Now THIS is what I had been hoping for when I started watching this series. It took me a few weeks to finally delve back in, since I was not impressed with the first entry. This film does everything right where it's predecessor faltered, and my excitement for Sleepy Eyes of Death is once again quite high.

The direction is easily the most evident change here. It doesn't look for feel like a TV movie anymore, and it's not wonder, as the director has done a lot of really good movies (including a bunch of Zatoichis). The actors are better and more recongnizable, and the protagonist is much more likable now. Story pulled me in right away, and I expected to be bored going into it.

This isn't an amazing samurai film, but it is indeed a very good one, and stands up to many of the Zatoichi films. The fights are much better done, and captured pretty well too. I can't wait to start watching more of these!