Title: Satomi Hakkenden (The Legend of Satomi Clan and The Eight Dog Warriors)

Broadcast: TBS, 2-3 January 2006

Casts: Takizawa Hideaki, Nakama Yukie, Watabe Atsuro, Oshio Manabu, Ayase Haruka, Kanno Miho, Sato Ryuta, Ozawa Yukiyoshi, Shoei, Yamada Yu, Katsuji Ryo, Yamashita Shoon, Oosugi Ren, Takeda Shinji, Jinnai Takanori, Sano Shiro, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Tomosaka Rie, Kaneda Akio, Izumi Pinko, Tanabe Seiichi, Kurokawa Tomoka.

Official Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/satomi8/

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HAKKENDEN was the best seller novel in the late Tokugawa Shogun's period, early 19th century. It was published in 1814-1842, just before U.S.Navy Commodore Perry's first visit to Japan (1853).

It was written by Kyokutei Bakin (1767-1848), the first professional writer in Japan. He was born into the Samurai Class. His real name was Takizawa Okikuni. He had Pen and Sword. It took Bakin almost 30 years to finish Hakkenden. The amazing fact about this is that he wrote the last third of Hakkenden while he was totally blind.

Nansoo Satomi Hakkenden is a complex story spanning 181 chapters and is considered one of the great literary works to emerge from the Edo/Tokugawa Era. Bakin was heavily influenced by classical Chinese romances, and thus, Hakkenden is a unique fusion of the classical Chinese romance, a Confucian text, and the Tokugawa Shogun culture. It is the longest work of Japanese fiction and possibly the longest written romance ever.

This is the introduction of the story...

In an area of Japan called Awa, there are two families that control the area, the Satomi Clan and the Anzai Clan. The Satomi fall upon hard times and ask the Anzai for help. Rather than sending aid, Lord Anzai sends troops to destroy the Satomi, who, overwhelmed by hunger and the Anzai forces, barricade themselves within their castle.

Some days after the siege had begun, the defenders ran out of food. Seven days without food and they lose the power to fight. Finally, after numerous failed attempts to assassinate Lord Anzai, the Satomi realize that they have no other choice than to surrender.

During the last night, Lord Satomi Yoshizane (Nagazuka Kyozo) said jokingly to the family's dog, "If you kill Anzai Kagetsura, I will give my daughter to you in marriage." The dog believed him and killed the enemy. However, Yoshizane refuses to uphold his promise, but Princess Fusehime (Nakama Yukie), a stickler for promises, insists on upholding it and leaves with Yatsufusa for the mountains.

A year or so passes, and The Princess finds out in a vision that she is pregnant in a virgin birth(a litter of 8), and that the Satomi clan has a curse upon it. She is ashamed of conceiving a dog's child. About this time, a former retainer of the Satomi clan comes into the mountains to save Fusehime.

Tragically, in his attempt to shoot and kill Yatsufusa, he instead shoots Fusehime, who, realizing that she is dying and fearing what she may give birth to, kills herself (Thus, in an "honorable act," she has avoided her fate and paved the way to lift the Satomi curse). As she dies, the 8 beads on a rosary that she wears begin to glow and then fly off into the night.

Within few years, 8 sons are born to fathers whose last names begin with the kanji for dog, "Inu." Each of these sons is born holding one of the 8 beads from Fusehime's rosary. Within each of those beads is written a kanji that represents a Confucian ideal. These boys grow up as the embodiment of that particular ideal. These "Eight Dog Warriors" are to lift the curse from the Satomi family.


Here's a list of the Eight Dog Warriors:

Inuzuka Shino (Takizawa Hideaki) - read "KOO" meaning Filial Piety
Shino is currently being hunted for presenting a fake version of the "Murasame," a sword which is to be wielded by the true ruler of Kantoo (the Tokyo region). He was supposed to marry Hamaji (Ayase Haruka), his uncle and aunt's foster child.

