In Japan, 300 years ago, there were two secret societies of people who called themselves ninja. One group was called Iga the other Koga. They were professional spies and assassins, experts in acrobatics, swordsmanship, judo, karate and hypnotism. The secret scroll of the ninja had three basic rules:
To train your body to endure any hardship.
To forget all your friends and family and keep your real identity secret.
To accept death rather than divulge any of the secret s of the society of ninja.
In the 1960s, an 18th century samurai named Shintaro appeared on Australian television screens. With TV in Australia barely ten years old, THE SAMURAI became a surprise hit - thousands of Australian kids tuned in each weekday afternoon at 3:30 to catch Shintaro and his ninja friend Tombei battle rivals such as the Koga ninja. Samurai mania swept the nation with children crafting their own weaponry and wreaking havoc in playgrounds and backyards across the nation, while a visit from the show's star Koichi Ose resulted in thousands of fans flocking to greet the Samurai at airports across the country (it was reported that crowds surpassed previous records set by The Beatles)! For many years the complete 128 episodes have remained commercially elusive, but Siren Visual is proud to announce that THE SAMURAI returns to Australian DVD in February 2010!
PART ONE: SPY SWORDSMAN
The year is 1789. Akikusa Shintaro, a young samurai from Edo, has been ordered by the Shogun and his chief councillor Lord Matsudaira Sadanobu to travel north and investigate the suspicious dealings of the lord of Matsumae fief. Resenting Shintaro's meddling in his affairs, the Matsumae lord sends his loyal retainer, Kiba Jinjuro to stop Shintaro, one of Japan's finest swordsmen who also wields a "modern" pistol, the only one in Japan!
FAQ
My current dvd's start with Series 1, ( a 4 DVD set) episodes 1 to 13, starting with 1.Secret Treasure thru to 13. The Magic Kite. Where do my current dvd's fit in the scheme of things?
'Secret Treasure' and 'The Magic Kite' are respectively the first and last parts of season two which is titled KOGA NINJA. The official first season is titled SPY SWORDSMAN and did not appear on Australian TV until after season 10 (CONTEST OF DEATH). Network programmers did not feel that it was in the spirit of later seasons (no ninjas, Shintaro rides a horse...and carries a pistol)! The original Samurai DVDs were released in order of Australian air-date, while the new DVDs will see each season released in order of production beginning with SPY SWORDSMAN.
Will all 128 episodes be available for purchase on your website?
Seasons 1 to 10 will be released in their entirety in 2010, with each release available through the Siren Visual webstore.
Will there be 3 episodes per disc?
This depends on how many episodes are in each season. Each season will be collected in 3-disc sets.
How many total discs will be available for purchase totaling all 128 episodes?
Approximately 30 discs will collect ten seasons.
Is there some way I could purchase the full set at the same time?? Will there be a "Complete Series" box set that I could purchase now?
At this stage there is no confirmed date for a complete Samurai collection/box-set. All ten seasons will be available as they are released with season ten due in November 2010.