Samurai Fury

In the year 1461, western Japan is stricken by the Kanshō famine, with 82,000 people dying from the resulting epidemics while Nawa, the shōgun of Kyoto, raises taxes to fund his lavish lifestyle and corrupt monks ravage villagers who cannot repay their loans. Hasuda Hyoe, a rōnin, is hired by Honekawa Doken, the chief of security in Kyoto and Hasuda’s former comrade, to prevent an uprising in Yoshizaka, Kawachi Province. He is given 600 mon and Saizō, an orphan who was captured by Honekawa’s forces during a recent raid on a monastery.

After burning down a customs station, Hasuda and Saizō save Yoshizaka from a group of bandits. Hasuda later warns the villagers that the shōgunate is aware of their plans of staging an uprising, and they must be patient while he finds the right means to aid in their cause. Saizō is offered his freedom, but he chooses to follow the same path as Hasuda. The duo travels to Imazu, where Hasuda leaves Saizō to become an apprentice to Master Karasaki for a year.

Saizō spends the year mastering the bō and his combat skills. Hasuda reunites with Saizō and reveals that he has assembled an army to lead the insurgency against the shōgunate in Kyoto, planning their attack within a month. Honekawa confronts Hasuda over his decision to lead the uprising, but Hasuda explains all the suffering and hardships he witnessed under the shōgunate, and that he only needs one hour to destroy the promissory notes and retrieve the women taken by the monasteries. As word spreads out about the uprising, more and more rōnin side with Hasuda and Saizō. Hasuda sends a letter to Honekawa informing him the attack on Kyoto will be on 12 September at sunrise. In response, Nawa orders his army to massacre Yoshizaka as a warning to the insurgents. On 11 September, Saizō sends a message to Ho-ōji, a courtesan who is Hasuda’s former lover, to leave Sanjō to safety before the attack begins.

The insurgency catches the city off-guard by attacking at midnight instead of the falsely announced sunrise time, with an army of 10,000 storming through the customs stations and arming every villager on their way to Nijō. Using directions relayed by Hasuda at the great pagoda, the insurgents weave their way around the city to avoid the samurai armies. Upon reaching Nijō, the insurgents set the monasteries ablaze and destroy the promissory notes before they are surrounded by the samurai and Honekawa. Hasuda and Saizō arrive at the scene to aid their comrades in the battle. As the insurgents celebrate in song and dance, Honekawa orders Hasuda and his army to leave the city.

By sunrise, Hasuda, Saizō, and their followers march to Nawa’s palace, where they are confronted by Honekawa and a drunk Nawa. The insurgents are initially overwhelmed by Honekawa’s army, but they immediately fight back as Saizō takes down the army and Nawa’s bodyguards before a wounded Hasuda kills Nawa to avenge the villagers of Yoshizaka. Hasuda and Saizō reach the palace’s main gate to place a sign that reads “outsider”, marking the end of Nawa’s reign.

Later that day, Honekawa locates Hasuda and Saizō by the river and kills Hasuda in a duel. He spares Saizō’s life, banishing him from Kyoto for 10 years. Five years later, during the Ōnin War, Honekawa is captured and executed by the Hosokawa clan. Some time after his exile, Saizō reunites with Ho-ōji.