You can tell that they put a lot of time and effort into these movies because they were all released in 1969. Also, this one has a typo on the back cover.
"One of the tops (sic) films in the series."
I'm sure it will be one of the top three films in the trilogy.
The title screen has extras. I wonder what those are.
It's just a bunch of trailers for other samurai movies. That's a clever way to put the trailers in.
Not even being sarcastic. It's clever.
This movie starts with Oichi walking in a rainstorm. See, it's just like the first movie. Continuity +1.
She is wearing a wide brimmed-hat like Devil Danzo in the first movie. I'm not sure whether this is symbolic or if I'm reading too much into Crimson Bat 2; Trapped, the Crimson Bat.
A group of samurai are waiting to ambush this man with a bounty on him in a bar. But he manages to defeat them all and starts laughing. I hate it when sequels ditch the plot and go straight to the action
The man walks outside and finds Oichi, who says that Hanbei is tough and there is a high price on his head.
Thank you Oichi, for telling me his name. Also, she still hasn't shown him her face.
I respect these movies for taking themselves seriously. Blind Woman's Curse was goofy and wasn't fun to watch as a result.
A line of people walk by and ring bells while singing. What? Oichi says that she "should be used to it by now", but she "still finds it sad that strangers should fight to the death" Oichi's hat gets slashed. That seems a very poor choice of head-wear for battle.
As he dies, he asks "who are you?" and Oichi replies "I am the woman who everyone calls Blind Oichi." I don't think this catchphrase will catch on
Then she adds "and I like to collect reward money." Isn't it about time we had a heroine motivated by greed instead of justice?
You could even say, Blind Greed.
A man wheels the dead criminal while Oichi walks behind him. He flirts with her, and she laughs. She says she is a bounty hunter. So, we go from finding her mother and avenging the death of Oyoni to catching criminals for money. I know sequels are usually not as good as the original, but put some effort into it.
Oichi goes to the bar with Hanbei's body and collects 25 gold pieces. Then she finds a girl named Okyo.
You know how sometimes sequels just recycle the best scenes from the first movie except worse? Unfortunately, this is one of those movies.
The woman mocks a man for not getting the reward for Hanbei. She says he is stupid.
He retaliates by grabbing her arm and reveals that she is cheating. She asks what they are going to do and he tells her to take her clothes off. She does to reveal a snake tattoo.
God damn it, I thought I was finished with Blind Woman's Curse.
The woman pulls a bullwhip out of...somewhere. She says it is from the hair of gilted woman.
She also says that if they don't do what she says, she will take the eyes out of their heads. That's ableist.
She asked them to meet at a graveyard. Her name is Oen. A man comes to buy back his daughter. Not sure whether this is recycling from the first movie or these tropes are in all Japanese sword-fighting revenge movies.
She uses her bullwhip to grab a statue of Buddha and knocks it to the ground. The camera hold on it. Get it? It's symbolic.
Okyo practices juggling in the inn while Oichi comes back. She is humming some melody.
Oichi asks whether Okyo is really an orphan. she says yes. Oichi says maybe she should adopt her.
Oichi comes to meet Oen for something. Not sure whether Oen gambling meant she was a villain? Look at her face:
That "something" was "you not being in the inn so that I can get my men to capture Okyo." This is why you don't just agree to meet someone for "something."
One of the problems with being blind in a B movie is that you can't judge people's moral standing based on their appearance.
By the way, I don't advocate for judging people based on appearance. Unless you are in a 1969 B movie about a blind swordswoman.
Oen straight up tells Oichi that she only called her there so that her men can capture Okyo. I...don't get her logic. She knows Oichi can fight, as she killed Hanbei in the beginning. Why provoke her?
So, why is Oen interested in Okyo? Apparently Okyo has a 200 gold piece bounty on her. Then she escapes, and the men come with Okyo. The men ask for 25 gold pieces for her. The reward money.
Okay, that was a good plot twist.
Oichi asks for confirmation that Okyo is there. One of the men casually says "She's standing right over there. Can't you see her?"