Inukawa Sosuke (Sato Ryuta) - read "GI" representing Justice/Honor
Sosuke is currently being held in custody for the murder of his masters, Shino's uncle and aunt, and the Jindai. Sosuke and Shino have been friends since childhood. In a fight with Dosetsu (Ozawa Yukiyoshi), his bead was switched with Dosetsu's.

Inuyama Dosetsu (Ozawa Yukiyoshi) - read "CHUU" meaning Heart
Dosetsu is currently in possession of the real "Murasame," which he took from Aboshi. He is the half-brother of Hamaji, Shino's fiancée, from whom he was separated when he was a baby. However, Aboshi tricked him with an illusion, and he accidentally cut down his sister. He is definitely the coolest of all the Dog Warriors since he can make big bangs with his gunpowder. He is currently unknowingly carrying Sosuke's bead.

Inukai Genpachi (Oshio Manabu) - read "SHIN" and stands for Truth/Faith
Not much is know about him yet, but he's a real psycho.

Inuda Kobungo (Shoei) - read "TEI" and represents Service to Elders
He's a big and strong guy but is really kind of quiet and timid.

Inuzaka Keno (Yamada Yu) - read "CHI" and represents Wisdom/Intellect/Reason
All I know is that he likes to dress up as a girl.

Inumura Daikaku (Katsuji Ryo) - read "REI" and stands for Courtesy/Appreciation
I don't really know anything about him.

Inue Shinbei (Yamashita Shoon) - read "JIN" meaning Benevolence/Compassion/Humanity
The nephew of Kobungo.


Source:
http://www.cjas.org/~echen/articles/spring96/04_13b.html
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~opaku/shogun/
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Miho Kanno played 2 roles, Tamazusa and Myouchin.


Tamazusa
In the year 1441, the greedy Yamashita Sadakane killed Jin-yo Mitsuhirou, and took over northern Awa. At his side was the beautiful woman Tamazusa, and through her charms and seductions the two became a froce to reckoned with.

When Satomi Yoshizane and Kanamari Hachirou took over Takita castle, Tamazusa was captured. She was to be executed, but her chars led Yoshizane astray, leading him to lessen the punishment to banishment from the province. Hachirou, unable to let any who murdered his lord get away, talked him back over, and Tamazusa was to be executed.

For Satomi not thinking of her needs and not being charitable, Tamazusa spoke: The Satomi grandchildren shall be cursed to walk the earth as mongrel dogs. And then her head was cut off. She placed the dreaded curse on the Satomi house that would follow him to the grave.

At first, Tamazusa seems to just play along with Sadakane. But then she places the deadly curse on Satomi because she felt he was not "charitable". She's downright wicked and probably wanted Awa as badly as Sadakane. She says women have had no place in the world. Maybe she wanted to change that. Also, every tragedy that happened to the Dog Warriors is her fault, and she doesn't seem to care until she realizes how much plight she's put them through.

Sexy and charming. Able to capture men in her grasp and twist them to her own desires. As a spirit she has movement in the spirit world and the ability to make the afflictions that haunt the Hakkenshi.


Myouchin, The Wizard
She is a magical racoon dog. In Japan, it is believed that racoons or foxes can use magic. She gives milk to Yatsafusa, and Tamazusa passes the curse to her. She then hates the Satomi. She then helps Hikita Motofuji in the Satomi-Hikita wars. Because of her magic, the Satomi cannot win. Luckily, the holy Dog Warrior Shinbei (Yamashita Shoon) comes to the rescue. Myouchin's magic is of no use against Shinbei's powers, and she is slained.


