Ichi

Ichi is a blind singer carrying only a shamisen and a walking stick, traveling on her own to find the man who has brought her up and cared for her as a child. People try to take advantage of her blindness, but Ichi fights back with her unusual skill with swords, using a sword hidden inside her walking stick. An incident brings her to meet a wandering samurai, Toma, who tries to save Ichi from the Banki-to gang, but ends up being saved by Ichi. The 'draw-and-slash' fighting style was taught to her by her former caregiver. Ichi agrees to travel with Toma and comes upon the village where the Banki-to gang, led by the heartless Banki, is taking charge. They also meet Toraji of the Shirakawa yakuza family trying to keep order in the village. Toma offers to help but Ichi is not interested, until she finds that Banki might know the man she was looking for. As she grows closer to Toma, she confesses to him that she finds no meaning in life since she cannot see the difference between night and day or good from evil. She stands on the border between life and death, and her only motivation is to meet the man who she believes to be her father before she dies. Ichi comes to the attention of Banki, who tells her they are the same—outsiders in life with a taste for blood. He also seems to know the man Ichi is looking for. The wheel of fortune begins to turn as the deadly battle between the Banki-to and the Shirakawas begins. Ichi and Toma must now face Banki in one final confrontation…