in a steady decline, with most works predominantly being made for TV or made dramas. So it was quite a treat for everyone involved to do an original {{Comedy}} take that played well as a [[TitleDrop Samurai Fiction]].
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The film itself is sparsely available on DVD, not to mention the extra photo-book and extended soundtrack album.

*** The intro sequence (and poster) in black and red with the samurai doing sword drills/''kata'' was referenced in Film/KillBill during The Bride's fight with The Crazy 88, with some of her kills made behind some of the ''shoji'' walls and shown in shadowy silhouette form in black and blue -- in fact, the entire sequence surrounding it was made in black and white to punctuate with colors.

** In VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima, the developers included an ''Akira Kurosawa'' mode that is in black and white, this is an interesting choice because in honour of the director, this film was also made in black and white.

** To Creator/KenjiMizoguchi, by naming his {{Deuteragonist}} after him.
** To Creator/AkiraKurosawa, by including roles for ThoseTwoGuys and making one of them named after him.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: The film was shot on, well, film, um, celluloid. However once it begun post-production, it was digitized for editing as well as soundtrack work since [[Creator/TomoyasuHotei Hotei]] by then had adopted digital workflows in creating his music, especially for the electronic elements of it. The released DVD even provides among the medium's first historical instance of BonusContent.

** That one clansman in the beginning that dies, seems to consider taking care of the sword much too serious, posing the possibility that he is very envious of Kazamatsuri for that chance... instead of him. His overreaction at the sight of Kazamatsuri looking at the sword also indicate that his attempts to kill was just so he could be a hero for the clan and get to take care of the sword instead.

** A prequel with Kanzen and Kagemaru and the history of the sword; A sequel with Falcon and Red Shadow and maybe a romance between them; A sequel involving Kazamatsuri, because this film leaves open the possibility that he might not have died. These could all have been possibilities in the eyes of many fans -- even after Film/RedShadow was made.

* AccidentalPervert: ... and it happens to be the blind masseur too! %% heh, started strong with this, one of those shows folks !

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Heishiro gives one to Koharu just after she's been taken back from Kazamatsuri. He does this all through shouting it out.

* BetterThanSex: Kazamatsuri treats the path of the sword as this, he comes around but too late.

** Around the conclusion, Heishiro's narration pops in to remind us that the "ronin" was Kazamatsuri, and being defeated, in the end jumping off the cliff into the water. Heishiro comes to the cathartic realization that Kazamatsuri showed no anger or resentment. As he is shown praying for Kazamatsuri, the narration continues that he felt a great power watching over him from above, concluding that when one abandons ego and obstinacy one can accept the gods and truly begin to love.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Two instances:

** Of the literal ''running'' kind, as Heishiro is shown several times throughout the film setting out running down a straight path toward the camera, each time experiencing some sort of [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything performance failure]].

---> Kanzen: Kagemaru!\\

'''Kanzen''': You don't have to enter through the ceiling, you know.\\
'''Kagemaru''': I'm sorry, but as an old ninja, I don't really know how to enter from anywhere else.

--> ''* Heishiro holding his head in pain *''
--> '''Koharu''': He's in suffering.
--> '''Mizoguchi''': I had no choice, I made him throw up so he would just need to sleep. ''* hits Heishiro's back. *''
--> ''* Heishiro turns slowly to look at Mizoguchi, who nods knowingly and emphatically. *''

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The presence of ''yakuza'' and gambling so early as the 1696, but by then, the Tokugawa shogunate had been in control of the country for about most of that century, it started a period of peace that only suffered minor disruptions throughout. However, one of these disruptional factors were the taxes that made major parts of the society poorer if they happened to have been unnasociated with a clan... basically everyone except a very few. This period also created the "ronin" -- samurai that literally were let go or chose to leave because their clan might not have had the capacity or need to keep them on retainer since feudal borders were set and border disputes would of bought all the other clans upon the disrupting one. Strangely, the "ninja" are somewhat of an exception, since their numbers started becoming "ronins" themselves even earlier, primarily because there was no more need for a warrior with a specialization. This also explains one of the major turning points in ninja history, SamuraiShinobi becoming less samurai and more the legendary ninja associated with being non samurai warriors.

