Come on, faster!
Come on, you old men!
Pull!
- Try harder! - Forward!
Don't be so lame!
Faster! It's your job to deliver on time.
Good luck!
- And pull! - That's for the Shogun's garden!
- So be careful! - Forward!
- Forward! - Come on, move!
Always further!
Can't you do it anymore? Give it your all, carters!
KANSHO ERA, YEAR 2 (1461) KAMO RIVER, KYOTO
It was about 560 years ago,
A magnificent seven-story pagoda was built in the capital, Kyoto.
At the same time, epidemics spread,
driven by unprecedented famine.
The rulers abandoned the people,
which ultimately resulted in 82,000 people dying.
Stop! Stop here!
- Unload the bodies! - Come on, do it!
- Come here! - Get rid of them before they rot!
Throw them all there!
Off into the ditch with it!
Move, get up!
If you want to pay off your debts, then work!
Up you go! Let's get to work!
You've rested long enough, you lazybones!
Now it’s time to work!
Stop staring and move, lazy dogs!
If you can't pay taxes, you have to work hard!
There are mountains of corpses, get rid of them!
Stack and burn!
- Don't fall asleep! - Move, faster!
- Come on, come on! - Not so lame!
Hey, why did you do that, you idiot!?
Get out of here, stop laughing!
That's not funny!
You bastard!
Here.
Iss.
MUROMACHI OUTSIDERS
Search for valuables! Come on, hurry!
You have borrowed money, and not a little,
from the merciful Enryaku-ji Monastery.
These are your debts that you haven't paid back yet!
I'll take your wife and daughter with me!
Give me more time...
Come here, girl!
- You belong to us now! - Come on, don't resist!
Don't cry, that's what happens when you don't pay your debts.
Saizo! Come on, boy, get in!
Yes, yes!
- And you, get it out! - Kill him!
- Take everything with you! - Look through everything carefully!
No, don't! I beg you!
Saizo!
He's hidden rice to sow! You lying rat, get out of here!
No, don't take that away! It's the last thing we have left!
You're no better than a worm!
- Punish him! - Yes!
- And now... - There you have it!
- ...Mr. Gyoshin? - To the banquet at the monastery. Come on,
- Hurry! - You lousy pig, you...
This will be a celebration!
Sake, I'm coming!
- Oh, now it's time to drink. - How embarrassing that was.
- "I beg you," he said. - "I beg you..."
Let's go! I'll take a little sniff at the women,
- before Mr. Gyoshin returns. - No! I want to go first!
- Shut up! - I want the little one!
Well, sweetie? Stay away from me!
Come on, you're coming with me now!
Don't fight back!
The dog barks.
The, reigns!
We are the guardians of the merciful Enryaku-ji Monastery!
Only what is valuable, pack everything!
- Don't overlook anything! Take everything! - Take everything!
Throw away the IOUs, come on!
What belongs to the monks now belongs to us!
- Bloodsucking hypocrites... - We'll take everything of value!
- Please don't... - Big loot here!
Who's sitting around there?
- Let him go. - Yes.
- Just a minute. - Faster!
Get out of here!
Stop, brat! Are you out of your mind?
You sons of bitches! I'll take you all to hell!
Hey, Ratte!
Everything here!
Everything valuable that we have taken out of the monastery goes into the warehouse!
Everyone gets 200 Mon, you deserve it.
I have to pee!
Hey, I really need to pee!
- Hey! - Quiet!
A screaming monkey... Can't you just sleep?
- The little one needs to go. - Just do it.
Or are you shy?
Come on, little one, let's go. Come on, come on!
That's half a river...
He's so busy peeing himself that he has a bladder like a pig.
Well, is there more to come?
Did he drink a barrel of wine?
What's going on here?
Leader...
Tell me, why are you crying?
I did terrible things, yes! Because I didn't want to starve!
I was tied up all night and now bandits are watching me pee!
- You call us bandits? - That's what you are!
No, we just want to punish the monk,
who knowingly lends money to people who cannot pay it back.
I am responsible for security in Kyoto,
since the Shogun's power is waning.
In the end, you leave the responsibility to a scoundrel like me.
We've already come that far.
You're not fooling me, you're not the leader!
He has a skull on his sword. And everyone knows his name is Honekawa!
Yes, I'm Honekawa Doken, boy.
Whether you live or die is entirely in my hands.
- Should he die? - Yes.
A ronin of a feudal clan!
Your father was probably a masterless samurai.
You can hear it.
Hyoe.
How long have you been here?
You called me here and then made me wait.
Doken... What do you want from me?
You know Yoshizaka in Kawachi Province.
The village of the carters, yes.
They're planning an uprising. What you're supposed to prevent.
The prevailing famine, plus the epidemics – no wonder...
Everyone knows that only scoundrels like you still have money.
