Title: Gin Tama The Movie
Author/Artist: Hideaki Sorachi
Director: Shinji Takamatsu
Distributor: Sentai Filmworks
American Release Date: May 29, 2012
Format: Blu-ray, 95 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Comedy, Parody
Publisher Age Rating: A
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Synopsis:
“A sword kills, a swordsmith forges…but what does a samurai do?” – Takasugi Shinsuke
13 Assassins
Director: Eiichi Kudo
Writer: Kaneo Ikegami
Staring: Chezo Kataoka, Ko Nishimura and Ryohei Uchida
Origianl Release: Dec. 7th, 1963
U. S. Re-Release Date: June 5th, 2012
U. S. Distributor: AnimEigo
Format: DVD / 126 minutes
Genre: Period Piece, Historical Drama, Samurai
Age Rating: Not Rated (suggested PG 13 due to violence)
Overall Personal Rating: B+
Similar Titles: Sword of Desperation, Revenge, The Loyal 47 Ronin
Synopsis:
Title: Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings 2
Writer: Yasuyuki Muto
Director: Kazuya Nomura
American Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
American Release Date: Feb. 7th, 2012
Format: 2 DVD/Blu Ray combo box set, 13 half hour episodes (325 minutes)
Genre: Action, Period Piece, Drama
Rating: TV 14
Overall Personal Rating: B-
Synopsis:
Sword of Desperation
Directed By: Hideyuki Hirayama
Written By: Based on Novel by Shuhei Fujisawa
Staring: Etsuhi Toyokawa, Chizuru Ikewaki and Koji Kikkawa
U. S. Distributor: AnimEigo
U. S. release date: Feb. 14th, 2012
Format: DVD / 114 minutes
Genre: Edo Period, Drama
Age Rating
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar Titles: The Samurai I Loved
Synopsis:
Title: Peace Maker
Original Story: Nanae Chrono
Director: Tomohiro Hirata (Japanese), Don Rush (USA)
American Publisher: Funimation Entertainment
American Release Date: September 6, 2011
Format: 4 DVD box set, 24 half hour episodes (600 minutes)
Genre: Historical, Drama, Comedy
Rating: TVPG
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Titile: The Loyal 47 Ronin (Chushingura)
Director: Kunio Watanabe
American Distributor: AnimEigo
American Release Date: April 7, 2009
Format: DVD, 166 Minutes + Extras
Genre: Samurai, Action, Adventure, Revenge
Age Rating: 18+
Personal Age Rating: B+
Similar Titles: Revenge of a Kabuki Actor, Lady Snow Blood, Goemon, 47 Ronin, The Seven Samurai
Kira Yoshinaka is infamous for being a rude court official. He mentally tortured a young lord who eventually snapped and assaulted Kira. This young Lord was forced to commit seppuku, leaving his Loyal Samurai behind.
Lady Snowblood
Director: Toshiya Fujita
Studio: Toho
Authors: Kazuo Kamimura, Kazuo Koike and Noio Osada
Actors: Masaaki Daimon, Meiko Kaji and Toshhio Kurosawa
U.S. Distributor: AnimEigo
Release Date: Dec. 1st, 1973
Format: DVD / 97 minutes / Japanese with English sub-titles
Genre: Period Piece, Samurai Revenge
Age Rating: 18+ due to graphic violence.
Overall Personal Grade: B
Similar titles: Shogun Assassin, Revenge of a Kabuki Actor
When your very existence is an act of revenge by your mother, the karma you inherit will direct you in the path that only leads to death and destruction.