* OfficiallyShortenedTitle: Of sorts, it is commonly known as ''SF: Episode 1'' - it being one of several films and shorts, all prefixed with "SF".

*** The black and red during kills was similarly referenced and repurposed to show The Bride getting angry.

** To Creatoe/KenjiMizoguchi, by naming his {{Deuteragonist}} after him.
** To Creator/AkiraKurosawa, by including roles of ThoseTwoGuys and making one of them named after him.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: The film was shot on, well, film, um, celluloid. However once it begun post-production, it was digitized for editing as well as soundtrack work since [[Creator/TomoyasuHotei Hotei]] by then had adopted digital workflows in creating his music, especially for the electronic elements of it. The released DVD even provides among the medium's first historical bonus content.

* AbortedArc: It is possible that a plot involving Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke was more elaborate but ended up on the cutting room floor. Because as this film was in production, Creator/AkiraKurosawa had passed away and in the final version of the film, the MemorialCharacter, Kurosawa Tadasuke dies early on. Leaving the other of ThoseTwoGuys, Shintaro Suzuki to be PutOnABus, instantly. It is a bit jarring because the sequence that has Mizoguchi telling Suzuki to leave and not to return -- is an insert composed of close-ups that manage to hide the fact that they might of been filmed at a later date. Also, the following scene with Heishiro's finding out about his friend's passing could have similarly been set up at a later date -- since this scene introduces the incense as a visual landmark, accomplishes to inform Heishiro by inference of Tadasuke death, and have Mizoguchi tell him that Suzuki survived but had minor injuries and was taken care of by another household, he got better so he went home. This scene also ends with Heishiro crying for his fallen friend. No other mention of Shintaro Suzuki and Kurosawa Tadasuke are ever made in the rest of the film.

** That one clansman in the beginning that dies, seems to consider taking care of the sword much too serious, posing the possibility that he is very envious of Kazamatsuri for that chance... instead of him. His overreaction at the sight of Kazamatsuri looking at the sword also indicate that his attempts to kill Kazamatsuri was just so he could be a hero for the clan and get to take care of the sword instead.
** Mizoguchi keeps Heishiro around specifically so he would develop feelings for Koharu. Indeed, it is a long journey back for Heishiro but he could of probably done it with some supplies and some help, especially since Mizoguchi had sent Suzuki away claiming how dangerous it might be to stay.

** Lady Okatsu's death happens off-screen, yet the last we see of her alive is having been restrained by Kazamatsuri in a hand hold -- it is possible that he simply let her go but she persisted in attacking him and gave him no choice. Her scream that alerts her men starts out strong and ends broken, possibly indicating that she was stabbed by Kazamatsuri just as it was happening.

* AmbiguouslyGay: After some drinking at Lady Okatsu's establisment, Kazamatsuri asks for a bath, making Lady Okatsu who is by his side feel slightly embarrassed by the request and starts PlayingHardToGet, but he interrupts her wanting to do it with Gosuke, one of Lady Okatsu's men, instead. Later, while in town to go to a brothel, Kazamatsuri offers to pay Gosuke to sleep with women just as long as he can watch. When Lady Okatsu enters the water, still in her kimono, in a last attempt to charm and seduce him to join her, he unabashedly walks out and makes Lady Okatsu realize this implication about him not being that ambiguous.

* BloodlessCarnage: None of the deaths featured have even a drop, instead, what blood we see, serves another purpose.

** Around the conclusion, Heishiro's narration pops in to remind us that the "ronin" was Kazamatsuri, and being defeated in the end, made Heishiro come to the cathartic realization that he held no anger or resentment before jumping off the cliff. As he is shown praying for Kazamatsuri, the narration continues that he felt a great power watching over him from above, concluding that when one abandons ego and obstinacy one can accept the gods and truly begin to love.
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Koharu and Lady Okatsu -- but both in portrayal. The former wears plain kimonos and has her hair tied up in a headwrap, she occupies herself with cleaning, cooking, farmwork and medicinal plant seeking across the countryside as if she is a busy bee. The latter has more expensive and elaborate kimonos and has an orchid in her hair, she partakes in some indulgences like smoking and massages and later in gambling and hostess duties for her guests, she doesn't leave her establishment as if it's her fox den.