If there is an uprising, I will crush it with all my might.
But is there too much unrest,
my progress would be jeopardized.
The Shogun's puppy.
The fall of the shogunate could be my rise.
While you vegetate like a vagabond,
I would be the ruler of my domain.
I wish you much success.
What is my salary?
- 300 months - 800 - minimum.
- He hits hard! - 400.
700.
I'll stick with 400... and give you the monkey boy too.
Can your monkey handle this well?
He has the talent, but he lacks practice.
Okay. For 600, because the monkey needs food, too.
Seriously... cheeky.
You cutthroat...
Hey! Why did you bring me?
Who are you, then?
Hey! Say something already!
You're obviously a frog, not a monkey.
Come on, get out of the water!
Are you coming now?
I want to buy you frog food.
Get lost if you can't pay the customs duty!
Why another customs station?
- Who needs that one? - The other one is three kilometers away.
Nobody can pay that!
- Just piss off! - No one can get through here,
who has not paid 50 months!
Turn around, get out of here everyone!
Hey! You there!
Come here and pay customs!
Don't you have ears? That's the law!
- This is your fault! - Shut up!
You all go back now, suddenly!
Back with you, that's the law!
Everyone go back!
- Stop! - Our cargo must go to Kyoto,
- otherwise the people there will starve. - Shut up!
Then even more people will die.
How dare you!
There you see. Obey us or you too will die.
- Get rid of the rebel! - You're murderers...
This is pure drudgery!
Step back now!
Not one step further!
Nobody gets through here for free!
Hey, stop! Where are you going?
Let that be my concern.
- Don't be so cheeky! - Pay the toll,
This is the customs station of the ruler Hosokawa!
Unfortunately, I have no money in my pocket.
I'm a ronin, just stop me.
- That's not possible! - What is it?
Well, just walk through without paying.
This customs station shouldn't even be here!
Stop, you vagrant!
- Stop, sir! What are you doing? - Take the money, all of it.
But that belongs to the Shogun.
No, the money belongs to the carters.
What are you planning to do?
If something stands in your way, burn it down.
- Run faster, boy! - This is not good, sir, not good!
Why not?
The samurai of the Shogunate will hunt you!
And who is the boss of the samurai of the Shogunate?
You mean...
Doken won't like this very much, that's for sure!
How do you know him?
The unemployed are fleeing from the provinces,
starving villagers flocked to Kyoto.
Yes, and they complain incessantly about customs duties.
- They should all be locked up. - Yes, that would be the right thing to do.
80,000 people starved to death! Think about it!
If we don't intervene soon, Kyoto will descend into chaos!
That may be so. But we feudal lords
struggle to make ends meet.
Dear Ise,
Why doesn't the Shogunate help the poor?
It is said that the Shogun's wife hoarded considerable sums of money.
What's that smell, Zenami?
All the bodies are burned at the Kamo River.
That rock there isn't appealing.
I'd rather have flowers.
- As sir. - Great Shogun.
We should really be concerned about famine.
Please, please, don't worry so much.
If our privileges melt away, we will simply demand new taxes.
Even without help, the villagers will continue to reproduce.
They're like little beetles. Even when you step on them, they still release fat.
That's how it is.
- Speak, Doken. - Masterless Samurai
are on their way to Kyoto. These ronin could rebel.
- Have you taken action? - My spies are watching everywhere,
whether there are signs of an uprising.
But everything has its limits.
Hold them back! That's what you're here for.
May I then politely ask
request separate remuneration?
Don't let it get away! Go on, frog!
- Got it! - Very nice.
- Good frog. - Got it!
And such a fat rabbit, that will make her very happy.
- Then let's go! - Yes!
The village is not far away.
We're going to take all your women!
We're hungry, give us the naked pigeons!
- Just stay there, old man! - You can do better than that.
Throw it here! We'll throw stones at them, right at their heads!
- Hey, girls! - I'm so hungry!
- I need something to bite into! - Stay here!
Come here, pretty one!
If they survive, they come back.
Let's kill them all!
Huh? What?
They had good swords.
- Come on. - Look, Densuke.
Father! Father!
Goodbye!
Are you all right?
You saved the village. Thank you so much for that.
That was just a coincidence.
The Ronin seem to be running out of resources, hence the raids.
Nobody has been able to stop them so far; they keep coming back.
Here's the rabbit. Enjoy, everyone.
Thank you, but we're already full. Aren't we, frog?
No, I can eat it.
- Yes. - Divide it among yourselves.
Thanks. Then grab it, men.
Hey, Kohagi! I told you what to do—
namely, to drive stakes into the ditch around the village.
And one more thing, the watchtower is much too low.
I told father, but he didn't want to listen.
No time, it's more important to make money.
Did you advise them?
