The Samurai I Loved (Semishigure) 2005

A young samurai named Bunshiro (Takuya Ishida) proves himself to be highly skilled in swordsmanship even though he was born without the advantage of social status. His life is thrown into turmoil when his father is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) due to the actions of corrupt officials. His childhood love, Fuku, is sent away to Edo to work in a clan lord’s household adding further pain. Years later, Bunshiro discovers Fuku has become the lord’s concubine and given birth to his child. He tries to put his love for her aside, but when he hears of a plot to murder both Fuku and her child he enlists the help of two childhood friends and rushes to save her. But now forced to face her for the first time in years, buried feelings come flooding back and clash with fate.

Director: Kurotsuchi Mitsuo

Stars: Ichikawa Somegoro, Ishida Takuya, Kimura Yoshino, Ogata Ken

JDramaMama's Rating: A

This is a wonderful love story. It is a story of childhood friends who fall in love and stay in love, even over the course of tragic events that happen in their lives and they become separated. Bunshiro has to bring home the body of his dead father who was framed and forced to commit seppuku, which marks the family as outcasts and throws them into poverty. Bringing his father's body home on a cart, he is met by the faithful Fuku, who though small and fragile, helps him push the cart home on a sizzling hot summer's day. Fuku's mother demands that she stay away from Bunshiro since the family has been disgraced, but she refuses. As fate would have it, she catches the eye of a lord who calls her to his household to work as a maid. She frantically looks for Bunshiro the day she is to leave, praying he would ask her to marry him so she wouldn't have to go as a betrothed woman - but he is no where to be found. Bunshiro is heartbroken at her leaving, especially since his mother didn't tell him she was going. Fuku knows she cannot refuse her order and crying and distraught, she leaves. She eventually becomes his concubine and bears a child. Later, he is ordered to kill Fuku and her child, to his utter distraught. But, instead decides to rescue them with his friends. This movie is so lovely, poignant and tender with a beautiful musical score. There is action, of course, by it being a samurai movie but the theme of the film is a love story. I own this movie and still love it after watching it numerous times.

#Japan #samurai #historical #romance #drama