** The most suspicious of Kazamatsuri, of the two clansmen that give Kazamatsuri the task of looking out for the sword, walks in on him while he is looking at the sword itself, he starts rambling that he knew something was strange about Kazamatsuri and, witnessing it, he is sure that he planned to steal it all along. Kazamatsuri denies it by stating that he simply wanted to look at it but the clansman starts calls him a liar and draws his sword and starts attacking him repeatedly, only making Kazamatsuri kill him in self-defence -- not much for Kazamatsuri to do after that, except play on the clansman's suspicions.

** Mizoguchi -- who has given up the sword in order to make amends with a past deed.
** Kanzen -- who acknowledges that they are living in peaceful times and he quickly comes up with a plan to forge a fake sword to replace the stolen one and putting the whole matter behind them with no further victims.
** Lady Okatsu -- who seeks to expand her shady business to gain more power -- claiming that while the normal world is a peaceful one, those like her in the underworld always seek more of what is denied to them.

* {{Ronin}}s: There are two:

* Ninja: Falcon and Red Shadow are only the two selected from a large group.

** Thematic montage -- of which the intro is the only instance here but the director had made several throughout his career and would go on to make several documentaries.
* AuthorTract: There are non-violent solutions to problems. %% In 2018, the director made a documentary about the various aspects of life in Japan, called Peace Nippon.

*** Lady Okatsu introduction, walking on a very long and narrow table and going up against some rowdy samurai customers that have their swords out was referenced through O-Ren-Ishii's swift jump and run on a similarly long and narrow table and cutting off one of her disgruntled underling's head off. Of worthy note is that one ExtremeCloseUp of Lady Okatsu's [[{{Fetish}} bare foot]] might of been the thing that sold the deal for Creator/QuentinTarantino. Lady Okatsu's actor, Creator/MariNatsuki, [[SheAlsoDid also had a part in]] Film/{{Death Shadows}}, named Oren.

** To {{Jidaigeki}} samurai films in general, most of the tropes commonly associated with the genre are PlayedForLaughs.

%% This will be split later on

** Mizoguchi keeps Heishiro around specifically so he would develop feelings for Koharu.
** Kazamatsuri is not AmbiguouslyGay, just confused and without a proper role model, wondering around unsure of what to do, wishing the heavens to help him -- an interpretation that is even proposed by actor/singer [[Creator/TomoyasuHotei Hotei]] in his song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seqANGnCLZ4 Save Me]]".

* AmbiguouslyGay: After some drinking at Lady Okatsu's establisment, Kazamatsuri requests a bath, making Lady Okatsu who is by his side feel slightly embarrassed by the request and starts PlayingHardToGet, but he interrupts her wanting to do it with Gosuke, one of Lady Okatsu's men, instead. Later, while in town to go to a brothel, Kazamatsuri offers to pay Gosuke to sleep with women just as long as he can watch. When Lady Okatsu enters the water, still in her kimono, in a last attempt to charm and seduce him to join her, he unabashedly walks out and makes Lady Okatsu realize this implication about him not being that ambiguous.

* BadassPacifist: Mizoguchi, who goes to great lengths '''NOT''' to use his sword, and once he does, he is shown praying for forgiveness. He later shares to Heishiro that he once was an enforcer for a clan, and after killing one conterpart from another clan, the man's dying wish was for somebody to take care of his soon to be orphaned daughter -- this proves enough of a HeroicBSOD for Mizoguchi that he departs from his fief and adopts Koharu as his own.
* BarefootPoverty: Mizoguchi and Koharu seem to be in this situation, while they both have straw sandals, neither has the traditional ''tabi'' socks. It comes across as a bit odd for Heishiro that they seem to be comfortable living as frugally as they are for a "ronin" and his daughter and makes it question how is it that Mizoguchi is not appointed to a station.
* BigBad: Kazamatsuri, who stole the samurai sword gifted to the clan by the Shogun. As if to emphasize the BigBad part, he is taller than all the other characters.

* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Koharu and Lady Okatsu.

