I have now seen 7 of the old Zatoichi (blind swordsman) films, and I will rate them together now. It's unlikely that I'll be able to get hold of any of the others but I would have liked to see the first 2 in the series just to get an impression of the growth and development of the character.

Zatoichis Pilgrimage 1966 - Probably the closest to the genuine spirit of the original character.

Zatoichi the Outlaw 1967 - A bit too muddled in terms of storyline, lacking that something special.

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo 1970 - Nicely constructed plot, good character interaction and a different side to Zatoichi.

Zatoichi: The Festival of Fire 1970 - Good original fight sequences you get the impression that they enjoyed making this episode, ott nasty boss et al.

Zatoichi Meets the One Armed Swordsman 1971 Fine but felt as though it could be better.

Zatoichi in Desperation 1972 - Different and difficult, you feel the end of the series is near with this one, has a real air of despair about it. Better than average though because it is so different.

Zatoichi's Conspiracy 1973 - The last of the original series and it's back to basics, slightly redemptive but a good way to leave the series.

So in judgement, if you want to see a couple of the films, I'd recommend either "Zatoichis Pilgrimage 1966" or "Zatoichi's Conspiracy 1973" for the purity to the original character unless you can get hold of the first films.

For something slightly different I'd go for "Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo 1970" a good showcase for both characters and great interaction.

Although I haven't seen it, "The Blind Swordsman and the Chess Expert 1965" is supposed to be one of the better episodes.

Cheers Trev.