Yes. Every piece of advice I give costs something, so it adds up to quite a bit.
Uncle! Show us how to fight with a stick!
- Yes, please, show us! - Stand up!
- Come on, frog, show off your skills! - Yes, then you can become little masters.
- We want to learn everything from you. - Yes, yes, wait, wait.
- Is the feudal lord here Nawa? - Correct.
And he doesn't protect you?
No, he has other worries.
He just wants to collect more taxes, famine or not.
So you're planning an uprising?
Think again. In Kyoto, they know about it.
Yes but...
We can't go on like this any longer.
When we travel, we have to pay customs.
We must fix the Shogun's garden,
while our village is being attacked.
What madness.
- That's right, isn't it? - Yes... yes.
We must defend ourselves now, otherwise we will all starve!
It's not the right time!
What will become of your children,
when you're all gone?
To pay the taxes
and customs, we have to borrow money from the monks.
What a twisted world.
To pay it back, we would have to
sell our daughters.
Then you have to do that.
Your uprising will fail!
Damned!
The payment for the sake.
Share it, it doesn't belong to me anyway.
Just take it.
- So much money... - We can pay our debts!
You have to be patient.
Your time will come.
I will find help for you.
Look here!
All this comes from Kyoto.
Very pretty...
May I?
- And? - You're so pretty, Kohagi!
- That looks great! - Almost better than you.
Was!?
Now you are defeated and dead.
Yes!
Now I am dead.
I stopped the uprising for Doken and now you're dead.
You are free, boy.
What else is there?
Better get out of here before I change my mind! Hurry,
otherwise I will keep you as a slave!
I would like
live like you.
I want to go out and explore the world freely, just like you!
Your life! Teach it to me!
It's not that easy.
Will you stop crying?
I hate so many tears. They just make you lose salt.
Gut!
I cannot teach you how I live.
But how to become a warrior is.
You would do that?
Yes, if you
give a year of your life.
Of course, you bought me. I'll follow you.
You could die doing this.
These blood-sucking moneylenders -
I had a dead soul when I worked for them.
Wherever you go, I will go too.
The wind is picking up.
We will go to Imazu.
- Goodbye!... - Come back soon!...
See you soon!
Always listen to your parents!
Mr. Hyoe and Saizo!
- Thank you very much for your help! - Thanks to you too!
- Have a good trip! - Come back soon!
Is that it?
It is precisely weighed.
Deposit of 20,000 Mon. I'll get the receipt.
- Don't forget the tax on it. - But no!
We won't charge you anything, Mr. Hasuda, definitely not.
But they appreciate your support.
They earn their money in other ways.
Their main business is lending money.
What does that mean?
- Use your brain already! - Ouch!
Those who don't know the mechanisms of the world even lose their ass hair.
And...
RECEIPT DEPOSITED AMOUNT: 20,000 MON
- Thank you very much. - Take care.
- Thank you. Goodbye. - Yes...
- Question, frog. - Yes?
What is the real value of money?
That you can buy things with it.
Think about it. This is the use, not the value.
...You won't find better fish anywhere. It's yours for 50 months.
There, here you have 50 months.
Thank you, enjoy it.
I know it!
Money moves, it moves back and forth between people and things.
That's right.
Buried money doesn’t move,
but there is money everywhere for a mortgage bond.
The moneylender lends your money to others and earns good interest.
Money moves the world.
"Money makes the world go round," ah yes...
Yet, something in the world moves even faster than money.
Can you guess?
Tell me when your apprenticeship is over.
Yes!
Master!
Master. There he is, dirty as always.
The drivers
have told me about you.
How much?
20,000 Mon. You can get the money from Sasaya.
The boy looks strong, but appearances can be deceiving.
I'll keep the money if he dies.
Kick him out if he doesn't get it right after 10 months.
Open your mouth, put your hands behind your back!
Yes, just as I thought. Cho-hee!
Go on, pull out his wisdom tooth!
That hurts!
Who is she?
Her father was a Korean artisan.
I took her in because he sold her to a whorehouse.
Her throat was crushed so she couldn't speak,
but her will is strong.
You have good teeth, boy.
Go over the bridge!
Come on, walk across the bridge!
Hurry up, faster! Move! Go there!
Hop, hop, hop!
Come on! Go on! Go on!
Yes!
Do you see the nails? Hammer them in with your stick!
You should hit it all the way in.
- T-Those nails? - Yes. Go on!
Hit it hard, but do it right!
What's wrong? Are you stupid?
And landed in the water again.
Like a real frog.
Oh... A frog?
Hey, frog. I'm moving on now.
Back to Kyoto.
Master, he is yours.
- Wait! - Keep training!
Stab, hit, defend!
These three moves make you an invincible fighter.
But you have no idea about anything, maybe you'll never learn!
Look, I want to try.
Dodge!
