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'Lone Wolf and Cub'
Samurai Film Series

synopsis & history books author Kazuo Koike movies & TV music & other media principals links

"It was a bad time. Everybody living in fear, but still we were happy. My father would come home to mother, and when he had seen her,
he would forget about the killings. He wasn't scared of the Shogun, but the Shogun was scared of him. Maybe that was the problem."
— voice-over by Daigoro, from "Shogun Assassin" [1980]

Synopsis

'Lone Wolf and Cub' entry at Wikipedia
Magic Lantern's Samurai Films Page

Manga  &  Other  Books
Dark Horse paperback editions {manga}

Lone Wolf and Cub Omnibus Editions by Goseki Kojima and series creator Kazuo Koike Volume 1: sixteen stories from Volumes 1 thru 3, and a glossary Dark Horse 7x5x2.4" pb [6/2013] for $14.04 Volume 2: ?? stories from Volumes 3 thru 5 Dark Horse 7x5x2.4" pb [8/2013] for $14.46 Volume 3: thirteen stories from Volumes 5 thru 8 Dark Horse 7¼x5¼x2.4" pb [11/2013] for $15.91

"Lone Wolf 2100 Omnibus" [2013] Written by Mike Kennedy, Illustrated by Francisco Ruiz Velasco, and 'produced in association with creator Kazuo Koike' Four stories: "Shadows On Saplings", "The Language of Chaos", "The Red File", and "Pattern Storm"; the child Daisy Ogami is somehow key to the survival of civilization in a dystopian future; the android warrior Itto is accused of murdering her parents, but nothing will stop his protection of the child nor his revenge on the murderers. Kindle Edition from Dark Horse [6/2013] for $12.49 Dark Horse 9x6 pb [6/2013] for $18.96

author Kazuo Koike [b. 1936]
Kazuo Koike entry at Wikipedia
Kazuo Koike story listings at Grand Comics Database
Kazuo Koike Page {only eight entries} at Amazon
search books on 'Kazuo Koike' {returns 50+ entries} at Amazon
Kazuo Koike listings [since 1972] at Internet Movie Database

'Lone Wolf & Cub'  Films  &  TV
Kazuo Koike listings [since 1972] at Internet Movie Database
browse 'Lone Wolf & Cub' videos & DVDs {returns 50+ entries} at Amazon
1996 article by JRD about the Lone Wolf / Shogun Assassin movies

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"Sword of Vengeance" [1972] /tt0068815/

"Baby Cart At The River Styx" [1972] /tt0068816/

"Baby Cart To Hades" [1972] /tt0068817/

"Baby Cart In Peril" [1972] /tt0143348/

"Baby Cart In The Land of Demons" [1973] /tt0143428/

"White Heaven In Hell" [1974] /tt0071695/

	"Lone  Wolf  and  Cub"  DVD Box Set [2005] Animeigo widescreen color DVD set [11/2005] 6 disks for $79.16 Six films directed by Kenji Misumi or Buichi Saito or Yoshiyuki Kuroda and starring Tomisaburo Wakayama
	"Lone Wolf & Cub Complete 6-Film Blu-ray Collection" [2012] Animeigo widescreen Blu-ray DVD set [9/2012] 2 disks for $39.32 contains all six original feature films remastered for high-definition

"Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure ôkami)"
color TV series [Japan 1973-1976]

78-episode color 45-minute Japanese TV series based on the manga comics; story begins with the murder of Itto's wife and continues toward a confrontation with the shogun. Narrated by Kiyoshi Kobayashi & Taketoshi Naitô; starring Kinnosuke Nakamura {as Ittô Ogami}, Kazutaka Nishikawa & Takumi Satô {as Daigorô}, Ryûnosuke Kaneda, Kôji Takahashi series credits at IMDb series details at Wikipedia • episodes list at Wikipedia These DVDs sound like some sort of 'done deal', but the numbers do NOT add up: all that is available so far is the first season of 26 episodes, either on the six-volume version or on the two-volume 'collection' version. Volume 1 (episodes 1-5): Tokyo Shock color DVD [4/2008] 2 disks for $9.57 Volume 2 (episodes 6-9): Tokyo Shock color DVD [6/2008] 2 disks for $7.79 Volume 3 (episodes 10-13): Tokyo Shock color DVD [8/2008] 2 disks for $7.63 Volume 4 (episodes 14-18): Tokyo Shock color DVD [10/2008] 2 disks for $7.81 Volume 5 (episodes 19-22): Tokyo Shock color DVD [12/2008] 2 disks for $7.63 Volume 6 (episodes 23-26): Tokyo Shock color DVD [2/2009] 2 disks for $9.57 complete first season on 12 DVDs Collection One: Tokyo Shock color DVD [8/2009] 6 disks for $12.09 Collection Two: Tokyo Shock color DVD [6/2010] 6 disks for $12.02