This is a good example of sight privilege. If you are ever in a situation where you want to exchange a kidnapped girl for the bounty of a criminal that a blind woman got instead of you, remember to check your privilege.
The sequel keeps Oichi intelligent. That's good. A lot of sequels make the main character less intelligent to keep the plots going. Oichi tosses up the reward money sack and slashes it open so that the men have to scramble to pick up the gold pieces while she gets Okyo.
By the way, there are supposed to be 25 gold pieces. Look at this:
I count 18. Unless one gold piece equal 1.388889 gold pieces or seven of the gold pieces fell off-screen, this is a giant inconsistency. This series has really gone downhill. They clearly just rushed this one out as quickly as possible after the success of Crimson Bat: The Blind Swordswoman. Is it too much to ask for this B-movie sequel about a blind swordswoman to have a little integrity?
Oichi accuses Okyo of lying about being a orphan. Okyo begs Oichi to let her stay with her. Then we get another shot of the Buddha statue on the ground. I didn't think a film series could get less subtle than Crimson Bat: The Blind Swordswoman.
the villains split up the reward money. There are six of them, and the reward money was 25 gold pieces. They each get five pieces, because 25/6=5. I don't know why I'm expecting three B-movies about a blind swordswoman released in the same year to have a proofreader. Especially considering the typo on the back.
Sure.. 18/6=3, but the dialogue clearly said 25
Oen is angry that they got the gold pieces but gave away the girl. Some people are impossible to please. Oen accuses them of either double-crossing her or having trouble fighting Oichi. She uses her bullwhip to attack everyone. In case you haven't realized, Oen is the villain
Oichi is with Okyo when a man comes in. he says he comes on behalf of a man named Echigoya. He gives her a stack of money. She is confused, and the man tells her he is paying ransom for Okyo. He says he would have her arrested, but Okyo's parents want it settled quietly
Oichi accuses Okyo of lying to her. Okyo helpfully tells us that she hates her parents.
the man who works for Echigoya says that if Okyo stays with oichi, she will have a miserable life, because Oichi is a bounty hunter. He also accuses Oichi of only saving Okyo because she was the daughter of a rich man. At least the blindness didn't come up.
Oichi laughs. she says she is tired of being a bounty hunter. Okyo begs for Oichi to let her stay, but Oichi pushes her away and yells at her to get out. As the man carries her away, Okyo's lines degrade to shouting "Oichi, Oichi, Oichi" over and over.This is the kind of hilarious melodrama that made the first movie a masterpiece. Maybe this isn't going to be a terrible sequel.
Oichi cries alone in the room and monologues about how she doesn't live a miserable life and Okyo would have had a much better life if she stayed with her. She slashes at these gold balls. There is a freeze-frame, and then the balls are open and rice spills everywhere. Okay, that was also hilarious. I like this movie now.
Another woman talks to Oichi at a bar. She tells Oichi she should give up the life she lives and be like a normal, happy woman. Implying that being a blind swordswoman bounty hunter isn't normal.
Oen is watching. Remember how Oen is the villain? Well, don't worry. The movie reminds you.
The part where Oen and Oichi confront each other and decide to duel is skipped over. Eh, probably wasn't too important. Cut to a duel on a beach.
Oichi uses a sword and Oen uses her bullwhip. Seems fair. Things are going well, or as well as a duel can go, until Oen throws a rock next to Oichi, distracting her. This could be interesting thematically if Oichi loses and then has to deal with understanding that her blindness gives her certain weaknesses in sword-fighting despite her achievements.
Or Oichi could recover from that distraction and have her sword over Oen's heart in sixteen seconds. What do I know about telling a good story?
Oichi doesn't kill her. Obviously.
Oen asks why Oichi didn't kill her. Oichi replies that there is almost an hour of screen-time left and Oen is advertised as the villain of the movie.
Sorry, misheard the line. Oichi says she is getting bored.
