Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan

Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan
(Hattori, Hanzô: Shadow Warriors)

Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan (Hattori, Hanzô: Shadow Warriors) ran April 1, 1980 - September 30, 1980 (27 episodes)

Producers: Iwasaki, Tadashi (KTV); Matsudaira, Norimichi; Makiguchi, Yuji & Kyô, Namura (Toei)
Music: Watanabe, Shigeki

Character Actor

Hattori, Hanzô III Chiba, Shinichi (Sonny Chiba)

Hyoroku Takaoka, Kenji

Okiri Naomi Hase

Daihachi Hino, Shôhei

Kisanta, Mizuguchi Suga, Kantaro

Hiheiuji Haruta, Junichi

Oume Kurita, Yoko

Oen Asano, Mayumi

Yataro Moritsugu, Kôji

Yonosuke Moriya, Shunji

Genjirô Hirose, Yoshinbo

Onami Yoshima, Tomko

Haruo, Ikoma Kaneko, Nobuo

Orin Kirin, Kiki

Masayuki, Hoshina Yamamura, Sô

Okô Mitsubayashi, Kyoko

Dr. Kyonosuke Tsutsumi Saigo, Teruhiko

Narrator Koike, Asao

Under the leadership of Hattori, Hanzô III the Iga ninja of Edo try to maintain the peace and order of feudal Japan (1651), as the Shadow Warriors (Kage no Gundan).

After Hattori, Hanzô II displeased the Shogun (and lost his head) the Iga were excilled. As a result Hattori, Hanzô III is forced to hide his true identity behind the persona of a gambling bathhouse owner "Mr. Han". Hattori, Hanzô III's right hand man, Hyoroku, works in the Kijiyuu bathhouse. Daihachi works as a "Frog Oil" salesman. Hiheiuji is a construction worker. Hattori, Hanzô III's Kunoichi (female ninja) Okiri works as a hairdresser. Okiri is in love with her childhood friend Hyoroku. Also working for the Shadow Warriors is Dr. Kyonosuke Tsutsumi.

The bathhouse matrin, Orin (who is not a Shadow Warrior) is infatuated with her employeer. She has a rival, a younger bathhouse employee. Mr. Han does not encourage either of them. Also working in the bathhouse is Okô, a spy for the Kogô ninja. Hattori, Hanzô II killed Okô's father and Mitsubayashi, Kyoko, leader of the Kogô, expects her to take revenge killing Hattori, Hanzô III. Mitsubayashi, Kyoko suspects that Okô is stalling because she's fallen in love with Hattori, Hanzô III.

When men and women are killed in this show they bleed. At the Kijiyuu bathhouse there are many scenes of naked women.

  1.    04-01-1980    Tigers Sharpen Their Claws in a Storm

  2.    04-08-1980    A Female Leopard, Hiding in the Dark

  3.    04-15-1980    A Devil Called Oushu Highway

  4.    04-22-1980    The Spring of Kyoto: The Trick of the Black Teeth

  5.    04-29-1980    Soft Skin Sunk Into a Whirlpool

  6.    05-06-1980    The Woman Disappeared Into the Port on a Foggy Night

  7.    05-13-1980    The Target is a Mystery Woman

  8.    05-20-1980    Infiltration! The Ladies' Chambers Night and Day

  9.    05-27-1980    The Female Ninja's May in Shadows

10.    06-03-1980    The Black Hair Burned With the Grudge

11.    06-10-1980    A Bride and a Murderous Fiend

12.    06-17-1980    Kill Night Spiders Even If They Are Parents

13.    06-24-1980    Midnight Beauty

14.    07-01-1980    The Shogun Disappeared! The Plot of the Female Foxes

15.    07-08-1980    Mysterious Priest, Inviting Hell

16.    07-15-1980    Don't Get Involved With Dangerous Women

17.    07-22-1980    The Living Shadow Shogun

18.    07-29-1980    The Killer in the Eyes

19.    08-05-1980    Palace of the Bloodsucking Woman

20.    08-12-1980    I'm Going To be Killed!

21.    08-19-1980    Hiding! The Hole of Snakes

22.    08-26-1980    The Dreadful Investigator

23.    09-02-1980    The Red Eyes of the Snake Are a Death Sentence

24.    09-09-1980    Sudder! Sacrifice of the Virgin

25.    09-16-1980    The Trick Ceiling of the Tragic Love

26.    09-23-1980    The Ominous Place; The Cursed Flute

27.    09-30-1980    Intrusion! 24 Hours in the Woman's Bath

The opening theme for Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan is instrumental, composed by Watanabe, Shigeki. The ending theme is, "Prayer of G", words, music and vocals by Okabayashi, Nobuyasu; arrangement by Watanabe, Shigeki.

Shadow Warriors: The Complete First Season box set

Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan was followed by Kage no Gundan II (1981/26 episodes), Kage no Gundan III (1982/26 episodes), Kage no Gundan IV (1985/27 episodes), Kage no Gundan: Bakumatsu-Hen (1985/13 episodes) and a direct to video series Shin Kage no Gundan (2003-2005/6 volumes). All starring Sonny Chiba, as different Iga ninja.

Last modified Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Hattori Hanzô: Kage no Gundan © 1980 Kansai Telecasting Corporation (KTV) & Toei Co., Ltd.