Source: http://members.tripod.com/~muromachi1333/
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wahh this movie looks so interesting... wanna see ittt.. I think d-addicts already has the raw file.. but no subtitle yet

ahhhhhhhhhh thanks yanie_chan for that explanation.. still trying to figure out the special little by little.. but I saw the first episode and already in love with it....

then again.. how can you resist all the cute guys hahahaha

but it's good...... Hope someone comes up with chinese subs.. cause I don't want to be translating for my parents when i'm like 50% understanding the story.....haha

I'm not exactly a fan of Taiga dramas but this one surely looks interesting. I think I've seen an anime that was sort of loosely based on these warriors. Can't really recall the name but there was a Hakkenden word in it. Maybe I should give it a try and since its only a 2 part series I guess it wouldn't hurt

And thanks for the explaination yanie_chan.

Isn't Taiga a term that is used exclusively to describe the annual NHK period-dramas which run the entire year?
Anyway, the late great Kinji Fukasaku made a 1983 film of Satomi Hakkenden which starred Sonny Chiba. Despite having a couple of cheesy special effects (think Godzilla movies), it was a pretty entertaining movie. The acting was solid and the fighting sequences were good, which is what you'd expect from Chiba and his JAC.

yanie_chan, did you notice how they left out a lot of the stuff about her being pregnant by a dog in the first installment? They allude to this with her looking into the water to see a big white dog, but it's not really said that she's impregnated. Or maybe I missed that nuance in the series??? Hahahaha.

I'm trying to write a somewhat accurate summary/synopsis of these in English, but boy, this thing is long LOL. I've barely gotten 14 minutes done in an hour.

I really love the scale of this drama, but wish they hadn't used so many cheap computer effects for Takizawa Hideaki's stunt choreography. When he wears the blue hakama and has his long hair cascading with red glints on his shoulders, all I could think of was that manga, "Rurouni Kenshin"!! Anyone else see that???

^Yes i know what you mean! But i like the figt scene between him & Oshio Manabu.

Just finish watching it and i love it! Even i don't understand a thing though but still i enjoyed watching it!

Shino & Shinbei the two warriors i adore and wow Shinbei even he is the youngest but he got powers!Cool!

Pink Gloss... You're here?? Hisashiburi

Actually I think Taiga can be refered to any drama that is of historical content.....

At least that's what i got when I looked in my dictionary.......

Kenshin eh..haha Now that you mention it.. does kinda look like it.. But that fight on the roof was so cool..........

Woah! Another taiga drama with Yukie Nakama in it. I thought Koumyo ga Tsuji is the only one in store for her this year . As for Hideaki Takizawa, one taiga drama after another. So, is this already out in d-addicts?
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Saito_Hajime wrote:

Woah! Another taiga drama with Yukie Nakama in it. I thought Koumyo ga Tsuji is the only one in store for her this year . As for Hideaki Takizawa, one taiga drama after another. So, is this already out in d-addicts?

the raw version is... But only two episodes....
It's short but it was filmed great.....

teru_teru_bouzu wrote:

then again.. how can you resist all the cute guys hahahaha

Great.

Another fangirl thread.

bmwracer wrote:

Great. Another fangirl thread.

buhaha.. sorry.. no more fangirling... talk more about the show.. I'm still watching.. don't get mad at me.... sorry.. i'll go fangirl elsewhere.....

blackstar wrote:

wahh this movie looks so interesting... wanna see ittt.. I think d-addicts already has the raw file.. but no subtitle yet

cool, looking for the 2nd part, got the first one, no subs yet eh?

Awesome explanation!! I watched both episodes on the Telly, and although I didnt understand a word, I kinda got the jist of the story....but your explanation has filled in a lot of gaps that I didnt understand.
Keep up the great work.

nice screen caps.

Is this drama a remake of a 1980's Chiba Shinichi-Sanada Hiroyuki movie of the same name?

Hopefully it'll be better than that movie...

teru_teru_bouzu wrote:

the raw version is... But only two episodes.... It's short but it was filmed great.....

Thanks for the info
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bmwracer wrote:

Is this drama a remake of a 1980's Chiba Shinichi-Sanada Hiroyuki movie of the same name? Hopefully it'll be better than that movie...

cool...thanks for the info.