Makai Tensho: Samurai Reincarnation

Makai Tensho: Samurai Reincarnation


魔界転生
Makai Tenshō
Demon World Incarnation
Director Kinji Fukasaku
Producer Haruki Kadokawa
Original Story Futaro Yamada
Screenplay Tatsuo Nogami
Takato Ishikawa
Kinji Fukasaku
Photography Kiyoshi Hasegawa
Shozo Sakane
Lighting Etsuaki Masuda
Sound Shigeji Nakayama
Editor Isamu Ichida
Art Norimichi Ikawa
Yoshikazu Sano
Music Hozan Yamamoto
Mitsuaki Kanno
Production Companies Toei
Release Date June 6, 1981
Runtime 122 minutes

魔界転生
Makai Tenshō
Demon World Incarnation
Director Kinji Fukasaku
Producer Haruki Kadokawa
Original Story Futaro Yamada
Screenplay Tatsuo Nogami
Takato Ishikawa
Kinji Fukasaku
Photography Kiyoshi Hasegawa
Shozo Sakane
Lighting Etsuaki Masuda
Sound Shigeji Nakayama
Editor Isamu Ichida
Art Norimichi Ikawa
Yoshikazu Sano
Music Hozan Yamamoto
Mitsuaki Kanno
Production Companies Toei
Release Date June 6, 1981
Runtime 122 minutes

The Shogun outlaws Christianity, and puts down a religious uprising called the Shimabara Rebellion. One of the martyred Christians, Shiro Amakusa, revives as a vengeful spirit. Amakusa renounces his faith and makes a pact with demons to gain the power he needs to take revenge on the shogunate. Amakusa recruits a small band of deceased fighters and jilted lovers, reviving them and turning them in to demons. He sends the lady Hosokawa to seduce the Shogun and distract him from his duties. She also entices him to commit atrocities against the peasant farmers, sowing the seeds of revolt. He himself takes revenge on the Shogun’s officials who carried out the Christian massacre.

Munenori Yagyu, the Shogun’s fencing instructor, uses the last of his strength to put down one of Amakusa’s demons. Amakusa tempts Yagyu, and adds him to his demon crew. Yagyu’s son Jubei learns of his father’s fate and searches for a way to stop the demons. Jubei meets with the exiled swordmaker Muramasa, who helps Jubei craft a sword for killing demons. Muramasa finishes the sword just as tensions between the Shogun and the peasants reach a tipping point. Amakusa leads the peasants in a rebellion against the Shogun’s castle. Yagyu begins executing the Shogun’s retinue while Hosokawa sets fire to the castle. Hosokawa and the Shogun perish in the blaze.

Jubei arrives and duels with his father while the castle burns around them. Jubei manages to disarm his father and strike him. Yagyu dies and is crushed by burning debris. Amakusa appears and tempts Jubei to join him in his father’s place. Jubei rejects his offer and duels him, too. Jubei manages to decapitate Amakusa. Before disappearing, Amakusa’s disembodied head taunts him and promises to return and complete his revenge.

Top Billed Cast

Shinichi Chiba
Jubei Yagyu
Kenji Sawada
Shiro Amakusa
Akiko Kana
Garasha Hosokawa
Hiroyuki Sanada
Kirimaru
Ai Kanzaki
Otsu
Hideo Murota
Inshun Hozoin
Noboru Matsuhashi
Ietsuna Tokugawa
Yuko Kikuchi
Ohikaru
Naoko Kubo
Notsubone Yajima
Mikio Narita
Nobotsuna Matsudaira
Asao Uchida
Tadayo Sakai
Jun Oba
Tomonori Yagyu
Masa Naruse
Genjuro Koga
Etsuo Shima
Munefuyu Yagyu
Yuko Asuka
Koga Lady Ninja
Jun Hamamura
Mozaemon
Noboru Mitani
Traveling Priest
Aoi Nakajima
Peasant Woman
Mizuho Suzuki
Hidekiyo Ogasawara
Tetsuro Tamba
Muramasa
Ken Ogata
Musashi Miyamoto
Tomisaburo Wakayama
Munenori Yagyu
Top Billed Cast

Jubei Yagyu
Shinichi Chiba

Shiro Amakusa
Kenji Sawada

Garasha Hosokawa
Akiko Kana

Kirimaru
Hiroyuki Sanada

Otsu
Ai Kanzaki

Inshun Hozoin
Hideo Murota

Ietsuna Tokugawa
Noboru Matsuhashi

Ohikaru
Yuko Kikuchi

Notsubone Yajima
Naoko Kubo

Nobotsuna Matsudaira
Mikio Narita

Tadayo Sakai
Asao Uchida

Tomonori Yagyu
Jun Oba

Genjuro Koga
Masa Naruse

Munefuyu Yagyu
Etsuo Shima

Koga Lady Ninja
Yuko Asuka

Mozaemon
Jun Hamamura

Traveling Priest
Noboru Mitani

Peasant Woman
Aoi Nakajima

Hidekiyo Ogasawara
Mizuho Suzuki

Muramasa
Tetsuro Tamba

Musashi Miyamoto
Ken Ogata

Munenori Yagyu
Tomisaburo Wakayama