On the battlefield, you are not always stable.
So back to the dock, start practicing!
The planks won't wobble if you stay calm.
Is Hasuda here?
Out of the way!
Get out of here, everyone!
- Hey! Show your face! - Hasuda! Where are you?
I am Monk Gyoshin, pawnbroker of Enryaku-ji Monastery.
Hasuda, where are you?
Hasuda!
- Hasuda, where are you? - Out of the way, get out of here!
I am Monk Gyoshin, pawnbroker of Enryaku-ji Monastery.
We got you!
Oh, Honekawa...
Why are you looking for Hyoe?
He and his cronies Saizo stole valuable items from us.
- They've been seen around here. - Go away!
- Away! - That's a good thing, I'm looking for him too.
Report when you find it.
- Sir, are you hurt? - Sir! Is everything okay?
Tonight, folks, all drinks are on him.
Drink as much as you can!
We don't need to be told twice!...
Hey! Master, look! All the nails are hammered in!
I did it!
Just in time before the frog goes into hibernation.
Then on to the next lesson.
This is going to be tedious, Kokichi.
Here are the 20 swords you wanted, master.
Good. Go and get the money from the mortgage bond in Sasaya.
Yes.
Now go to the center of the circle.
Come on!
Always pay close attention, otherwise you will be cut to pieces.
When the tendons are severed,
This is the end of every fighter.
Never forget that!
Now!
That hurts!
Usually you always have more than one opponent.
- Damn, ouch! - Watch out, or you'll become frog sushi!
Do not!
Cho-hee!
What do you want to do now?
In winter, the icy cold winds blow down from the mountains.
You can leave if you want.
Hyoe paid 20,000 Mon.
Will I be resold after my training?
Hyoe is a strange man, like a chimera.
Every now and then he takes vagrants under his wing,
if he finds them remarkable.
Just like your father, Hyoe is a ronin from the Akamatsu clan.
You were a tramp with a knack for the stick.
He must have seen something special in you.
I don't want to run away again! Without the teachings here, I'm nothing.
Master, please continue to teach me!
It will be hell for you.
That's just fine with me!
Oh... This is heaven here.
And I'm right in the middle of it.
Hyoe, is he in there?
Dive...
Hyoe, are you in there?
Hyoe is not here.
Be quiet. I know you're in there, Hyoe.
- Please... - Hyoe!
- Doken, he's not here. - Are you in there?
Hyoe!
Please wait.
He's not here, as you can see.
Ho-oji, you'd better not hide it.
Oh... You wouldn't hurt a former love.
I heard you rose within the shogunate.
Have you forgotten your good manners?
He was seen entering the sauna.
And I know he really likes being here.
- Then please, search everything. - If necessary.
I am known as uncontrollable and strong in Sanjo.
No one dares to belittle me!
Oh, really?
I was once a beggar,
who drank dirty water, ate garbage and hung around in Sanjo,
but then a woman took me in and trained me to be a courtesan.
Now, in the famine, everything has become much worse.
So many die unnecessarily.
The security chief of Kyoto should have noticed this.
The Doken I once loved,
would have done something about it long ago. Don't you think?
Unfortunately, philanthropy is not my strong point.
Nonsense! Act like a man and do your job.
Sorry for the interruption.
I've talked too much again, how stupid.
I apologize.
The talk of a courtesan can safely be ignored.
But hey, since you're already here,
you can also take off your clothes and relax a bit.
You're taking quite a lot out of yourself,
but today you'll get away with it again.
Listen, Hyoe. I know you set fire to customs stations
in Saigoku and Toba.
I won't let you get away with the next fire. Be warned.
You should have married Doken.
Then everything would have been better for you.
He's just a man from my past.
For me there is only you now.
I've told you that many times.
You are beautiful.
When you look at a person from below,
everyone looks 10 years older.
Only you stay young and beautiful.
Let me see what you will look like in 10 years.
No.
For a vagabond, 10 years is a long time.
Soon all hell will break loose here.
There will be nothing left to eat.
You still look happy.
Because a frog that was supposed to die
survived.
You'll catch them all, frog.
Finish them off!
This is war!
Do you see how quickly your enemies move, frog?
I'm not a frog! No, never again!
Do you see that?
You survived the 20 swords, congratulations!
Here are clothes and a reward.
Here.
This is the best stick in the world, thank you very much!
One last test awaits you.
It's a matter of life and death!
You have no chance against us!
KILL SAIZO AND YOU GET MONEY
He is still alive.
And this has been going on for 10 days. No one can beat the boy.
Read to me what the sign says.
It says you get money if you kill him.
Really, money!?
You Rotzlöffel!
We finally found you!
What, can't you compete with a boy?
Monk Gyoshin! What do you want?
A year ago you joined Bandits
- and robbed my pawn shop. - No! I fought them.
