The Crimson Bat 1–4 Black Series Collection | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Sourced from HD all 4 films on 1 Blu-Ray with English Subtitles.

---

Title: Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)

Alternate Title: めくらのお市物語 真っ赤な流れ鳥 (Mekura no Oichi Monogatari: Makkana Nagaredori)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Abandoned by her mother during a thunderstorm, young Oichi is struck by lightning and loses her sight. Raised by a guardian who is later killed, she learns the art of swordsmanship from a wandering ronin. As an adult, Oichi becomes a formidable bounty hunter, traveling across Japan to seek her mother and exact revenge.

---

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda
• Cast:
  • Yôko Matsuyama as Oichi
  • Isamu Nagato
  • Akitake Kôno
  • Chizuko Arai
  • Jun Tatara

---

IMDb Link:
Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. afiendonfilm – ★★★½
   “During a storm, poor Oichi, blinded at 7 years old after her mother abandons her and a lightning strike takes out her eyesight. Fast forward 20 years and Oichi is a sword-wielding traveler, looking for her mother. On the way, she rescues an old man, just escaped from jail. It seems he too has a past and is looking for his long-lost daughter whom he gave up…”
2. firebreathing – ★★★☆☆
   “Not without some charm, but awfully bold for a cash-in. My son’s convinced that even the long pedestrian bridge seen in the end had been in a Zatoichi film. Perhaps a little heavier on the backstory than it needs to be, but overall entertaining.”

---

Meta Description:
Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969) is a Japanese action-adventure drama directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. The film follows Oichi, a blind swordswoman abandoned as a child, who becomes a skilled bounty hunter seeking her mother and vengeance.

---

Title: Trapped, the Crimson Bat (1969)

Alternate Title: Blind Swordswoman: Hellish Skin

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Oichi, a blind swordswoman, contemplates abandoning her life of violence for peace. However, she faces numerous challenges, including a formidable adversary wielding a whip made of human hair, compelling her to confront her destiny as a warrior.

---

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Sadatsugu Matsuda
• Cast:
  • Yôko Matsuyama as Oichi
  • Yasunori Irikawa
  • Kikko Matsuoka as Oen
  • Tôru Abe
  • Ryoichi Tamagawa

---

IMDb Link:
Trapped, the Crimson Bat (1969)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Thornhill – ★★★☆☆
   “It’s another enjoyable period film with the character Blind Oichi in the second of the series, but it cannot disguise the fact these films were mass produced.”
2. Bruce Rogers – ★★★☆☆
   “Our main character is now working as a bounty hunter at the start of the movie, in what is probably the best segment of the entire film.”
3. Rui – ★★★☆☆
   “There were three released in 1969, which isn’t conducive to a well thought out and polished script.”

---

Meta Description:
Trapped, the Crimson Bat (1969), also known as Blind Swordswoman: Hellish Skin, is a Japanese action-adventure drama directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. The film follows Oichi, a blind swordswoman, as she contemplates leaving her violent past behind but is drawn back into conflict by formidable adversaries.

---

Title: Watch Out, Crimson Bat! (1969)

Alternate Title: めくらのお市 みだれ笠 (Mekura no Oichi: Midaregasa)

Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure

Plot Synopsis:
Oichi, a blind swordswoman, encounters a dying messenger who entrusts her with a scroll containing a secret message intended for Murobuse, a high-ranking officer of the Shogunate. Unbeknownst to her, the scroll holds the formula for a new kind of gunpowder. As she embarks on her journey to deliver it, Oichi faces numerous obstacles, including encounters with orphans, a carnival dagger thrower, robbers, and rival samurai, all while being pursued by an evil clan intent on overthrowing the Emperor.

---

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Hirokazu Ichimura
• Writers:
  • Teruo Tanaka
  • Kin’ya Naoi
  • Yoshi Hattori
• Cast:
  • Yôko Matsuyama as Oichi
  • Gorô Ibuki as Gennosuke
  • Tamayo Mitsukawa as Kotoe
  • Mayumi Arai as Omiyo, the Orphan Girl
  • Maya Maki as Otama, the Dagger Thrower

---

IMDb Link:
Watch Out, Crimson Bat! (1969)

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. FireBreathing – ★★★★☆
   “The story probably has too many helpless characters to be used as hostages, but it still threw a few real surprises at me, including killing one supporting character and having another switch sides, so I was very pleased. Plus a fine guest appearance by Goro Ibuki.”
2. Review by a Letterboxd user – ★★★★☆
   “The story is fun & punchy, tilting away from the melodrama of the first two a bit, focusing on a Gunpowder-Treason-and-Plot type situation, with a pair of charming orphan teens & not one but TWO (2) handsome ronin rounding out the cast. Particularly love Oichi’s sweet & weird chemistry with Gennosuke throughout.”

---

Meta Description:
Watch Out, Crimson Bat! (1969), also known as Mekura no Oichi: Midaregasa, is a Japanese drama-action film directed by Hirokazu Ichimura. It follows Oichi, a blind swordswoman, who is entrusted with a secret scroll and faces numerous challenges as she attempts to deliver it to a Shogunate officer.

---

Title: Crimson Bat: Wanted, Dead or Alive (1970)

Alternate Title: Mekura no Oichi: Inochi Moraimasu

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Oichi, a blind swordswoman known as the Crimson Bat, assists a woman in escaping from a high-ranking government official to reunite with her lover. Angered by this defiance, the official places a bounty of fifty gold pieces on Oichi’s head, attracting a diverse group of bounty hunters. Among them are an expert swordsman, a formidable judo master, and a deadly chain-wielding fighter. As Oichi seeks refuge in the fishing village of Itso, she must confront these adversaries, including the skilled swordsman Sankuro.

---

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Hirokazu Ichimura
• Writers:
  • Teruo Tanaka
  • Kōji Takada
• Cast:
  • Yōko Matsuyama as Oichi
  • Yūki Meguro as Sankuro
  • Meichō Soganoya as Kamecho
  • Reiko Ōshida as Ohan
  • Tetsurō Tamba as Hyoe

---

IMDb Link:
Crimson Bat: Wanted Dead or Alive

---

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Jim McLennan – ★★★☆☆
   “The fourth and final entry in the Crimson Bat series offers a solid mix of action and drama, with Yōko Matsuyama delivering a compelling performance as the blind swordswoman Oichi.”
2. Paghat the Ratgirl – ★★★☆☆
   “While not the strongest installment, ‘Crimson Bat: Wanted, Dead or Alive’ provides an engaging narrative and showcases Oichi’s resilience against formidable foes.”
3. Girls With Guns – ★★★☆☆
   “This concluding chapter of the series maintains the spirit of its predecessors, with well-choreographed fight scenes and a storyline that keeps the audience invested.”

---

Meta Description:
Crimson Bat: Wanted, Dead or Alive (1970), also known as Mekura no Oichi: Inochi Moraimasu, is a Japanese action-adventure drama directed by Hirokazu Ichimura. The film follows Oichi, a blind swordswoman, as she aids a woman in escaping a powerful official, leading to a bounty on her head and a series of confrontations with skilled bounty hunters.