The greatest movie ever!

Perfectly adorable

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

In the first "Sleepy Eyes of Death" film, while I liked the characters, the film was a bit too slow and hard to get into. The third film also had its problems. While the plot was more action-filled and interesting, the hero, Nemuri Kyoshiro, was rather evil and unlikable (and a rapist). Fortunately, sandwiched between these two films is "Nemuri Kyoshiro 2: Shôbu"--a film that shows that this series can be just as satisfying and fun to watch as the Zatoichi series--two Japanese series from the 1960s that have a lot of similarities.The film begins with our impassive hero, Nemuri Kyoshiro wandering into a new town and stumbling into righting some more wrongs. While you'd never be able to tell by his blank expression, the swordsman feels sorry for a boy's plight and fights a duel to save the boy's honor and restore him to his rightful place. In the process, he meets a seemingly insignificant old man, Asashina and the two become friends--or at least as close to becoming friends as you'll see Nemuri Kyoshiro have! This affinity occurs because Asashina is that rare man in one of these Japanese films--a public official who is righteous and caring. It seems that Asashina doesn't care for the luxury and trappings of his job as the Finance Minister--so not dressing up and living and mixing with the "normal folks" is pretty typical for this atypical man. What is also atypical is that Asashina could care less about kissing up to the nobility--his number one concern is what's best for the people. Naturally, the rich and powerful hate the man and it soon becomes obvious someone is trying to kill him! I liked the part of the film that immediately follows, as Kyoshiro takes it upon himself to follow Asashina about--acting as a body guard. Yet, Asashina tells him to get lost and mind his own business! Later, in a funny twist, when assassins come after Kyoshira as well, Asashina begins following Kyoshira--to offer him his protection--though what a toothless old man can do, I have no idea! In fact, the relationship between these two men is what makes this an extraordinary film.Much of the film involves a spoiled and nasty daughter of the Shogun. She is one of the people who wants to see Asashina die. However, she is also a bit stupid and doesn't seem to realize that she is just being used by other forces that want his and Kyoshira's deaths. This plot within a plot makes for an interesting theme in the film. It also leads to some of the more amazing action scenes in the series. This film is definitely NOT as placid and slow as the previous one.Overall, I really liked this film due to an excellent supporting character (Asashina), a very interesting plot and plenty of action. Well worth watching--especially if you are like me and have seen all the Zatoichi films and are looking for something along the same lines.

If a most important milestone in the history of chambara exists, that is probably Kurosawa's release of Yojimbo and its sardonic fatalist central character played by Toshiro Mifune. It is Yojimbo that practically divides the earlier traditional samurai films of Mizoguchi or Inagaki from stuff like Nemuri Kyoshiro that sprung in the early 60's. The first two releases that followed in Yojimbo/Sanjuro's wake were the Sleepy Eyes of Death series and the TV series of Three Outlaw Samurai which were later adapted for a feature film that started Hideo Gosha's career.The second installment in one of the most popular chambara series along with Zatoichi is directed by Kenji Misumi, a contractor for Daiei studios at the time, who would later go on to achieve orgasmic levels of comic-book violence with Lone Wolf and Cub. Playing the titular character is Raizo Ichikawa who collaborated with Misumi in his Daibosatsu Toge trilogy from 1961, Satan's Sword.Nemuri Kyoshiro is a shady figure, as much an outcast of society as his genre antecedent (Sanjuro) but with a different and darker mentality. In Sword of Adventure he tries to protect a financial adviser working for the Shogunate, whose strict policies have incurred the wrath of one of the Shogun's daughters and rich merchants. An assortment of murderers, bribed, paid or blackmailed for the cause, assemble and take their shots at Nemuri. This is a genre film with a serialized character so there is little doubt to the outcome of the duels. Those are nicely stylized and executed and the cinematography and camera-work are all an improvement on Satan's Sword, as is Raizo Ichikawa's performance. I'm not a big fan of his work, his look and mannerisms somehow effeminate and not as scruffy and savage looking as those of Mifune or Wakayama, but he brings a sardonic joy to his character that works within the context of the movie.

You begin to understand how the personality of Nemury work. He was a lucid ronin who talk too much. Even when he is in big trouble, he just can't shut his mouth.You begin to understand too Nemury have inner demons. But it's not clear.Lovable characters and some good action scene... Fair movie. But the better are to come.