Title: Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman DVD Collector’s Edition Box
Directors: Various (Yauda Kimoyoshi, Katsu Shintaro, Okamoto Kihachi etc)
U. S. Distributor: AnimEigo
U. S. release date: May 17, 2011
Format: 7 DVDs / 671 minutes + Extras
Genre: Samurai, Drama, Historical
Age Rating: 18+ (violence warning on the box)
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Synopsis:
Director/Studio/Authors: Hideo Gosha/Toei Co Inc./Hideo Gosha and Kei Tasaka
Distributor: AnimEigo
American release date: April 12, 2011
Format/Genre/Length: DVD/Samurai/91 minutes
Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Not rated/contains violence, treachery and pottery
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar series or titles to check out: Samurai Vendetta
Title: Samurai Harem: asu no yoichi
Author: Yu Minamoto (Akita Shoten)
American Publisher: TokyoPop
American Release Date: February 1, 2011
Age Rating: M
Format and length: Manga, 4 volumes
Genres: Action, Comedy, Romance, Shonen
Overall Personal Rating: A-
Titles in the Radius:Aion, Girls Bravo, Ikki Tousen, Maid War Chronicles & Rozen Maiden
Ever wonder what it would be like to go back and experience life as a child again? There are certainly some advantages as children aren’t burdened with the same level of responsibilities as adults, but they don’t have as much ability to pursue their own goals simply due to their physique. (Un)fortunately Yoichi gets to experience this.
Sleepy Eyes of Death, Collector’s Set Volume 2 
Directors: Tokuzo Tanaka, Kenji Misumi, Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Akira Inoue
Distributor: AnimEigo
American release date: Feb 1, 2011
Format, Genre and length: DVD/Samurai/321 minutes
Publisher/Industry Age Rating: 18+/Contains Violence, Nudity & Nihilism
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar series or titles to check out: Ultimate Miyamoto Musashi
Can a man conceived from the rape of a Japanese woman by a crazed Christian missionary during a Black Mass find true happiness? Or is Nemuri Kyoshiro doomed to wander forever, with no direction of his own?
Love and Honor on DVD
Director: Yoji Yamada
Staring: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Takashi Sasano and Kaori Momoi
Produced by: Junichi Sakamoto
Writer: Shuhei Fujisawa (original novel), Screenplay: Ichiro Yamaoto, Emiko Hiramatsu, Yoji Yamada.
U.S.Distributor: FUNimation
U.S. Release Date: Feb. 1st, 2011
Format: DVD/121 minutes
Genre: Romance, Drama and Edo Period piece.
Age Rating: PG 13
Overall Personal Rating: B+
The love for a man who is blinded in the line of duty pushes a wife into the arms of the one who can save her husbands position. How the young man handles this, is where the real story lies.
Samurai Spy
Director/Studio/Author: Masahiro Shinoda/Criterion/Koji Nakada, Yoshiuka Fukuda
Distributor: AnimEigo
American release date: October 25, 2005
Format, Genre and length: DVD/Samurai/99 minutes
Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Not Rated
Overall Personal Rating: A
“Seal your lips tight.”
Fourteen years have passed since the Tokugawa clan were victorious at the Battle of Sekigahara, but that does not mean that there are still not factions which oppose the new regime. Battle lines are drawn between the supporters of Tokugawa and the supporters of Toyotomi. In broad geographical terms, the Kanto region, which contains the city of Edo, is pro Tokugawa, while those in the Kansai, where Osaka can be found are in favor of Toyotomi. Not everyone has chosen a side. One of these is Sasuke Sarutobi, who belongs to the Sanada clan. He believes that wars are good for no one.
Shinsengumi Chronicles: I Want to Die a Samurai 
Director/Studio/Author: Kenji Misumi/Kadokawa Pictures/Seiji Hoshikawa
Distributor: AnimEigo
American release date: November 9, 2010
Format, Genre and length: DVD/Samurai/93 minutes
Publisher/Industry Age Rating: 18+/Violence
Overall Personal Rating: A
Similar series or titles to check out: Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
Susumu Yamakazi (Raizo Ichikawa, Sleepy Eyes of Death) is an idealistic young man who wishes to be a samurai, and to uphold the honor inherent in following the Bushido. The time is 1863, the third year of the Bunkyu Period, and the Tokugawa Shogunate is dying. Will the samurai way of life go with it?
New Manga Tale Of A Masterless Samurai Debuts In September From Acclaimed Creator Natsume Ono
San Francisco, CA, September 14, 2010 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the release of Natsume Ono’s samurai drama, HOUSE OF FIVE LEAVES, on September 21st. The new series, rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens, will be published under the VIZ Signature imprint and carry an MSRP of $12.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.
