Samurai movies with heroines?

[Solinde]

I've managed to get almost all the girls who do either kendo or iaido at our dojo to get together for some bowling, homemade pizza and movie. It's always hard to know what kind of movie to pick, but one of the other girls came up with the brilliant idea of watching a samurai movie where the hero is a girl for once. And unlike me, she actually knew one: Azumi. I don't know how hard it will be to get ahold of though, so the question here is...are there any other movies like this that you know of?

And please don't answer Kill Bill, I was thinking a little more traditional. :p

(IMDB entry for Azumi: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384819/)

[Nokori 3byo]

Somebody should really hurry up and make a Gozen Tomoe movie. There was an NHK series featuring her as a character last year, but I'd like to see something on a more cinematic scale, with a proper budget, etc.

[Solinde]

Actually my first idea was a movie about her as well, and it seemed rather odd to me that no such film seems to have been made.

[WolfofMibu]

i dont think i have seen a traditional samurai movie with a female main character. just Chinese movies like crouching tiger hidden dragon, but sadly no samurai

[hobbit]

The Princess Blade. Not exactly samurai but the central character is a girl who can handle a sword.

[rottunpunk]

princess blade and the 2 azumi ones are the only ones im aware of

one i got off ebay at some point is satomi hakkenden, its got a sqeely princessy thing in it.

apart from samurai-theres some good japanese heroine films.
sympathy for lady vengence is out now and is ace, also a film i think its called scorpion? about an escaped convict.
:p

[Nokori 3byo]

also a film i think its called scorpion? about an escaped convict.
:p

女囚７０１号サソリ (Female Convict #710, Scorpion).　　Uh, dude, that`s soft porn--one of Toei Studios` early "PV" ("pinky violent") films.

Maybe not what the OP had in mind.

[Solinde]

Haha, I'm not sure it would be a good thing for the club if I gathered up all these girls, some still minors, and showed them porn. :D

Will check out the Princess Blade one though.

[Alison2805]

I recently watched the 2 part movie "Lady Snowblood" which is a 70s Japanese film about a girl samurai who avenges her parents deaths - very cool if you dont mind lots and lots of fake blood. She kicks ass. This was the movie that inspired kill bill, and you can see some similar parts of the story line, but this is much better. It was released on DVD about 6 months ago.
Also there is the Korean (I think) movie called Volcano High, where a high school full of kids with powers has to deal with nasty teachers. They have an all-girls kendo club, the captain of which is one of the main characters. Not only is she gorgeous, she wields a shinai! And one of the girls has blood red gi, hakama and bogu. Definitely a great movie for minors.

I found both of these films at my local video store.

[Martin S.]

Hi Solinde.
"Lady Snowblood" is definately the way to go for female slashing, they´re both great ( I personally didn´t like Azumi at all). "Shoguns Samurai" has a couple of cool female characters in it, though not leading parts.
"Lone Wolf and Cub: Babycart at the river Styx" has really cool female ninjas in it, and "Lone wolf and Cub: Babycart in Peril" has a badass tattooed female character out for bloody vengeance.
If you´re not familiar with the Lone Wolf series, you should be. They´re all amazing.
Hope this was helpful.

Best regards
Martin

[Solinde]

Martin: I'll check them out.

I'm familiar with the Lone wolf and Cub series, but have only watched a little.

[Nokori 3byo]

Hi Solinde.
"Lady Snowblood" is definately the way to go for female slashing, they´re both great ( I personally didn´t like Azumi at all).

Haven't seen Lady Snowblood yet, but Meiko Kaji is a cool actress. Nobody can stare like her.

Totally agree with you about Azumi. I found her about as threatening as an easter egg.

[Nokori 3byo]

Nobody has mentioned Shindo Kaneto's late-60s work yet. He made a couple of films with women killing Samurai.

In "Onibaba" ("Devil Woman") a middle aged widow and her daughter-in-law eke out an existence by stalking and killing samurai on the run. The main characters' murderousness and moral blankness makes it difficult to identify them as "heroines," but it's an interesting film, nonetheless.

In "Kuroneko" ("The Black Cat") a more sympathetic duo, likewise made up of a mother and her daughter in law, return from the dead as shape-shifting spectres to avenge themselves on the samurai who raped and murdered them (well, on any samurai who cross their path, as a matter of fact).

Granted, the characters in these films aren't really warriors, and as such might not fit the bill. I can recommend "Onibaba" on the basis of it's superb black and white cinematography and incisive social commentary. If, however, you don't like queasy, existential horror films, steer clear of it.