You lie!
Monk Gyoshin, leave me alone.
Otherwise you will find death.
Wait!
Let's get out of here!
Frog, you scared them away.
I guess I shouldn't call you frog anymore.
Hyoe, you here!?
Well, it was I who told the monk where to find you.
- Calm down! - Why is that!?
- You are strong now. - And I trusted you...
Don't cry again. That's part of the lesson.
Just a year ago, the monks almost killed you.
Your training is complete, frog.
Yes... You did well.
Oh, Master! And Cho-hee!
I will be in your debt forever!
Let it be.
I was very happy to have such a good student. We're even, my boy.
Oh, is that an amethyst from Korea?
It suits you.
Goodbye, Saizo.
Your skill and your heart,
let both grow.
Yes!
Do you remember my question?
What in the world moves faster than money?
Do you know now?
No, not yet.
Just recently, three ragged ronin visited me.
They had heard about you.
- Listen to my story. - Yes, it's fine.
Excuse me, are you Hasuda Hyoe?
My name is Akama Seishiro.
Nanaono Genzo.
Umakiri Emontaro.
I invited her to dinner,
but they didn't want to accept that.
The three wanted to earn the meal themselves.
So I asked them if they wanted to help with the soup distribution.
Thank you!
This tastes so good.
Thank you. I've never had anything this good.
- Okay. Now eat. - Yes, thank you.
While they waited for your return,
they told everyone your story.
Saizo, agile as an eel, is not intimidated by a 10-foot stick.
He avoids him, just like that,
like a hair in the wind, nimble as a gazelle.
He defeats Umakiri,
this mountain of a man, without a scratch on his body!
Your reputation.
What someone says about you is even faster.
That's right.
A warrior without a good reputation and without stories won't get far.
And besides, you learned from the master who you can trust and who you can't.
Oh no.
I'm late.
Forgive me.
- Greetings everyone. - Oh, Hyoe!
Here, for you. Something for everyone.
Yes, you're back!...
Master Saizo, how nice to see you again! Greetings!
- Thank you for your masterful demonstration! - Yes, thank you very much!
Wait, wait a minute. Don't forget who fed you.
Also a hero!
Why? Why did you have to die?
Don't cry!...
Master, come with us! This way. We don't have much, but at least we have sake.
Your child died?
- Come sit with us. - Yes, thank you.
Hey! Make way!
- That revives the spirits. - Get out of here! Hey!
You there! Get out of the way! Away!
- Come on! - Out of the way!
Make way for the honorable feudal lord Nawa!
I've never seen that one before...
Back!
And stop!
Here.
Hua!
Mr. Doken demands your immediate presence.
"Hyoe, tremendous taxes and debts
drive the ronin and carters to ruin.
They are planning an uprising.
This time it will take on escalating proportions.
Everywhere in and around Kyoto
find supporters and helpers.
Hyoe, it is your duty to stop them."
Do you really want to go there? I have a bad feeling about it.
And we have enough sake to calm them down, right?
This is damn hard...
Your dick is so big, that's why.
Halt!
What's your name?
I am Hasuda Hyoe.
I want to talk to the people here.
Go faster!
Listen to me.
My friends, how are you?
We have waited so long.
All the wagon drivers' leaders have already signed.
- Exactly. - All we need is your signature, Hyoe.
Goroemon! How long ago was that?
Since the Battle of Suruga, where we stood side by side.
- I knew I could rely on you! - Of course!
It doesn't look good if the Supreme Leader is the last to sign.
And that's why I brought you sake, from Harima!
Hey, what's going on here? These insurgents know you?
I had them gathered here.
- Hyoe! - Hey, get out of here, let me through!
I want to pay back what you lent me!
Densuke! Kurando! You two are here too!
Yes!
Master, that's why you made me learn everything?
It's been a year.
Do you want to use your new skills now?
HASUDA HYOE
Yes, now we can get started!
Guys, we have all the signatures!
Yes! The revolt can begin! But first, let's have a drink!
Hey, when does it start?
People are dying like flies. So, as quickly as possible.
In a month.
Then we burn all the accursed IOUs of the moneylenders.
- And the dirty customs stations! - Yes, exactly.
We compete against all samurai and armed monks.
But we need many men
- and a tactic. - Yes. Definitely...
Here is the map.
The moneylenders are all in Nijo.
- And the customs stations in Awata. - Fushimi.
And Saga.
End hunger and slavery
Now our hour has come
We will be victorious...
What would you do, Saizo?
A year ago I promised you that I would always follow you.
And I will follow you too, in return for the food and drink.
And I will follow you too, Hyoe, wherever you go.
Then I guess I'll be there too.
Because I like your food.
I warn you, this can mean death.
We would be dead anyway if we hadn't met you.
We are at your service.