"Baby Cart In Purgatory" TV movie [1979]
aka "Lone Wolf With Child: An Assassin On The Road To Hell"
TV special in episodic form, with several tales probably based on the original manga stories; no entry found on IMDb
starring Hideki Takahashi {as Ogami Ittö} & Tomisaburo Wakayama {as Retsudo Yagyu}

"Shogun Assassin"  [Katsu/Toho/New World Pictures USA Nov 1980]

B-movie mogul Roger Corman developed this patchwork film derived from parts of "Sword of Vengeance" and "... River Styx"; the director credit is valid since Houston guided the editors and the American voice actors. A senile & paranoid shogun sends ninjas to kill potential rivals; the ninjas miss samurai Ogami Itto but kill his wife. The 'Lone Wolf' rônin then travels with his infant son seeking vengeance against the shogun and his family. Co-produced, adapted & directed by Robert Houston; starring Tomisaburo Wakayama & Kayo Matsuo 30th Anniv Edition widescreen color Blu-ray [8/2010] for $16.98 Animeigo widescreen color DVD [7/2006] for $11.96 Toho Studios widescreen color DVD [4/2013] for $29.95 full credits from IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia 27"x40" {?} poster from Amazon for $16.48 11"x17" {?} poster from Amazon for $14.99

"Shogun Assassin 2: Lightning Swords of Death" [1997]
dubbed version of "Baby Cart To Hades"
"Shogun Assassin 3: Slashing Blades of Carnage" [1997]
dubbed version of "Baby Cart in Peril"
"Shogun Assassin 4: Five Fistfuls of Gold" [1997]
dubbed version of "Baby Cart In The Land of Demons"
"Shogun Assassin 5: Cold Road to Hell" [1997]
dubbed version of "White Heaven In Hell"

"Shogun Assassin: 5 Film Collector's Set" Box Sets [2008] Animeigo widescreen color Blu-ray [4/2012] 2 disks for $42.99 Animeigo widescreen color DVD set [11/2008] 5 disks for $74.99 contains 5 feature films, the English-dubbed versions of five original Lone Wolf & Cub movies

"Fugitive Samurai" [Nippon TV 1984] /tt0187028/
color film made from three TV episodes, aka "Through A Child‘s Eye"

"Lone Wolf and Cub" TV movie [1989] /tt0226979/

"Lone Wolf and Cub: The Final Conflict" [1993] /tt0174826/
aka "Kozure Ôkami: Sono Chîsaki te ni"; aka "Handful of Sand", "A Child‘s Hand Reaches Up"

"Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure ?kami)" TV series [2002-2004]
with Kinya Kitaoji in the role of Ogami Itt? and Tsubasa Kobayashi as Daigoro.
partial series credits at IMDb

"Lone Wolf and Cub" remake [announced for 2008 release]
Co-written & to be directed by Darren Aronofsky; no longer listed at IMDb {5/2008}

"Lone Wolf and Cub" [Kamala Films 2014?]  
Announced 3/2012: Justin Lin ("Fast Five") will direct, script assigned to David & Janet Peoples • latest info at IMDb

Music  &  Other  Media

"The Best of Lone Wolf & Cub" [2004] by composers Hiroshi Kamayatsu & Kunihiko Murai 25 remastered tracks 'direct from the Toho Music vaults' La-La Land Records soundtrack CD [7/2004] 25 tracks - out of prodn/scarce

Principals

details about author/creator Kazuo Koike are coded above.

Shintaro Katsu [1931-97] produced the first three original films (Wakayama produced the other three).

director Kenji Misumi [1921-75] directed four of the original films.

Tomisaburô Wakayama [1929-92] starred in the original six films (and the English-dubbed films).

Kinnosuke Nakamura [1932-97] starred in the 1973-76 TV series.

Hideki Takahashi starred in the 1979 TV movie.

'Lone Wolf & Cub'  Links
'Lone Wolf and Cub' entry at Wikipedia
Kazuo Koike listings [since 1972] at Internet Movie Database
Magic Lantern's Samurai Films Page

here on the 'Lone Wolf & Cub' Samurai Film Series Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

top of page • synopsis & history • books • author Kazuo Koike • movies & TV • music & other media • principals • links

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