Vagabond - Recommendations

• OVA (4 eps)
• 1988 - 1989

In medieval Japan's Genroku era, the young warrior Yoshiyasu Yanasawa approaches Takakaru, the leader of the Hazuki clan in search of the power of the Golden Dragon, unaware that the power of the dragon flows within the very bloodstream of the maiden Orie.

• TV (26 eps)
• 2002

Samurai Deeper Kyo is a story of two men in one body - the humble, polite Mibu Kyoshiro and the legendary samurai Onime-no-Kyo, who has a price on his head. Consequently, Mibu Kyoshiro is captured for having an uncanny resemblance to the samurai. As the story of SDK progresses, we learn more about the two unique souls that inhabit the same body.

• OVA (1 ep)
• 2017

The OVA sets up the character of Heizou, the man feared by thieves and miscreants as the "Demonic Heizou" during the Edo Period. A young man traces the stories about Heizō from Kumehachi, Hikojuu, Omasa, and others who know and admire him. The young man learns about Heizou's early years and how he became a police operative.

• OVA (1 ep)
• 2004

Historical Japan, the Meiji Revolution: Hijikata Toshizou is a young swordsman fighting for the Shinsengumi and the Tokugawa shogunate. As a lieutenant of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata earns a reputation for his ruthlessness and harsh moral code. Hijikata Toshizou's tale is one of fierce determination, his samurai spirit unfaltering even as the war nears its inescapable conclusion and his comrades fall one by one.

• Movie (1 ep)
• 1971

• TV (26 eps)
• 1969

After working his way up from the oppressed peasant class, the rogue ninja Kamui must struggle to free himself from the iron fist of his own clan. He travels through all the country running from ruthless killers who have traveled to the ends of the Earth to destroy him.

• Movie (1 ep)
• 1997

During the Bakumatsu Period, death filled Japan as people fought for what was in their hearts. A young man took up the sword to fight for the Meiji government: he was known as Hitokiri Battousai. It is now the 12th year of the Meiji Period, and Hitokiri Battousai is now known as Himura Kenshin; he atones for his sins by carrying a reversed-blade sword that will never kill again. During a trip to Yokohama, Kenshin meets a samurai named Takimi Shigure who lost a close friend, Takatsuki Gentatsu, during the conflicts in the past. Takimi blames himself foolishly for his friend’s death, and vows to take revenge upon this corrupt Meiji government who wasted Gentatsu's sacrifice. As swords weave blood from their masters' enemies upon the bloody ground, one thing is certain: revenge will bring only suffering and regret is a miserable feeling.

• TV (46 eps)
• 1981 - 1982

Mitokomon is the emperor's trusted man with a high sense of justice. He is sent to travel around the country in order to observe the quality of life in each province, run a check on the official's performance, and report back to the emperor. He travels with two bodyguards, Kaiko (known for his extraordinary power) and Tsuke (known for his amazing swordsmanship). The three men, traveling unknown, face adventures on their journey to bring justice to the citizens and eliminate corruption from the governing system.

• TV (12 eps)
• 2005

In the turmoil of the Sengoku Period, the armies led by Ieyasu Tokugawa are advancing across Japan in a show of unrivalled military might. Only the Sanada family dares to stand up against them, a move which is both brave and fraught with untold peril. Amidst the cold conspiracies and fiery battles, an exceptional ninja called Sarutobi Sasuke must employ his powers to weaken the invaders and, most importantly, protect the Sanada family he loves. However, as the drums of war toll throughout the land, everyone, including Sarutobi, must prepare themselves for a war which will not just change their lives, but determine the fate of all Japan.

• TV Special (1 ep)
• 2005

When a meteor plummets to Earth one day in medieval Japan, a lone villager stumbles upon the site of impact and discovers at the center of the crater a baby boy. Brought up to serve the powerful Sanada family, the boy, now named Sarutobi Sasuke, becomes a ninja of great and mystical ability. However, as dark forces gather on the horizon in the form of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Sanada family finds itself irreparably split between those who would join the invaders and those who would maintain the old order. Eventually, only Genjiro Sanada and his father remain to defend their home, Ueda castle. In these turbulent times, will Sarutobi’s unique strengths be enough to safeguard Japan from the ferocious ambitions of the Tokugawa?