Hey! You bastard...
Why are you leading this uprising?
- Doken... Make yourself comfortable. - Explain it to me!
Well, that's just how it happened.
Actually, I just wanted to negotiate,
but suddenly they all picked me up
and made their leader.
- What's going on? - You're lying to me!
- Die, you dog! - Calm down, M-man!
Now wait, wait, wait!
I didn't want that at all.
They would have killed me if I hadn't said yes.
If I do not help the starving ronin and carters,
I can't show my face anymore.
Doken, I beg you!
Let me live!
- I beg you! - Stop this farce!
When did you plan this?
Good question.
Can't remember.
Why do you want to be the leader of their uprising?
I am not exactly a born leader,
but I... have seen the misery here.
Someone has to do something about this.
In the hope that like-minded people will follow.
It’s exciting, without
risking one's life for profit.
dived,
Join me. For old times' sake.
Don't be silly. I now have a position of responsibility,
I'm no longer a stray like you.
I understand.
Well then, do me a favor, as an old friend.
We're reclaiming all the promissory notes
and the women and daughters taken hostage for this purpose.
Give us an hour.
Agreed. But I'll kill anyone who continues to cause trouble.
- When does it start? - In a month
A messenger announces the exact date at the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
We always drank here
and looked at the pagoda.
We saw the same thing,
but at some point our paths diverged.
I always wanted to climb up there
and look at the whole world from above with you.
- It's finally starting! - We'll show them!
And how, and how.
Are these Hasuda Hyoe's people?
- Yes. And who are you? - We are nobody.
We're wandering around. We've lost our home.
We are Ronin from Yamashiro.
We want revenge on those who have looked down on us for so long.
And strike!
Word spreads. More and more warriors come for Saizo and Hyoe.
Good thing, because we are competing against battle-hardened samurai.
We can use every man we can. Densuke!
Oh, e-just a moment.
Can you go to Kawachi and Tamba to bring more men?
Who do you think we are?
- The best carters. - That's us.
- Oh yes! - Where is the leader?
Our tactic is to attack from the outskirts of Kyoto
to move in a star shape to the city center, where all the moneylenders have their shops.
Unfortunately, our motley crew is
no real danger to the samurai there.
I wish we could be as free as these birds.
- Hey! - Hyoe!
- Saizo! - Come on, breakfast is ready!
Come on, hurry up!
That's it!
"On September 12, at sunrise, we will attack Kyoto."
I certify that you received the message from Mr. Hyoe.
It starts on September 12th - at sunrise.
Remember this and pass it on.
- I'll tell the carters in Tamba. - I'll tell those in Kawachi.
- Yes, it's fine. - Until the 12th.
Hey, I thought we were attacking at 12 o'clock at night.
Nonsense, Grandpa, we can't see anything at night.
On the 12th, not at 12 o'clock!
Listen, we're leaving on September 12th, at sunrise.
- Yes, fine, on the 12th at sunrise. - All right, I'll pass the word...
- I'll be there... - Don't forget, that's when it counts....
On September 12th at sunrise.
They will attack in large numbers.
Order all feudal lords to keep their samurai ready.
At sunrise, at the Nanakuchi customs station.
Exactly.
- Away! - Out of the way!
- Let us through! - Out of here, go!
Movement!
- Does everyone know? - Yes, on September 12th at sunrise.
- We're ready. - I didn't think
that you are such a cunning dog.
Look around.
Look into every face here.
Into these faces.
And into these faces.
We are nothing more than beetles.
If we proceed without a plan, we will simply be trampled upon.
So the beetles have to use their brains to win.
- Yes. - Yes.
But it seems to me that you are too big for a beetle.
What are you talking about?
What's so funny about that? Stop laughing! Stop right now!
There are some really big beetles. And I'm one of them!
I'll bite you, then you'll die!
- Just give him something to eat. - D-Densuke!
- That... the village of Yoshizaka, it... - What about it?
What happened? Speak up!
Open your mouth!
Oh no, no, please don't...
Where is my wife? Where is she?
My wife...
Grandfather, grandfather!
- Hyoe! Hyoe! - Oh no!
Who did this?
The feudal lord Nawa ordered this,
as a warning. This would happen to everyone who...
join the uprising.
Oh my! Oh my!
Hey, say something! Kohagi!
Goodbye!
11. SEPTEMBER 1462
What happened here?
So Hyoe has you
sent to me.
Yes. You see,
Here is the name of the only person he trusts.
Go to her before harm comes to you.
Is Sanjo being attacked?
Allegedly.
There has never been such an uprising.
I want to see that.
No... you're Hyoe's friend.
He will never come back to me.
- Why? - When you fight the samurai,
you all die.
No, because I will prove myself as a fighter.
How could Hyoe get you involved in this?
No, he opened my eyes.
Goodbye.
