Samurai movies with heroines?

**Solinde** · 21st May 2006, 08:55 PM

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.

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

**Nokori 3byo** · 21st May 2006, 10:06 PM

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** · 21st May 2006, 11:18 PM

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** · 22nd May 2006, 04:03 AM

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** · 22nd May 2006, 04:32 AM

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

**rottunpunk** · 22nd May 2006, 04:58 AM

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.

**Nokori 3byo** · 22nd May 2006, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by rottunpunk

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

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** · 22nd May 2006, 04:22 PM

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.

Will check out the Princess Blade one though.

**Alison2805** · 22nd May 2006, 04:44 PM

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.** · 22nd May 2006, 05:58 PM

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** · 22nd May 2006, 06:05 PM

Martin: I'll check them out.

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

**Nokori 3byo** · 22nd May 2006, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by 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).

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** · 22nd May 2006, 06:53 PM

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** · 22nd May 2006, 08:24 PM

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