Watch The Samurai (1962) Online!
The Samurai is a Japanese historical fiction television series made by Senkosha Productions during the early 1960s. Its original Japanese title was Onmitsu Kenshi. The series premiered in 1962 on TBS and ran continuously until 1965 for ten self-contained story arcs, usually of 13 episodes each. Also created were two black-and-white feature films by Toei Company, made in 1964 by the same crew which has created the TV series, and a stage show. The Samurai proved to be highly successful despite its initially very limited budget. It was the first Japanese TV program ever screened in Australia, where it premiered in 1964 and built up a remarkably large fan-base among the local young audience at the time, rapidly becoming a cult favourite. Despite its massive popularity in Australia as well as success in Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines, the series was not widely screened elsewhere and its fame remains largely restricted to those countries.
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Episode 1 - Secret Treasure
Release Date: 1963-01-06New adventure series set in medieval Japan telling of Shintaro the master swordsman and of his relentless search for his enemies, the black robed society known as the Koga ninja. On a Tokyo street at midnight, a lonely traveller is passing when a dark figure springs out of the darkness, kills him and begins ransacking his pockets in a hasty search for a bag of gold he was taking to one of the Shogun's ministers.
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Episode 2 - Stolen Face
Release Date: 1963-01-13The first of the 13 ninja of the Koga society is dead after challenging Shintaro to a fight. Now Shintaro and his young companion,. Shusaku, are in search of another challenger.
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Episode 3 - Track of the Ninja
Release Date: 1963-01-20While walking along a dusty road on their way to Kofu, Shintaro and Shusaku notice an express courier in a great hurry and they catch sight of a ninja knife falling out of his pocket. That night Shusaku is kidnapped.
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Episode 4 - Deathless One
Release Date: 1963-01-27While he and his companions are resting in an inn, Shintaro sees a scared rat running from the closet and realises there is someone hiding inside.
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Episode 5 - Unseen Enemy
Release Date: 1963-02-03When the leader of the infamous Koga society harangues Kurobei for failing to rescue another ninja from Shintaro, Kurobei decides to turn against the society and join the master swordsman.
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Episode 6 - Danger in the Temple
Release Date: 1963-02-10After sneaking out of a temple in which Shintaro has sought refuge for the night, Kurobei is challenged by a black clad figure in the belfry.
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Episode 7 - The Spider
Release Date: 1963-02-17Shintaro goes to the rescue when he sees a band of villainous sedan-chair carriers running off with a girl named Chikage. Then he decides to help her locate her father.
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Episode 8 - Die Like a Ninja
Release Date: 1963-02-24Shintaro and his young companion have finally arrived in Kofu after many adventures but their arrival is being observed from afar by Sarobei and Genzo, two more master ninja.
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Episode 9 - Double Agent
Release Date: 1963-03-03The Koga ninja has been committing a series of crimes including arson and murder with the sole purpose of coaxing Shintaro into the open so he can be their next victim.
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Episode 10 - The Hunter
Release Date: 1963-03-14Ninja Kogento enables an expert rifleman to do away with Shintaro.
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Episode 11 - Mystic Bridge
Release Date: 1963-03-17Shintaro offers to escort some fugitives from the Koga ninja into Kofu though this means he will have to walk back towards his enemies who are pursuing him.
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Episode 12 - Star Jumper
Release Date: 1963-03-24While searching for a secret entrance to a hidden gold mine, Shintaro sees a group of ninja attacking a woodsman.
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Episode 13 - The Magic Kite
Release Date: 1963-03-31Shintaro and Shusaku, while journeying through the mountains, save the life of a farmer who is hanging upside down in a tree. He tells them he was attacked by the Koga and Shintaro realises they are nearby.