Oen asks for Oichi to join her. Oichi refuses because she is the heroine and Oen...throws snakes at her.
I don't think a B-movie trilogy about a blind swordswoman can jump the shark. I'm pretty sure this series started on the other side of the shark. But, if it could, this is where the series jumped the shark.
Fittingly, on a beach.
One of the snakes bites Oichi. Oen says Oichi has about an hour left to live. There is about an hour left of screen-time. Is this meta? However, I have a disc of Crimson Bat 3: Watch out, Crimson Bat! So I'm pretty sure she survives.
Graveyard. Chanting while Oichi climbs some stairs. These are the same chanters at the beginning when Hanbei dies. Do they just walk around and chant whenever someone is dead or about to die?
Four men find Oichi lying down on a beach.they ask each there whether they have ever seen anyone so beautiful, and if she is a goddess in disguise.
Cut to people carrying bales of rice. Okyo and her grandfather are working. They beg someone for help, but he tells them to take it to the governor's office. Some other workers yell that they "took it all again."
Oichi is in the house of someone named Mosaku. She went from "having an hour to live" to "being completely fine" really quickly.
Oichi asks Mosaku what the shouting outside was about. Mosaku reads Crimson Bat 2: Trapped, the Crimson Bat CliffNotes. Basically, the farmers have to hide some rice from the tax collectors or else they would starve. A gang boss named Bunzo comes by to steal it. The farmers can't report it to the authorities because then they would have to reveal that they were hiding some rice from the tax collectors.
This could all be solved if they sent the rice to the Caymenn Islands.
Also, we have Oen as the main villain, Okyo's situation, and now Bunzo's gang. Why does Crimson Bat Two; Trapped, the Crimson Bat have so many plotlines?
Oichi sums up her reaction: "But that's terrible!" Nice contribution.
The farmers try to take a stand against Bunzo's gang. Obviously, they fail.
The head, or at least an influential member, of the farmers comes out and scolds the farmers for fighting. Bunzo's men attack and fighting ensues. Bunzo comes out and slaps his men for causing a rukus.
Bunzo apologizes. The head farmer, who is also a samurai, tells Bunzo to leave the hidden rice alone, to which Bunzo acts surprised and says "Surely none of these men would break the law."
The samurai replies "If they can break one law, What's to stop them from breaking another? Like stringing you up one day,"
You know, this is how criminals are formed. They start out breaking small laws and then it escalates. One day you are hiding some rice from tax collectors, and the next you are stringing people up from trees.
Bunzo talks with Oen. They are siblings. And so the plot lines converge. Oen tells Bunzo that he is losing his grip on the village since his men got beat up. She offers some men for Bunzo's gang.
Bunzo says "They're criminals, huh?" and Oen replies "Sort of."
So she means "hiding rice from tax collector" level criminals and not "stringing people up from trees" level criminals.
Bunzo asks if one of them is Chinese. So the villain is also racist. The Chinese criminal does some admittedly cool stunt-work.
Oen went to Bunzo because she wants revenge on Oichi. Bunzo has not heard of Oichi.
Cut the hut. Oichi tosses pieces of wood behind her, which land in the fire. Mosaku asks whether she is a goddess in disguise. Because tossing wood into a fire is more impressive than bounty-hunting.
Oichi says that it she hear water, and Mosaku replies that it is a lake. She says she didn't know a place could be as quiet as this, and that it is so peaceful. Excluding the whole Mosaku asks if Oichi wants to stay in the village and Oichi is excited, but she says she can't settle down because she has been a bounty hunter for so long.
We are halfway through Crimson Bat 2: Trapped, the Crimson Bat and the crimson bat is finally trapped. Metaphorically. Which is represented by this shot. In which she is sleeping in a cell.
I'd make fun of this, but the symbolism is incredibly subtle compared to Riding the Bus with My Sister.
Oen approaches the hut. We know it is Oen because the first shot is of her bullwhip. Oichi is tossing a gold ball up and down and humming. Just like Okyo.