** Rannosuke Kazamatsuri.
*** ''Rannosuke'' means ''blank pillar''... and he is a big man.
*** ''Rannosuke'' also sounds a lot like Ryunosuke, the antihero protagonist from Film/TheSwordOfDoom. It also

* {{Nosebleed}}: Heishiro has this several times in Koharu's presence, especially because he has been looking at her washing her bare legs, catching a glimpse of her cleavage, and starting to consider his own feelings toward her beyond simple attraction.
* MotorMouth: After Koharu's discloses that they ''fell' in the forest and she shows her father, Mizoguchi, how she leaned on Heishiro through a pose -- prompts a quick fire explanation given by Heishiro about NotWhatItLooksLike but describing that they were out ''picking flowers'', ''slipped'' and took a ''tumble'' in the forest and even ''held eachother'' once they were ''covered in mud''.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Two examples:
** The most suspicious of Kazamatsuri, of the two clansmen that give Kazamatsuri the task of looking out for the sword, walks in on him while he is looking at the sword itself, he starts rambling that he knew something was strange about Kazamatsuri and, witnessing it, he was sure that he planned to steal it. Kazamatsuri denies it by stating that he simply wanted to look at it but the clansman starts calls him a liar and draws his sword and starts attacking him repeatedly, only making Kazamatsuri kill him in self-defence -- not much for Kazamatsuri to do after that, except play on the clansman's suspicions.
** Mizoguchi goes to talk to Kazamatsuri to try and settle the matter about the sword peacefully. But the men at Lady Okatsu's think he is out for revenge and try to push him out. Gosuke grabs Mizoguchi's sword by mistake and falls on his back, only managing to unsheathe it a bit -- this causes all the men to pick up swords and attack Mizoguchi who does his best to dissuade them non-violently. Mizoguchi then puts a stop to it all and says he will return once Kazamatsuri is not indisposed and leaves. But his prowess has been witnessed from the back by Kazamatsuri.

* {{ShoutOut}}s:
** To {{Jidaigeki}} samurai films, especially those of Creator/AkiraKurosawa, by making one of ThoseTwoGuys in the story named after the him.
** To Film/TheSwordOfDoom's Ryunosuke Tsukue by making [[MeaningfulName Rannosuke]] Kazamatsuri share some character traits, like the ThousandYardStare and the commitment to be a MasterSwordsman.

--> [ Heishiro holding his head in pain ]

--> '''Mizoguchi''': I had no choice, I made him throw up so he would just need to sleep. [ Hits Heishiro's back. ]
--> [ Heishiro turns slowly to look at Mizoguchi, who nods knowingly and emphatically. ]

*** Later, as the three of them are cleaning up, they discuss Kazamatsuri's possible motives for stealing the sword as well as how he looks like and how tall he is. The moment Kazamatsuri's WantedPoster pops up, after looking at it and commenting on his hideousness, Heishiro tears it up in a fit of rage and throw's it in a nearby water, prompting, hilariously, the other two to throw a stone, a few branches and about half of a tree in the water with it.

* AuthorTract: There are non-violent solutions to problems.
%% In 2018, the director made a documentary about the various aspects of life in Japan, called Peace Nippon.

*** The Sword that has bought the story into motion was referenced and repurposed so The Bride would seek one from a master craftsman... who also has a Zen philosophy about his craft and the side effect of using them.
*** Lady Okatsu introduction, walking on a very long and narrow table and going up against some rowdy samurai customers that have their swords out was referenced through O-Ren-Ishii's swift jump and run on a similarly long and narrow table and cutting off one of her disgruntled underling's head off. Of worthy note is that one ExtremeCloseUp of Lady Okatsu's [[{{Fetish}} bare foot]] might of been the thing that sold the deal for Creator/QuentinTarantino. Lady Okatsu's actor, Creator/MariNatsuki, [[SheAlsoDid also had a part in]] Film/{{Jittemai}}, named Oren.

* StuntCasting: For Creator/TomoyasuHotei, who portrays Kazamatsuri, because he is very tall in stature and also made the soundtrack for the film -- which itself is noteworthy for being modern and rock and roll like, making people, who don't know about the musician and this circumstance, dis-consider it as entirely being made original for the film. Hotei even wrote a song and made a music video, in character, during production.

