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A Town Divided is the TAFL-listed fanlisting for the anime series "Kaze no Yojimbo."
Members: 11
Last Update: Dec 13, 2008
Collective: Absolute Trouble
About Fanlistings
A fanlisting is a website where people who are fans of a subject -- such as a book, movie, singer, TV show, actor, character, etc. -- add their name and country to a list along with other fans of the same subject. It's a fun and easy way to show your fandom, and to see how many people from around the world share your interests. You don't need a website in order to add your name to the list; all you need is an appreciation for Kaze no Yojimbo.
About Kaze no Yojimbo
The 25-episode anime series, which aired in Japan in 2001, was produced by Studio Pierrot and released in the US/Canada by Bandai. This dark, dramatic series follows the journey of drifter George Kodama as he investigates a mysterious incident that happened 15 years ago in the town of Kimujuku -- an incident that is connected to the disappearance of George's older brother. He soon discovers that a crime syndicate, headed by the Ginzame brothers, and the town's wealthy patriarch, Mr. Tanokura, are locked in a struggle to control Kimujuku and its rumored treasure.
After George rescues Tanokura's teenaged daughter Miyuki from a kidnapping, he accepts an offer to work for Tanokura as a bodyguard. Throughout the series, however, George frequently switches sides as he's drawn further into a web of deceptions and danger tracing back to that mysterious incident of 15 years ago. The series is full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing right up until the end about the missing train car and the fate of George's brother. The characters have their flaws and hidden agendas and that, along with the excellent mystery plot, is what kept me glued to the sofa through all 25 episodes.
Kaze no Yojimbo is based on Akira Kurosawa's 1961 film Yojimbo, which has spawned two American homages: A Fistful of Dollars and Last Man Standing. Kurosawa is well-known to US viewers as the man behind Rashomon, The Seven Samurai (which inspired Hollywood's The Magnificient Seven) and The Hidden Fortress (which inspired George Lucas's Star Wars series.) My favorites have always been Rashomon and Ran, the feudal Japanese take on King Lear.