The Dagger of Kamui

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This anime reminded me of the T.V. series Kung Fu, but only for a second...

It is the late 1800's in Japan. A baby named Jiro is found floating down a river in a basket. With Jiro is a dagger.

Jiro is raised by a kind innkeeper and lives a peaceful life. This peace is shattered when Jiro is 13, when his adoptive parents and siblings are murdered. Jiro is blamed for the murders and flees. He is "rescued" by a priest named Tenkai, and is told that a mysterious Ninja was to blame for the murders.

Acting on further information from Tenkai, Jiro seeks out his real mother. This is the start of an adventure that leads Jiro to discover who the mysterious Ninja really was, where the lost gold of Captain Kidd was located, and a voyage across the ocean to a young United States. All the time, the Dagger being a constant companion.

The Dagger of Kamui is what I would call a "connection" film, that is, all the main characters in the film have some sort of connection in common, either by blood or events. As a ninja movie it is better then most, very enjoyable. Anyone who enjoyed Curse of the Undead: Yoma or Ninja Scroll should like The Dagger of Kamui.