Musashi

Genre: Swordplay Drama, Samurai Drama

2003 NHK Taiga Drama - 49 episodes

1. INTRODUCTION

Musashi is often regarded as the greatest samurai of all time. He was undefeated in over 60 duels and has attained the legendary status of Sword Saint ("kensei"). Aside from being an undefeated swordsman, Musashi was also a respected painter and calligrapher. It seems like he applied his Way of the Sword to all walks of life. His written masterpiece is the Book of Five Rings ("Gorin No Sho") which is a tactical and philosophical swordplay manual that he compiled near his death. It is still studied today by martial art students and spiritual seekers for its philosophical truths and insights.

The 2003 Musashi drama is adapted from Eiji Yoshikawa's famous biographical novel "Musashi", often considered as the "Gone with the Wind of Japan". Yoshikawa's novel is my favorite novel of all time and I've read quite a few novels. So I was quite excited when I heard NHK produced a TV serial adaptation of this masterpiece. Being able to see my favorite novel on screen in a long epic TV series was a “dream come true”. Like Jin Yong and his wuxia adaptations, Yoshikawa's Musashi has been adapted into several movies and TV series. The Samurai Trilogy starring Toshiro Mifune is the most well-known movie adaptation of the novel. The first movie of this trilogy actually won an Oscar award for Best Foreign Picture. NHK has also produced a TV series adaptation in 1984 that is considered a classic by many. This review is focused on the most recent TV serial adaptation which is the 2003 version.

2. CAST

Ichikawa Shinnosuke as Miyamoto Musashi
Tsutsumi Shinichi as Honiden Matahachi
Yonekura Ryoko as Otsu
Matsuoka Masahiro as Sasaki Kojiro
Miyazawa Rie as Oshino
Nakai Kiichi as Yagyu Munenori
Wakui Emi as Orin
Uchiyama Rina as Akemi
Kitano Takeshi as Shinmen Munisai
Katase Rino as Oko
Nakama Yukie as Yae / Koto
Watase Tsunehiko as Takuan
Takashima Masanobu as Yagyu Hyougonosuke
Terajima Shinobu as Aya
Kitamura Kazuo as Tokugawa Ieyasu
Fujita Makoto as Yagyu Sekishusai
Enoki Takaaki as Seijuro
Emori Toru as Akaneya Genzo
Abe Hiroshi as Gion Touji
Miura Haruma as Jotaro

3. PLOT

I will just give a brief summary of the plot as I don't want to give away any spoilers. The story begins just after the great Battle of Sekigahara. Musashi and his childhood friend Matahachi participated in this battle but were on the losing side. Musashi joined the battle because he always dreamed of becoming a strong samurai. His father Shinmen Munisai had abused him when he was a child, constantly lauding him as a useless weakling. This has instilled in him a strong will to become strong and powerful to surpass his father and prove to him that he was no weakling. His great desire to be strong eventually leads Musashi to become a samurai and to follow the Way of the Sword. In the beginning he was fueled by rage, leading a path filled with bloodshed and carnage. However, he later learns that following the Way of the Sword is not simply a matter of raw brute strength. It is a spiritual path that involves the perfection of his sword techniques as well as the mind. He will travel across the country challenging many fighters and their unique styles of fighting and undergo the rigorous training to become one with his sword. Joining Musashi in his travels are his childhood friend Matahachi, his romantic lover Otsu and the wise Zen monk Takuan.

We will later discover that Musashi's greatest opponent in swordplay is Sasaki Kojiro, another young promising samurai. Kojiro is the master of the Ganryu sword style and like Musashi is undefeated in many duels. During the course of the series we see the parallel developments of both Musashi and Kojiro as they strive for perfection in their swordplay. Who will win in the clash between these two undefeated samurai?

Aside from the swordplay plot, the Musashi series also has several love stories. It wouldn't be called "Gone with the Wind of Japan" for nothing. Musashi's childhood friend and the love of his life is Otsu. Aside from his desire to become a powerful swordsman, it is his love for Otsu that really motivates him to live. The love story between the two is filled with many obstacles and it would seem that fate itself wants them apart. Can Musashi and Otsu overcome them and lead a happy romantic life? The second love story of interest is between Kojiro and Koto. Kojiro is a pretty cool character with an arrogant icy personality and a cold heart. Koto on the other hand is a sensitive girl who longs to be loved. Can Koto warm his icy cold heart? The relationship between the two is quite interesting. It should be mentioned that apart from being Musashi's equal in swordplay, Kojiro is also a good-looking samurai hunk and quite a few ladies in the series fall for him.

There is also political aspect to the series, namely the struggle of power between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans. If you ever watched the TV miniseries "Shogun" or read James Clavell's novel, you may have heard of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan and ruled since the Battle of Sekigahara. One issue constantly brought up throughout the series is the samurai way of life v.s. the political life. These two sides of the coin are represented by Musashi and Yagyu Munenori (another famous samurai). Musashi chooses a spiritual reclusive life free of politics to follow the Way of the Sword and to gain true spiritual strength. Yagyu Munenori on the other hand leads a political and worldly life serving the shogun to gain power, rank and respect. Which way of life leads to true strength? We shall see how these two lifestyles play out during the series.