** Heishiro, himself, in the intro narration mentions it is a [[LapshadeHanging good name]] -- ''heishi'' means ''soldier'' -- given his {{Nosebleed}}s and his notable SpitTake once they are disclosed by Koharu to her father... perhaps FreudWasRight. He also doesn't take no for an answer and wishes to kill Kazamatsuri, not even considering that a simple request for the sword might get it back.

* AllThereInTheManual: The producers published a photo book with behind the scenes material.
* AuthorAppeal: Zen philosophy and Rock-and-Roll. That one hand gesture of plea from Mizoguchi toward Kazamatsuri is not there by happenstance. Nor is Heishiro's father's name being ''[[MeaningfulName Kanzen]]''.
* AuthorTract: There are non-violent solutions to problems. In 2018, the director made a documentary about the various religions in Japan, called Peace Nippon.

* StuntCasting: For Creator/TomoyasuHotei, who portrays Kazamatsuri, is very tall in stature and also made the soundtrack for the film -- which itself is noteworthy for being modern and rock and roll like, making people, who don't know about the musician and this circumstance, dis-consider it as entirely being made original for the film.

* BarefootPoverty: Mizoguchi and Koharu seem to be in this situation, while they both have straw sandals, neither has the traditional ''tabi'' socks. It comes across as a bit odd for Heishiro that they seem to be comfortable living as frugally as they are for a "ronin" and his daughter.

* DragonLady: Lady Okatsu is introduced this way -- with an ExtremeCloseUp on her lips smoking a pipe, and next, a glimpse at one of her bare feet being massaged. She lays on her belly on a bed and the blind masseur even starts working up on her legs and beneath her clothes, she kicks him away much to her disgust making him comment on her shapes being a delight to touch.

** Around the conclusion, Heishiro's narration pops in to remind us that the "ronin" was Kazamatsuri, and him being defeated in the end, made Heishiro come to the cathartic realization that he held no anger or resentment before jumping off the cliff. As he is shown praying for Kazamatsuri, the narration continues that he felt a great power watching over him from above, concluding that when one abandons ego and obstinacy one can accept the gods and truly begin to love.

** Heishiro, himself, in the intro narration mentions it is a good name -- ''heishi'' means ''soldier'' -- given his {{Nosebleed}}s and his notable SpitTake once they are disclosed by Koharu to her father... perhaps FreudWasRight. He also doesn't take no for an answer and wishes to kill Kazamatsuri, not even considering that a simple request for the sword might get it back.

*** ''Rannosuke'' sounds a lot like Ryunosuke, the antihero protagonist from Film/TheSwordOfDoom. It also

* {{Nosebleed}}: Heishiro has this several times in Koharu's presence, especially because he has been looking at her washing her bare legs, catching a glimpse of her cleavage, and later, starting to consider his own feelings toward her.
* MotorMouth: After Koharu's discloses that they ''fell' in the forest and she shows her father, Mizoguchi how -- prompts a quick fire explanation given by Heishiro about NotWhatItLooksLike but describing that they took a ''tumble'' in the forest and ''even held eachother'' once they were ''covered in mud''.

** The most suspicious of Kazamatsuri, of the two clansmen that give Kazamatsuri the task of looking out for the sword, walks in on him while he is looking at the sword itself, he starts rambling that he knew something was strange about Kazamatsuri and, witnessing it, he is sure that he planned to steal it. Kazamatsuri denies it by stating that he simply wanted to look at it but the clansman starts calls him a liar and draws his sword and starts attacking him repeatedly, only making Kazamatsuri kill him in self-defence.
** Mizoguchi goes to talk to Kazamatsuri to try and settle the matter. But the men at Lady Okatsu's think he is out for revenge and try to push him out. Gosuke grabs Mizoguchi's sword by mistake and falls on his back, only managing to unsheathe it a bit -- this causes all the men to pick up swords and attack Mizoguchi who does his best to dissuade them non-violently. Mizoguchi then puts a stop to it all and says he will return once Kazamatsuri is not indisposed and leaves. But his prowess has been witnessed from the back by Kazamatsuri.

* ShoutOut: To Film/TheSwordOfDoom's Ryunosuke Tsukue by making [[MeaningfulName Rannosuke]] Kazamatsuri share some character traits like, the ThousandYardStare and the commitment to be a MasterSwordsman.
* ShowSomeLeg: Done unintentionally by Koharu to wash her legs, it non the least has the blood-flowing effect on Heishiro.

