Back from the slight slump that was The Fugitive, Ichi returns in Grade A form. Here, he's sworn to protect the life of a young girl. As is usually the set-up for the Zatoichi series, without any real allies, Ichi finds himself in the middle of a bloody turf war. Normally, he's hesitant to get involved, but this time he plays ball and, in the end, turns in one of the greatest climax battles.