Oen says she doesn't know how Oichi recovered from the snake bite. Because she is the main character? Oen tells Oichi to follow her.
Oichi does. God damn it, don't you remember what happened the first two times you were alone with her?
The criminals all come out. Oen tells oichi that they are going to settle their feud. oichi says she doesn't want to fight anymore because she is tired of blood and death. Well Oichi, there are still at least one and a half more movies, so I don't think that will happen.
Oen throws her whip and it pins Oichi to a tree.
\
Oen says "if you won't fight, then we'll treat you like an ordinary woman." Implying ordinary women don't fight.
The criminals go after oichi but she struggles away from him..somehow and somehow gets Oen to release her as she falls down the hill. I have no idea how the physics work out.
One of the criminals wrestles with Oichi on the ground and she slashes. Oichi is angry that they made her draw her sword. Not because of the attempted rape. What?
Also, Oichi says they will pay for making her draw her sword and attacks them. With her sword. Seems counter-productive.
A miner walks down a mountain and sees the bloodshed.
 |
| Man, I hate it when I'm coming from from work and there is a swordfighting jam |
The final criminal and Oen are left. Oen runs around ringing bells to distract Oichi. This is interesting, but Oichi still manages to win, and Oen runs away, vowing to get Oichi. So what's the point of Oen taking advantage of Oichi's blindness if it never works?
Oichi returns to Mosaku. He asks what she has been doing. She casually tells him that she just killed three people. She also reveals that she is known as Blind Oichi, and that she is bounty hunter.
There is some Crimson Bat poetry- "The smell of human blood is still fresh on the blade,"
Oichi says that she wishes there was a way to repay Mosaku before she has to leave. Mosaku initiates probably the most hilarious scene in the series so far. He starts begging Oichi not to leave. Oichi feels the tears in his eyes. The dialogue exchange is too amazing to appreciate in written form, but here is the last line: "Mosaku, you really mean what you say? That you could love a woman like me?" The music indicates that this is supposed to be dramatic.
Cut to two flowers. Really?
Oichi says she is going to wait at the house for Mosaku to return from fishing. Crimson Bat 2: Trapped in Traditional Gender Roles, the Crimson Bat.
Also, given the pattern of this series and clichés, Mosaku is going to die or be captured.
Mosaku is on a boat and brags to his friends about getting a bride.
More trapped imagery.
Otane, Mosaku's cousin, comes over to the house. Otane asks Oichi whether Mosaku is a good lover. Considering that they are cousins, that is a disturbing question. Otane says that her grandfather watched Oichi fight "those men." So he was the miner.
Bunzo comes back from a meeting with the governor. He tells Oen that the governor is upset about the dead men. Bunzo also says that someone tipped the governor off about the hidden rice, so they have to find it soon.
Mosaku and his friends are celebrating. One of them ask "How did you manage to get a good-looking girl like that?" Not sure if that is a double meaning of "good-looking" or I'm reading too much into a movie called Crimson Bat 2: Trapped, the Crimson bat.
They are amazed that a blind girl can pour wine and stop at the right spot. The swordfighting thing was okay, but pouring wine is incredible.
The governor wants to see Mosaku. The story they spread is that Mosaku, not Oichi, killed the men. And they are criminals, so there is a reward of 20 gold pieces. Hanbei has a bounty of 25 gold pieces, but three criminals only have a bounty of 20?
they ask why a man named Kyusaku isn't at the party when they saw him in the village.
Kyusaku isn't at the party because Bunzo gang is busy torturing him. Okay. I love how bored Oen looks during the whipping,
They ask where the rice is hidden. Kyusaku says he doesn't know. More whipping. Kyusaku says that it is in the water mill in the village. Okay.
Oen asks what Bunzo plans to do about the samurai. Bunzo says he plans to make him fight Oichi
Oichi is now just washing her hair in a bucket. Don't get married, kids.
Mosaku gets the gold reward. Oen talks to Mosaku, telling him that she and Oichi have been close friends for many years.
