It's the 19th century in Edo, Japan. A dark shape moves quickly but silently through the bushes. It leaps on a rooftop and creeps in an opened window of a bedroom. The sleeping occupant doesn't even realize that in ten seconds he will be dead.
Welcome to the world of the ninja, as featured in the Japanese TV series Shadow Warriors. This series ran for four seasons during the early '80s and starred the legendary Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzo, leader of the exiled Iga ninja clan. Kill Bill Vol. 1 fans will recall that a character named Hattori Hanzo is a master swordsmith who creates a special katana for Uma Thurman's character in the film. In an interview with Quentin Tarantino, the director explained that although it wasn't implicitly stated in the film, Chiba's Hanzo character in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is a direct descendant of the Hattori Hanzo character in Shadow Warriors.
Fans of Shadow Warriors or ninjas in general can now purchase the complete first season on DVD. All 27 episodes are featured on seven discs and have English subtitles. The set also includes a special interview with Chiba and a 12-page booklet on the series.
As a series, the quality of Shadow Warriors was a pleasant surprise. I had expected the usual attributes of early 80's television shows - cheesy dialogue, weak plotlines, and little character development. However, I was drawn from the very first episode. Shadow Warriors takes place around the 19th century. The series begins with the sudden death of the current shogun, forcing his five-year-old son to take over prematurely. Although the young shogun has adult handlers who will run the country until he comes of age, the weakened structure of the ruling class naturally becomes prey to those who wish to usurp the throne. A series of night time assassinations take place, and in desperation the shogun's main guardian turns to Hattoti Hanzo and his exiled clan for help.
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