4. Fight Scenes

The samurai fight scenes in the series are top-notch. They are very realistic with excellent choreography and hardly any computer graphic effects at all. We are talking about 100% pure “authentic” samurai sword-to-sword fight scenes with no CGI. You really can't get much better than that. The only other series that compares in quality (in the fight scenes) is the swordplay drama Xiao Ao Jian Hu 2001.

If you’ve ever played the video game Samurai Shodown, you’ll know what to expect from the authentic samurai fight scenes in Musashi. As a side note, the Samurai Shodown character Haohmaru is actually based on Musashi. The Samurai Shodown characters Ukyo Tachibana is based on Sasaki Kojiro and Yagyu Jubei on Yagyu Munenori’s son.

Almost all of the fight scenes in the novel are portrayed here including the infamous Snow of Thirty Three Halls and the Ganryu Island Duel. Both of which are done perfectly! As this is a samurai drama you will get to see plenty of fight scenes, probably even more so than an average wuxia series.

5. Musashi and the Way of the Sword

At the start of the series, Musashi is a rookie samurai who relies solely on brute strength. As he progresses through the Way of the Sword, Musashi’s skills and abilities begin to improve. Musashi’s first real encounter with a high-level adept on the path is with the “Sword God” Yagyu Sekishusai. This legendary “Sword God” teaches Musashi about the "true" Way of the Sword and the highest level of swordplay. It is said (by many samurai and kendo masters) that the highest level of swordplay is "No-Sword", being able to overcome the sword without the sword. This is the highest level of achievement amongst samurai's and Kendo-zen practitioners today. Yagyu Sekishusai demonstrates the essence of "No-Sword" when he thwarts Musashi’s sword strikes effortlessly without having to rely on any weapon. Later on in the series, we will see Musashi grasping the notion of "No-Sword" by being able to beat his katana-wielding opponents without unsheathing his own sword. Sometimes his mere presence and aura is enough to frighten away opponents. Musashi also develops a sixth sense, being able to sense danger without actually physically sensing it (in the novel this was shown in the chapter called The Four Sages and the Light but this series omits that scene and instead creates their own one). Musashi has achieved all these abilities through his rigorous training in the Way of the Sword. Throughout the course of the series Musashi strives to reach the level of Yagyu Sekishusai who he thinks is still light years ahead of him. However Musashi will indeed attain the status of Sword Saint in his later life.

So who are the top samurai in the series (and novel)? They are Yagyu Sekishusai, Yagyu Munenori, Yagyu Hyogonosuke, Gonnosuke, Sasaki Kojiro and of course Musashi. Keep an eye out on these individuals when you watch the series as they are based on real legendary historical figures (e.g. the Gonnosuke in the series is the real-life inventor of Jodo).

6. Character Portrayals

Ichikawa Shinnosuke as Miyamoto Musashi

Ichikawa Shinnosuke does an absolutely fantastic job as Musashi. His rugged looks are exactly how I pictured him when I read the novel. In the beginning, Musashi is full of rage and anger. He shouts when he talks and always looks pissed off. In his early sword duels you can tell he is tapping into this rage. As the story progresses however, Musashi slowly matures as he follows the Way of the Sword. His entire demeanor and attitude towards life changes and we gradually see a more spiritual Musashi. Ichikawa Shinnosuke does a great job in this transition from an angry rage demon to enlightened samurai. His role of Musashi definitely carries the series throughout all 49 episodes. Even during some of the slower scenes, Ichikawa Shinnosuke's mere presence gives the show a much-needed jolt.

Of all the Musashi roles I've seen, I'll have to say that this one is the best.

Rating - 5/5

Tsutsumi Shinichi as Honiden Matahachi

Matahachi is the childhood friend of Musashi and provides a comic relief to the otherwise serious plot. While Musashi is concerned with the sword, Matahachi is concerned with money matters. In the course of the series we get to see him grow as a businessman. Matahachi also provides a unique perspective into Musashi's personality. Being childhood friends, Matahachi is familiar with Musashi's soft boyish-side whereas the rest of the world only knows Musashi as the Fierce Undefeated Samurai. Overall Tsutsumi Shinichi does a decent job as Matahachi.

Rating - 4/5

Yonekura Ryoko as Otsu

The flute wielding Otsu is the romantic lover of Musashi. She is portrayed by Yonekura Ryoko. To be honest, the Otsu I imagined in the novel is nothing like the Otsu portrayed in the series. Yonekura Ryoko doesn't have the graceful innocence and elegance in the looks and acting department necessary to portray Otsu properly. Yonekura gave Otsu a more worldly-intelligent and convicted aspect that was a little off compared to the more innocent Otsu in the novel. I also found the chemistry between Yonekura and Ichikawa rather lacking. In the novel the love between Musashi and Otsu is the driving force behind many of the events but the chemistry between the two in the series did not live up to my expectations. If you haven't read the novel then Yonekura Ryoko gets a passing performance as Otsu.

