Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie Review

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is an action-packed Samurai film with plenty of exciting adventure for fans of the genre. Produced and distributed by the Toei Company, Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy received 5 Japanese Academy Award nominations. Released in Japan theatrically on January 21^st, 1978, Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is an action-adventure epic for genre fans. The feature-film was licensed by Discotek Media for home media release in North America as part of the company’s Nihon Nights sub-label imprint. Starring Sonny Chiba and Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy offers action fans plenty of excitement.

The Shogun has died. The event was tragic and unexpected. It becomes apparent that the death was not a mere passing but actually something far more sinister. The shogun was poisoned. The murder was an enormous controversy. The death resulted because of the shogun desiring his son to become heir and take over his coveted throne.

The death leads to a war being waged. Fighters on both side of the issue become involved in an epic battle between warriors. The Yagyu clan has trained tirelessly in the special art of swordsmanship. There is also a group of imperial fighters who are involved and an attempt is thus made to restore balance and the original order of the emperor.

The performances are at the heart of the feature-film and stand as one of the essential reasons to see Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy. The performances by stars Sonny Chiba and Hiroyuki Sanada are compelling. There is something inherently dynamic about these actors and each of the performers provides a strong performance in their canon. Chiba is a great actor for the genre and manages to imbue a lot of enthusiasm for the role. The performance is one that fans of the actor certainly will want to see. Sanada is also compelling as a fighter in the Negoro Clan. A nice and noteworthy showcase for Sanada as well.

The production is epic in scope. The production design and art direction are impressive and visually striking. The art direction by Norimichi Igawa (Samurai Reincarnation, Shogun’s Shadow) is quite stunning and creative. There was a lot of great work put in to the production aesthetics and the elements contribute to the engaging sense of creativity in the filmmaking. A solid effort for the production.

The score composed by Toshiaki Tsushima (Night Train, Yakuza Ladies: The Final Battle) is one of the finest qualities of the filmmaking. The score composed for Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is entertaining and engaging. The music certainly helps to tell the story and to provide it with an extra degree of depth. The score is outstanding and the music plays a vital role in the filmmaking and the course of the action. Tsushima is a strong composer and the effort here makes the film all the more noteworthy. Fans of classic Japanese film scores will appreciate the compositions by Tsushima.

The cinematography by Tôru Nakajima (Yakuza Graveyard, Message from Space) is incredible and boasts some of the most engaging elements in the film. The cinematographic style is first-rate in Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy. There are so many impressive visuals on display in the film. A testament to the cinematographer and to the art form. Nakajima certainly understands the genre expectations and the role of the cinematographer in the medium and the results impress in spades.

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, Virus: The End), Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is well worth seeing for the action scenes alone. The action-packed filmmaking by Fukasaku is a smart, impressive, and compelling element of the film. Written by Kinji Fukasaku alongside co-screenwriters Hirô Matsuda (Night Train, Shogun’s Shadow) and Tatsuo Nogami (White Snake Enchantment, The Gate of Youth), Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy provides the samurai excitement genre fans are expecting to find.

The genre elements certainly play a bit part in the script and in the direction. Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy isn’t perfect but it has some great set pieces and the filmmaking is engaging. Director Fukasaku certainly has fun in the sandbox and action fans will want to see the film to experience these fast-paced scenes. A classic Japanese feature worth seeking out.

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The release includes a healthy bit-rate of 21mbps. The transfer on the release is an excellent one and fans of the film will be enormously pleased by the high-definition presentation and the level of care given to the presentation.

The transfer is sharp and crisp without appearing artificial. The filmic transfer showcases plenty of fine detail. The image excels with nice color reproduction. The print quality impresses and is free from egregious issues with print damage – such as wear, tear, and scratches. The presentation is well-restored and the results help the film to be enjoyable for generations of viewers to come.

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release does not provide an English dubbed option. To view the film one will need to engage with the original audio track for the Japanese language version. The English subtitles on the release are excellent and are free from any egregious spelling or grammatical errors. The lossless audio fidelity on the release is excellent. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear during the presentation. The track has superb fidelity and the track has no issues with hiss, crackle, pops, clicks and other audio related deficiencies.

The lossless encoding is an impressive aspect of the presentation. The track capably reproduces the original score and it sounds immersive during the track. The lossless encoding is another example of how the Blu-ray format is a superior viewing option compared to streaming video services – which offer films with lossy audio in compressed formats. The lossless encoding on the release provides a significantly better audio presentation with high bit-rates and better encoding overall.

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover with key art. The inside sleeve contains different key art so that when removing the slipcover from the case, one gets additional key artwork. This is an excellent design touch and it makes the release feel extra special in hand. The sleeve also contains interior artwork as well. The disc art selection on the release was a nice design choice as well. A wonderfully implemented package design by Discotek Media.

On disc supplements include:

Theatrical Teaser 1 (SD, 2:04)

Theatrical Teaser 2 (SD, 3:03)

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 5:23)

Historical Notes by Zack Davisson includes 12 click-through slides.

It is a bit unfortunate that the package does include a more extensive supplemental package. The release might have benefited from the addition of audio commentary tracks, making-of feature documentaries, and other in-depth material. The extras included on the release aren't quite as impressive as some viewers might hope to find. This is one area of the release which could have used the most improvement.

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shogun's Samurai: The Yagyu Clan Conspiracy is an exciting and action-packed extravaganza for genre fans. Action enthusiasts who are seeking some good samurai battles and epic swordplay will want to check out the film. The filmmaking excels with solid directing by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale). With stars Sonny Chiba and Hiroyuki Sanada, there is plenty of adventure to appeal to genre fans. The performances from these engaging actors make the film all the more compelling to watch.  

The presentation is impressive with a good encode featuring a healthy bit-rate. The lossless audio is impressive as well. The release also provides a nice o-card slipcover and some extras as well. Fans should certainly consider picking up this noteworthy release. Though the supplemental package is relatively slim the nice collectible slipcover certainly adds some extra value to the package. The release is an excellent addition to the Nihon Nights sub- label from Discotek Media. Recommended.