*** One scene has them resting and discussing the fact that Tadasuke is about to get married. This prompts Suzuki in asking Heishiro if he had any women while he was away in Edo, the latter discloses that he did not and in embarrassment runs away, only making Suzuki and Tadasuke to disclose that they haven't either.
*** Later, as the three of them are cleaning up, they discuss Kazamatsuri's possible motives for stealing the sword as well as how he looks like and how tall he is. The moment Kazamatsuri's WantedPoster pops up, after looking at it and commenting on his hideousness, Heishiro tears it up in a fit of rage and throw's it in a nearby water, prompting, hilariously, the other two to throw a stone and about half of a tree in the water with it.

* AllThereInTheManual: The producers published a photo book with behind the scenes material, of note is that there are about as many photos with Red Shadow's actor Creator/AkikoMonou as there are of main cast, Koharu's Creator/TamakiOgawa.
* AuthorAppeal: Zen philosophy and Rock-and-Roll. That one hand gesture of plea between Mizoguchi and Kazamatsuri is not there by happenstance.
* BitCharacter: Gosuke, played by often {{Type Cast|ing}} Actor Creator/HiroshiKanbe.
* {{Fanservice}}: At the end, the narration points out that Red Shadow has quit the ninja and became a maid for Koharu, showing her character in a kimono. The actress is played by photo model Creator/AkikoMonou in her first role.
ProductionPosse: Director Creator/HiroyukiNakano has worked again with Creator/TomoyasuHotei, Creator/MitsuruFukikoshi, Creator/TamakiOgawa and Creator/AkikoMonou.
* StuntCasting: For Creator/TomoyasuHotei, who portrays Kazamatsuri, is very tall in stature and also made the soundtrack for the film -- which itself is noteworthy for being modern and rock and roll like, making people who don't know about the musician and this circumstance, dis-consider it as actually being made original for the film.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HiroyukiNakan wanted to make a trilogy or even a series

* AmbiguouslyGay: After some drinking at Lady Okatsu's establisment, Kazamatsuri requests a bath, making Lady Okatsu who is by his side feel slightly embarrassed by the request and starts PlayingHardToGet, but he interupts her claiming to want to do it with Gosuke (one of Lady Okatsu's men). Later, while in town to go to a brothel, Kazamatsuri offers to pay Gosuke to sleep with women just as long as he can watch. When Lady Okatsu enters the water, still in her kimono, in a last attempt to charm and seduce him to join her, he unabashedly walks out and makes Lady Okatsu realize this implication about him not being that ambiguous.

* BarefootPoverty: Mizoguchi and Koharu seem to be in this situation, while they both have straw sandals, neither has the traditional ''tabi'' socks.

* EvilIsSexy: Lady Okatsu is introduced this way -- with an ExtremeCloseUp on her lips smoking a pipe, and next, a glimpse at one of her bare feet being massaged. She lays on her belly on a bed and the blind masseur even starts working up on her legs and beneath her clothes acknowledging her shape being a delight to touch, much to her disgust.

** Rannosuke Kazamatsuri, ''Rannosuke'' sounds a lot like Ryunosuke, the antihero protagonist from Film/TheSwordOfDoom. It also means ''blank pillar''... and he is a big man.

** The most suspicious of the two clansmen that give Kazamatsuri the task of looking out for the sword, walks in on him while he is looking at the sword itself, he starts rambling that he knew something was strange about Kazamatsuri and now he is sure that he planned to steal it. Kazamatsuri denies it by stating that he wanted to look at it but the clansman starts calls him a liar and draws his sword and starts attacking him repeatedly, only making Kazamatsuri kill him in self-defence.
** Mizoguchi goes to talk to Kazamatsuri to try and settle the matter. But the men at Lady Okatsu's think he is out for revenge and try to push him out. Gosuke grabs Mizoguchi's sword by mistake and falls on his back, only managing to unsheathe it a bit -- this causes all the men to pick up swords and attack Mizoguchi who does his best to dissuade them non-violently. Mizoguchi then puts a stop to it all and says he will return once Kazamatsuri is not indisposed and leaves. But his prowess has been witnesed from the back by Kazamatsuri.