Worth it.
Did he call you "frog"?
Forgive me for asking you this,
but tell me, dear frog,
Do you already have experience with women?
You didn't...?
Or is it?
Oh, uh... No, but...
Ho-oji, these...
- How dare she!? - Uh, no! Please, she...
No, no,...! Oh, please forgive me!
Forget it. That's just the way she is.
That's exactly what I like about her.
It feels like I've come a long way.
The real fun is just beginning.
Do you also think that the insurgents will come here tomorrow?
No worries.
The feudal lords and their samurai will be here at sunrise.
What is that?
Look... The forest is shaking!
People, destroy this disgusting customs station!
- Stop! Stop! - Stop!
And then the moneylenders in Nijo will be in trouble!
Down with everything! Destroy everything and then move on!
This way, quickly!
Let's go, yes!
He's tricked us. The uprising will take place tonight.
- Split up and then stop her! - Yes! Come on, guys!
- Come here. - Aren't you hungry?
Hey, Kaede, Kaede!
- Kaede, do you hear that too? - Yes, there are many.
I'm scared.
What's going on there?
Attention, everyone, listen up!
If you want your debts forgiven, join us!
The wrath of heaven punishes the moneylenders!
Take up arms!
Get your long poles,
You starving Ronin, it's time to fight!
- I'm going too! - Come on, everyone!
Come on, people, to your weapons!
Give me a spear!
When we set off,
as many people as possible should join us,
from the ronin to the peasant.
Together we will storm the capital.
This has never happened before, an uprising in the night.
If our army makes it to Nijo to the moneylenders, what will happen next?
We block the streets.
This boy...
I have a plan.
Back!
- Quick, quick, around the corner! - To the left! People, to the left!
- Follow them to the left! - Left, left! Come on!
What's that supposed to mean?
- And everyone stop! - Now to the right, to the right!
Right now! Right, right!
Quick, guys, right! Turn right!
To the right, to the right!
Right! To the right!
What's going on, they're avoiding us!?
- We all have to go this way!... - Hurry, men, hurry up!...
- Damn... - Yes, quickly!
Report, the armed insurgents have reached Kyoto!
Don't worry, reinforce the guards at the gates.
- Yes! - Dear Zenami!
- Where are your samurai now? - You have the
Tambaguchi customs station burned down!
- Where is Nawa? - Does he know about the uprising?
We need a plan!
Are these human souls?
The samurais are coming! They want to destroy us!
Keep calm!
No confrontation with the samurai and Doken's men, okay?
This way we reach our destination without losses. In the great pagoda
There are torchbearers on every floor.
They will guide you with their fires.
- Run to the left! - To the left!
- Everyone to the left! - Yes!
To the left! We've almost reached our destination.
Soon, all of us will arrive in Nijo. Hold your torches high!
Yes!
You tricked us, Hyoe!
What about 5,000?
No, that's more than 10,000!
This is more than an uprising.
You are trying to overthrow the Shogunate!
Yes.
I'll burn it down!
Have you gone crazy?
We will destroy this cruel world
and build a new one instead!
I wish you were here with me
and would pursue the same dream as me.
I'm going to... chop you to pieces now!
I'm sorry. A lot of people are expecting me.
So what is that?
What is this!? Everyone inside, run!
Close the gate, quickly!! Close the gate!
Down with the moneylenders!
We will find you and smoke you all out!
Help, no, put out the fire! Quick, people, put it out! Come on!
I challenge you, you accursed monks!
Listen up, everyone! We're taking back the IOUs now!
Ladders, go! Up!
All debts are canceled!
They're coming over the wall with ladders! Away, away, away from there!
Come on, come on, come on, don't let them over! Push them down!
You can do even better!
And push! Push!
Harder! Push!
And push!
You bloodsucking monks!
Stop him!
My name is Emontaro, remember my name!
He's a beast! A beast!
We are here!
Burn everything down!
- Give us our IOUs! - Come on, hand them over!
Give me the bills, everything will be burned!
- Come on, move on! - Here come the carters!
Get out of here! Clear the way!
Now let's go in!
Seal everything off and secure the IOUs and the money!
We have given too many loans to the poor!
Halt's Maul!
Everyone did that! It was the only way we could pay the tribute to the shogunate.
Secure the door! Don't let them in!
Get out of the way, out of the way!
His Holiness is burning!
- His Holiness! - Forget the statue,
- You must save the IOUs! - We'll break through!
Halt!
How dare you? This is the Imperial Palace!
Prepare for a counterattack! Archers!
And shoot!
Bring the carts! Build a protective wall!
Everyone here! Push the carts here!
And up with it!
We need more carts! Here, here!
You mangy samurai rats!
Everyone die in hell!
And now us!
You dog-like shogunate officials!
You raise taxes to torture us!