Rating - 3/5

Matsuoka Masahiro as Sasaki Kojiro

Kojiro is the master of the Ganryu style of swordplay and is Musashi's greatest opponent. Matsuoka Masahiro gives a fantastic performance as Kojiro. He pulled off the arrogant and cold aspect of Kojiro very well and is practically oozing with style in almost every scene he is in. Matsuoka Masahiro's Kojiro is definitely the coolest samurai in the series plus he has the looks to physically portray this handsome samurai. A minor difference between the novel and series is that in the novel Kojiro is more rude and arrogant, often criticizing Musashi’s skills and accomplishments. The series portrays him as more respectful and honorable, showing great respect for Musashi and even helping him out a few times.

Rating - 5/5

Nakai Kiichi as Yagyu Munenori

Yagyu Munenori is the son of the enlightened sword master Yagyu Sekishusai. He is a highly skilled and famous samurai who is on par with both Musashi and Kojiro. Unlike Musashi who lives his life for the moment, Munenori is involved heavily with politics and power. The series makes Munenori a major character (and villain) whereas in the novel he is only mentioned few times. Nakai Kiichi does a great job portraying the ruthless and aristocratic Munenori but it should be noted that the Munenori in the novel is vastly different than the one portrayed in the series.

Historically Yagyu Munenori was a famous and accomplished samurai very much like Musashi. He wrote the famous Book of Family Traditions which is a tactical and philosophical swordplay manual similar to the Book of Five Rings of Musashi.

Rating - 4/5

Uchiyama Rina as Akemi

Uchiyama Rina does a fantastic job portraying Akemi. She is exactly like how I pictured her when I read the novel. She is a fun and engaging character who eventually becomes the romantic partner of Matahachi. Like Matahachi, she gives the series a fun undertone which is a great relief from the heavy plot.

Rating - 5/5

Watase Tsunehiko as Takuan

Takuan is an enlightened old Zen monk. He often gives spiritual insights to help Musashi overcome personal obstacles. Not only is Takuan spiritually wise, he also has a humble and down to earth individual which makes him very well-liked. There is no bigger influence in Musashi's spiritual life than Takuan. Watase Tsunehiko plays this role to perfection.

Rating - 5/5

7. Novel Comparisons

This series actually goes beyond the novel portraying the battle between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans and extending Yagyu Munenori's involvement. The storyline in the novel ends at episode 38 (there are a total of 49 episodes in the series).

For the first 38 episodes, the series is about 60% accurate to the novel. It does follow the general trend of the novel and many of the characters and events are indeed portrayed. But the events in the novel are not exactly like the scenes portrayed in the series. There are notable differences: some scenes are re-arranged in different order, some are omitted and some are also added. The characters are also given extended roles to give some of the actor and actresses more screen time. Sasaki Kojiro is more fleshed out and we get to see more of his personal romantic relationships. Yagyu Munenori, a relatively minor character in the novel, is transformed into a major one.

Having said all that, the series does capture the spirit of the novel and we get to see the gradual spiritual transformation of Musashi into an enlightened warrior. For those who haven't read the novel, I suggest picking up the english translation. It is definitely one of the greatest novels ever. If you are into swordplay or samurai literature, Yoshikawa's Musashi is a must-read.

As a nice treat for Musashi fans, the very final episode (#49) "Musashi Forever" shows some brief scenes depicting Musashi in his late life composing the Go Rin No Sho and perfecting his technique of two swords. At this point, he has clearly attained the level of a Sword Saint.

8. Atmosphere

Being a Taiga drama (a Japanese Ancient serial), we get to see ancient Japan in all its glory. The authentic samurai sword duels, the ancient Japanese costumes, the Japanese architecture of the Tokugawa period, the Kabuki dancers and the Japanese flute all adds to an authentic ancient Japanese experience. The series does a great job bringing Yoshikawa's novel to life visually on screen.

9. Conclusion

As an adaptation of Yoshikawa's Musashi, this series was not bad. It would have been nice if they followed the novel 100% but this is the closest adaptation to the novel we're going to get. As a swordplay drama, it is definitely one of the best out there. I put this one on par with other great swordplay dramas like Xiao Ao Jiang Hu 2001 and State of Divinity 1996. The difference is that Musashi is based on a real historical figure so there is a pervading sense of realism not found in other swordplay dramas (particular of the wuxia variety). For those of you curious about the life of the greatest swordsman ever (historically speaking), check out Musashi. At 49 episodes, it is the most epic swordplay drama yet. I give this 5/5 stars as a swordplay drama and 4/5 stars as an adaptation of the novel.