--> '''Mizoguchi''': I had no choice, I made him throw up so he would just need to sleep. [ Hits Heishiro back. ]

* VillainsActHeroesReact: Well, suffice to say, Kazamatsuri bought the whole story and its conclusion onto himself.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Kazamatsuri seems to be more interested in taking a bath with Gosuke (one of Lady Okatsu's men), when offered to take a bath with the implication that he will be tended to by a woman. Later, while in town, Kazamatsuri offers to pay Gosuke to sleep with women just as long as he can watch. When Lady Okatsu enters the water, still in her kimono, in a last attempt to charm and seduce him to join her, he unabashedly walks out and makes Lady Okatsu realize this implication about him.

* LemonyNarrator: Heishiro -- he starts the film by introducing himself as the character on screen, shown to be practicing sword drills among bamboo trees, and then he points out that the story took place 300 years ago -- after a brief intro sequence, he discusses the time and setting of the story and the "ronin" that changed his life significantly up to the present day -- cue a digital display of years decreasing in number down to 1696.

* MotorMouth: The quick fire explanation given by Heishiro about NotWhatItLooksLike to Koharu's father Mizoguchi, after she discloses that they took a ''tumble'' in the forest and ''even held eachother'' once they were ''covered in mud''.

*** In a FriendlyFire mishap during the confrontation between Kazamatsuri vs. Heishiro, Suzuki and Tadasuke one of them accidentally stabs Tadasuke in the back with a thrown dagger.
*** They don't do much except move the plot forward by being {{AudienceSurrogate}}s to what is happening with Kazamatsuri.

* AppetiteEqualsHealth: After his injury in the fight, Heishiro has no need for food, and this is discussed by Mizoguchi as being the situation with Heishiro, instructing Koharu to give him some [[SoupIsMedicine easier to eat food]].

* BigEater: Heishiro does this often throughout the story.
* EvilIsSexy: Lady Okatsu is introduced this way -- with an ExtremeCloseUp on her lips smoking a pipe, and next, a glimpse at one of her feet being massaged. The blind masseur even starts working up on her legs and beneath her clothes acknowledging her shape being a delight to touch, much to her disgust.

* LemonyNarrator: Heishiro -- he starts the film by introducing himself as the character on screen, shown to be practicing sword drills among bamboo trees, and then he points out that the story took place 300 years ago -- cue a digital display of years decreasing in number for about 300 years.

* {{Nosebleed}}: Heishiro has this several times in Koharu's presence, especially because he has been looking at her washing her legs, catching a glimpse of her cleavage, and later, starting to consider his own feelings toward her.
* OlderAndWiser: The story has two, Mizoguchi -- who has given up the sword in order to make amends with a past deed. And Lady Okatsu -- who seeks to expand her shady business to gain more power.

* ShoutOut: To Film/{{TheSwordOfDoom}}'s Ryunosuke Tsukue by making Kazamatsuri share some character traits like, the ThousandYardStare and the commitment to be a MasterSwordsman.

** Shintaro Suzuki and Tadasuke Kurosawa -- Heishiro's two best friends growing up, who accompany him to get back the sword.
** Falcon and Red Shadow -- the two ninja sent to retrieve Heishiro and the stolen sword. They don't do much except move the plot forward. In a FriendlFire mishap during the confrontation between Kazamatsuri vs. Heishiro, Suzuki and Tadasuke one of them accidentally stabs Suzuki in the back with a thrown dagger.
* TookALevelInBadass: Or rather stone throwing, as it quickly becomes apparent to Mizoguchi that Heishiro can't possibly survive a one-on-one fight with Kazamatsuri, so he teaches him this skill instead.

* AppetiteEqualsHealth: After his injury in the fight, Heishiro has no need for food, and this is discussed by Mizoguchi as being the situation with Heishiro.

* BigEater: Heishiro does this often thoughout the story

* Nosebleed: Heishiro has this several times in Koharu presence, especially because he has been looking at her washing her legs, catching a glimpse of her cleavage, and later, starting to consider marrying her.

* RomanticSpoonfeeding: Koharu feeds Heishiro when he is unable to, later, once he gets better, she cooks for him ThroughHisStomach because she seems to like him too.