Taxes do not benefit the people, they only make the emperor richer!
We are the samurai of the Kyogoku clan!
Stab them! Squash those bugs!
Get the fly swatters out!
Crush them!
What a disgusting bunch! Kill them all!
Hey, where do you want to go?
- Get out of here! Don't get close to me! - Kill her, right now!
- Please help me! - Go away!
Soldiers, kill them!
Goroemon!
Kill them! Kill them all!
Saizo is here!
Mother!
Hyoe!
- Hyoe! - Go on,
until all the IOUs are burned!
Make way, out of the way!
The security chief, Honekawa Doken, is here!
Get out of the way!
Honekawa!
They allowed the insurgents to get close to the palace.
How can one act so carelessly?
You are unsuitable!
Damned samurai!
We show no mercy to anyone who does not respect us!!
Is the docking station here? Now things are really getting started!
Show them what we think of them!
Kill everyone!
Saizo!
- I'll leave it to you! - Yes!
Hyoe! Hyoe!
- I'm a little late! - Good thing you're here, Kokichi!
Take swords! One for each of you, each a sword!
Swords! I have swords!
- Thank you very much! - Thank you! And keep going!
Get out of here, you bug!
There you have it!
Water for you! Lots of water for everyone! Swallow well!
The IOUs, the IOUs! Get them all back!
Goroemon!
All the promissory notes,
are they destroyed?
That's them! They burned in the fire!
Why should one fall into gloom in this world?
Life is a dream So just go crazy
Life is a dream So do what you want
Burn everything, burn everything Let the world go up in flames
Whatever may become of me
Life is a dream So just go crazy
Life is a dream So do what you want
Burn everything, burn everything Let the world go up in flames
You don't know what tomorrow will bring
Life is a dream So just go crazy
Life is a dream So do what you want
Burn everything, burn everything Let the world go up in flames
Cherry blossoms will fall eventually
Life is a dream So just go crazy
Life is a dream So do what you want
Burn everything, burn everything Let the world go up in flames
Sing and celebrate as long as you can
Life is a dream So just go crazy
Life is a dream So do what you want...
Hyoe! All the IOUs are destroyed.
Now you can go!
Hua!
Hyoe, are you sure everything's okay now?
But certainly.
Things can only get better.
We showed them what beetles are capable of.
- Hier, Densuke. - Danke.
Out of the way! Get out of there!
You shouldn't mess with us!
- Who are you? - I'm Doken, this is my squad.
What, Dive?
Stop! You know perfectly well you have no business being here.
What's the point now?
Guards, get ready!
The honorable feudal lord Nawa is back.
Step back!
What are you waiting for? They're in the Shogun's palace!
Finally squash these dirty bugs!
Fast!
No, Densuke, stop that!
You destroyed my village and murdered innocent people!
Densuke, I'm sorry! Densuke!
Back with you, you dirty bugs!
- Densuke! - Go on!
Wait.
- Hey, damn it, wait, I said. - Stop!
Did you set fire to the village of Yoshizaka?
I can't remember it now.
But you dirty little bugs should crawl back into the ground.
You don't belong in the palace.
- Go on! - Yes!
Protect the honorable feudal lord!
You fucking idiots!
Stop, stop!
Hyoe!
Pray, Hyoe, that's it for you.
I will destroy you all!
Die!
Grab him!
You made him teach you all that, Hyoe?
Shit!
You are all failures!
What can't you do against them?
How come?
Find the answer in hell.
OUTSIDER
The Shogunate has decided to provide support.
Mr. Hyoe won the battle.
Do you know your way around here? Have you been here before?
I sold oil in this area, so yes.
We crossed the river by boat.
I will
Merchant, if I make it to Sakai.
You're sure to be successful. And earn good money.
You found it, thank you.
I guess you want my head,
for your reputation.
Right, Doken?
You get it.
- But spare the boy. - Why?
Because this boy will complete
where we failed.
Leave him here,
don't pull it out.
Learn to wait until the time is right.
- But I... - No, not!
Okay, I'll leave it there. But what should I do now?
Find out.
Use your brain.
We had fun, didn't we?
Frog?
Hasuda Hyoe.
You died with dignity.
Go.
But stay away from Kyoto,
the next 10 years.
The Kansho Revolt of the Peasants and Wagoners
was one of the largest uprisings in Japanese history,
led by a ronin.
Hasuda Hyoe was given only a single line in the history books.
Five years later, the Onin Rebellion broke out
and Honekawa Doken was captured by the enemy army.
You will never understand the life of a vagabond.
Or, Hyoe?
The pagoda with the seven floors that the two had climbed,
burned down and was not rebuilt.
Don't you want to play? This is fun, Kotaro.
It's been a long time, hasn't it? Greetings, Ho-oji.
I just caught this one in the woods.