[Cool Cat]

Hi Solinde,

Maybe I shouldn't be jumping into the female forum. However, I watched a movie on my last flight from Japan called Shinobi. Not a "Samurai" movie as such but more of a "Ninga" movie. However, the story line was quite good. You can see some details at the web site below which was posted on this forum a while ago.

http://www.shochikufilms.com/trailer/index.html

Happy viewing.

Cheers

[Budo Angel]

Modern film wise, I'm a fan of Azumi and Princes Blade, both kick butts basically, with a sword...:D without being macho or too overly girly. :rambo:

[rottunpunk]

女囚７０１号サソリ (Female Convict #710, Scorpion).　　Uh, dude, that`s soft porn--one of Toei Studios` early "PV" ("pinky violent") films.

Maybe not what the OP had in mind.

erm, im sure the one i saw didnt have porn in it. :emb:

oh well scrap that one then. kai doh maru for a manga.

and theres allways twighlight samurai or hidden blade for a chick flick
:p

[Solinde]

Well, although I thoroughly loved Twilight Samurai, I must say it's a little chick-flicky. I thought I would try to find one that was more strong-womany. But I don't know, might just as well end up with some Hollywood comedy (hope not!). :wink:

[Willow]

If you like anime, the Otogi Zoshi series is fantastic. It's set in the Heian era and the younger sister of samurai Minamoto, Hikaru, has to take his place on a quest when he becomes ill.
The animation is done by Production IG who did the anime sequence in KB1 and also Ghost in the Shell. It is breath-takingly beautiful and the story is great, too. It kept both my 11 year old son and I totally intrigued.

[Solinde]

I do love anime, but I imagine a movie is better than a series for something like this.

Although that series sounds interesting, and I might bery well end up watching it.

[mingshi]

How can people miss out KILL BILL...!??!

[Michiyo Akimoto]

Twilight Samurai a..a..."chick flick?"
Huh?
I disagree wholeheartedly.

[Solinde]

Mingshi: maybe because my original post said:
And please don't answer Kill Bill, I was thinking a little more traditional. :p ? ;)

For a samurai film I'd say that Twilight Samurai has its chick flick tendencies. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, though.

[Michiyo Akimoto]

For a samurai film I'd say that Twilight Samurai has its chick flick tendencies. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, though.

Oh yes! I see what you mean!....The resemblance between Thelma and Louise?
Simply Astonishing!
:p
:D

[Ignatz]

For a samurai film I'd say that Twilight Samurai has its chick flick tendencies. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, though.
At the risk of showing myself as one who is hopelessly out of touch, could you tell me what are the attributes of a "chick flick"? I hear that a lot but am lost.
I thought I would try to find one that was more strong-womany. Do you mean "drives a hemi dodge ram 4x4 pickup truck" strong womany? Like Xena the warrior princess?
The reason I ask is that I'm trying to write a screenplay (not about samurai but about the time honored subject of redemption) and I'm curious about what people who are not me want to see.

[Lloromannic]

At the risk of showing myself as one who is hopelessly out of touch, could you tell me what are the attributes of a "chick flick"? I hear that a lot but am lost.
Do you mean "drives a hemi dodge ram 4x4 pickup truck" strong womany? Like Xena the warrior princess?
The reason I ask is that I'm trying to write a screenplay (not about samurai but about the time honored subject of redemption) and I'm curious about what people who are not me want to see. From Urban Dictionary: A film that indulges in the hopes and dreams of women and/or girls. A film that has a happy, fuzzy, ridiculously unrealistic ending. My best friend's wedding, Mona Lisa Smile, Runaway Bride, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, Josie and the pussycats, Mean girls, A cinderella story, Freaky Friday. I'd say Bring It On is one of the best "chick flicks" ever.

[Solinde]

I simply used chick flick in the meaning of the actual words...a film that attracts girls. I am pretty sure that if you show a bunch of samurai films to a bunch of girls, you will see that Twilight Samurai is more popular among girls than most other in the genre.

Splitting hairs about the exact meaning of a word in a language that is not your own is actually not a lot of fun, I'd say.

[rottunpunk]

back on subject-ish
red sonja:D

:p

[Mokuso]

Another old classic is 'Zipang'

Humourous and cool,
The girl isn't a samurai but she hangs out with Samurai's
she carries a pistol her all the time as her special weapon
and goes by the name of 'Yuri the gun'

there's other legendary characters like Hanzo the Ninja with his 30 over hidden subordinates that follows him around.

[Kitsune]

Only whatched chinese movies with heroines with swords... My fave one Hero.

[Willow]

Yeah. House of Flying Daggers , too. Love that scene in the bamboo forest.