Hakkenden Deluxe Edition Blu-ray

What is wrong with standing up for justice? The feelings Bakin poured into Hakkenden will move you to tears. An extraordinary entertainment epic interweaves the astonishing spectacle of the fictional Hakkenden with the moving true story of the writer who brought it into being.

Even after losing his sight, Bakin continued writing through dictation. His achievement—devoting 28 years to a vast work spanning 106 volumes—is still remembered as one of the greatest miracles in Japanese literary history. Seen through its author’s eyes, alongside the anguish and conflict of creating a story, Hakkenden offers an unprecedented cinematic experience.

Futaro Yamada’s acclaimed two-volume novel is brought to live action through dynamic, intricate visual effects. On an overwhelming scale, the fictional world follows eight swordsmen drawn together by eight beads to break the curse upon the Satomi family. Their destinies intersect with the remarkable real world of Bakin’s creation. In a world overflowing with evil, this is a story of holding fast to justice.

In the Edo period, popular author Bakin Takizawa begins telling his friend, the painter Hokusai Katsushika, about the Hakkenden story he is developing. Eight swordsmen, each bearing a bead, assemble as though guided by fate and plunge into a fierce battle to lift the curse on the Satomi family. Hokusai is immediately captivated by this grand, strange tale. Eager to learn what happens next, he visits repeatedly and draws sketches that stimulate Bakin’s imagination.

The story that enchanted Hokusai wins a devoted audience and grows into an unusually long serial. Just as it approaches its climax, Bakin loses his sight. When completion seems hopeless, his daughter-in-law offers to help. What feelings did Bakin place in Hakkenden, the work he kept writing for 28 years even after becoming blind?

The deluxe edition includes an outer case and a booklet.