In the final episode of the Samurai trilogy, we see Musashi as a seasoned fighter who values peace, a far cry from the wild animal that he was when he went by the name of Takezo. He no longer seeks trouble, though trouble finds him easily enough. His reputation precedes him everywhere he goes, and everywhere there are challengers -- particularly the cold, calculating Kojiro.
Kojiro is an established rival by now, though he and Musashi do not meet until the end. The two are opposites: Musashi has won over sixty duels, but it pains him to think of the lives he has taken. Kojiro, on the other hand, kills without mercy or regret. He longs for a battle with Musashi, feeling that Musashi is the only swordsman in all of Japan worthy of a duel with him. He makes a challenge several times, but Musashi puts it off for various reasons. He has no desire to meet Kojiro, knowing the duel must result in the death of one of them.
In an opening scene, Kojiro, now a great samurai in the Shogun’s palace, shows off his skills with “Clothes Rod” to Akemi, neatly killing a swallow in mid-flight. Akemi is saddened by his icy coldness and his lack of regard for life. Kojiro, in turn, is frustrated with Akemi’s continued love for Musashi. Akemi knows she must tear herself away from Kojiro, and sets herself to seek out Musashi.. Otsu, too, sets out in search of Musashi, following news of him wherever she hears it. The journeying wears on her, and she begins to succumb to an unnamed chronic illness.
For his part, Musashi seeks peace and quiet, yet can’t seem to find it. In a village where he stops to rest, four samurai of the Obana School challenge him, and he defeats them all. When he and his apprentice bring the bodies to the school, the master denies that they belong to the school at all. Musashi is stumped by this, but then understands what the master means. That is -- if they were defeated in a combat of four against one, the master wants nothing to do with them. Musashi goes off to bury the four dead samurai.
Kojiro learns of the battle and issues a challenge, but Musashi puts him off.
Musashi journeys on and ends up in a flophouse where sits in an upstairs room painting and carving. His young apprentice points out that the statue he carves looks a lot like Otsu and wonders, coyly, why that might be. Rough-necks issue a challenge for the famous samurai to come out and fight. Musashi invites them in, and while he listens to their insults, he nabs flies in mid-air with a pair of chopsticks. The rough-necks are so impressed, that one pleads to be Musashi’s apprentice. Musashi agrees, and sets out for the country with his rag-tag entourage.
Musashi takes up farming in a small village where Otsu finally catches up with him. He battles his feelings for her, thinking she can’t possibly care for him since he did (as he sees it) such a terrible thing to her at the stream so many years ago. His apprentices don’t understand him at all. Otsu is pretty and obviously in love with him, though she loses her confidence and wonders if he cares about her at all.
Akemi also sets out in search of Musashi. She takes shelter with a farmer and his wife, but is recognized by the captain of the band of brigands who killed Akemi’s father. They take her captive, wanting to use her to get into the village. She knows Musashi, and the brigands want revenge against him. They tell Akemi what she must do.
Akemi doesn’t want to carry out the dirty deed, but her jealousy of Otsu gets the better of her. She tries to kill Otsu, but fails, and carries out her plan of betrayal. The brigands attack. Musashi and his apprentices aid the villagers in their battle.
During the chaos, one of the brigands makes off with Otsu and Akemi. He means to rape Otsu, but despite her jealousy of the girl, Akemi cannot stand by and let the brigand have his way. With a fierce expression she takes up a spear and stabs the brigand in the back. He strikes back with a dying blow of his sword that catches her across the neck. Otsu is horrified. Musashi comes across them just then and Akemi dies in his arms. He and Otsu together give her a proper funeral.
Kojiro’s challenge must finally be answered. Musashi leaves the village alone, but Otsu and Musashi’s apprentice follow. Otsu is much weaker now and having a hard time traveling. She finally catches up with Musashi just before he must cross a stretch of water to Ganryu island. She weeps and begs him not to leave, but he, with a smile, tells her how the “wife of a Samurai” must behave. Her face lights up, realizing that he really does love her and intends to marry her if he survives the duel.
He takes a small boat to Ganryu island, where he faces off with Kojiro for the long-awaited duel. Musashi does not use his sword, however; on the journey to the island, he took a piece of driftwood and used his sword to carve it into a long paddle, which becomes his weapon in the fight with Kojiro. The outcome is inevitable (and those who know Musashi’s history know who must win and go on to write A Book of Five Rings). Musashi leaves Ganryu island with tears in his eyes, for this was a duel he never wanted to fight, and he knows he’s just destroyed an irreplaceable work of art.
We never get to see if he finally does the right thing and marries Otsu at long last, but we rather hope he does.
If you missed my reviews of Samurai I and II, you can read them at:
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