How to get the samurai and Oichi to fight? What was the best scene in the first movie?
Oen says that Oichi will be happy if Mosaku comes home with a sack of money. So they start gambling. Oen tells Mosaku what to bet on and the roller makes sure he wins each time. Cheerful music places.
One he has won enough money, Oen convinces him to bet it all on evens. Instead of showing the dice roll, it just cuts from Mosaku pushing all the gold pieces to the pot to him with no chips. I like that. I can't believe I'm praising the direction of a movie called Crimson Bat 2: Trapped, the Crimson Bat.
Oen tells the dealer to lend Mosaku 50 gold pieces, which he of course loses. The dealer asks for the money back and calls in Bunzo for backup.
Eh, I like the gambling scene in the first movie better, but this was pretty good as well.
Bunzo makes a deal. If Oichi kills some criminal, they will forgive the debt. I couldn't figure out which criminal at first because I didn't realize the head farmer was a samurai. It is obvious the samurai.
Bunzo shows Mosaku Kyusaku's body and threatens to do the same to him unless Oichi kills the criminal.
Oichi is at home doing housewife tasks. Mosaku comes back. she says she has to get the supper ready. The audio quality flickered.
Mosaku comes home and says he isn't hungry. Oichi says he has been drinking. usually marriages take longer than one day to fall apart.
Oichi goes outside and finds Bunzo's men. They explain the plot. Namely that Mosaku is now 50 gold pieces in debt and Oichi has to kill a criminal to forgive the debt. she asks which criminal, and they refuse to say.
The samurai comes out of nowhere to tell Oichi the plot details she missed. Namely, that Kyusasku died and told Bunzo where the rice was. Now the farmers want to avenge Kysakus death. He also tells Oichi to stay with Mosaku until the fighting is over.
Oichi wakes up Mosaku and he apologizes for getting them in debt and forcing Oichi to pay that debt by killing a criminal. Eh, anyone can make that mistake.
another shot of the flowers. We get it.
Oichi says she has to go but she doesnt want to. Get out of toxic relationships, Oichi. She says that she was happy for the first time in her life. Then we get another hilariously poetic shot.
I had to take the disc out and clean it with ten minutes to go because it kept jumping. Why did it have to skip near the climax?
Bunzo's men come to get Oichi. They say Bunzo is waiting at the quarry. As they walk, we see the plot. The head farmer was the criminal who they wanted Oichi to kill. Okay, that was clever. But not really, because the farmer just kills Bunzo's men. Didn't really think that through.
The head farmer asks whether Oichi is going to kill Bunzo. I thought we were going to see a showdown with Oen? Oichi says maybe. He asks whether she is going to leave Mosuko, and she says yes and walks away. Okay.
Oichi walks down a pier poetically like in the first movie. But there are still five minutes left and Oen is alive.
Oichi and Bunzo accuse Oichi of double-crossing them. Cue final battle.
Och takes care of all the less significant gang members relatively easily, except when she falls. Bunzo and Oen get bored and decide to fight as well. I'll say one positive thing, this is much better than the first with devil Danzo.
Oichi rolls around on the ground to avoid the whip. She gets up and starts fighting. The red paint splashes on canvas to represent slashing. Like in the first movie.
Now the fight gets....artistic. There is a purple glow in the background and the men dance around Oichi. Bunzo fights Oichi, but she sidesteps him and stabs him in the back. Then Oen wrestles with Oichi, despite the whip being a long range weapon, and Oichi stabs her in the back as well.
That was unexpected. Usually you would have the heroine kill the main villains last. Now she has to kill all the henchmen. It would be kind of funny if, after defeating Bunzo and Oen, a henchman stabs her and she dies before Crimson Bat 3: Watch out, Crimson Bat.
THE END
Crimson Bat 2: Trapped, The Crimson Bat is not as good as Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman. The plot had too many elements in it. The first movie has a lot of plot-lines but they all came together in the end. That being said, the story is still good and the fighting is much better than the first movie. I am interested to see the conclusion of this trilogy.
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