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Kenji Misumi

Kenji Misumi

Director · Died September 24, 1975, aged 54 · Kyoto, Japan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kenji Misumi (三隅 研次 Misumi Kenji) (2 March 1921, Kyoto, Japan - 24 September 1975) was a notable Japanese film director. He created films such as Lone Wolf and Cub and the initial film in the long-running Zatoichi (座頭市, Zatōichi) series. He died at age 53. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kenji Misumi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. ​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 2, 1921
Died
September 24, 1975 (aged 54)
From
Kyoto, Japan
Works as
Director
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 73 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 22% in 30 days

What are Kenji Misumi's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
44%
Bonds
20%
Self
12%
Survival
12%
Power
8%
Ideas
2%
Society
2%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 5

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 0 · Charged 7 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Thrilling
6
Melancholic
5
Warm
3
Bittersweet
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kenji Misumi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (8).

Subscription and free streaming for Kenji Misumi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

73 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page.

  • Shogun Assassin(1980)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Priest of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 3 episodes · Director

  • Bounty Hunter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 12 episodes · Director

  • Zatoichi Monogatari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Last Samurai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Mute Samurai(1973)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons(1973)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Internal Sleuth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Professional Killers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Kogarashi Monjiro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Gift of the Fox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • The Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival(1970)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Angry Sword (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • The Magoichi Saga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Devil's Temple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Samaritan Zatoichi(1968)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Funeral Racket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • The Two Bodyguards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Zatoichi Challenged(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Homely Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • The Sisters and I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Shroud of Snow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Sleepy Eyes of Death 8: Sword of Villainy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Return of Daimajin(1966)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Dynamite Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Virgin Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Zatoichi and the Chess Expert(1965)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Sword Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Life of Matsu the Untamed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Fight, Zatoichi, Fight(1964)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • On the Road Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Ken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Sleepy Eyes of Death 2: Sword of Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Ōkuma Shigenobu the great (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Maiko and the Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • The Third Will (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Shinsengumi Chronicles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • The Demon of Sendai's Castle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Destiny's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Tale of Zatoichi(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Her Hidden Past (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Casebooks of Zenigata Heiji: The Beautiful Shark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Buddha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Satan's Sword II: The Dragon God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Satan's Sword (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • What Price Love? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Patterns of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Casebooks of Heiji Zenigata: Beautiful Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Princess Sen in Edo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Lord Pretends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The Ghost of Yotsuya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • A Thousand Flying Cranes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Gambler and the Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Travels of Lord Mito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Obsessive Snake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • The Ghost-Cat Cursed Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Freelance Samurai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • Gonpachi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • The Fiery Magistrate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Flowery Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Asataro the Crow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • The Rust Cleaner Sings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • The Shadow That Kills the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Ginji of the Seven Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Sazen Tange: The Monkey Pot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director

  • The Tale of Genji (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Assistant Director

Career shape

A full career of 73 titles from 1951 to 1980.

Highest rated

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Mute Samurai (1973)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing72 of 73: 71 only directing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thWriting1 of 73: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 73: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s17 · crew1960s38 · crew1970s17 · crew1980s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kenji Misumi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 90th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 86th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 14 titles divides audiences: 9 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser9

Most loved · director

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 56/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Kenji Misumi's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 66 · intenseMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Kenji Misumi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kenji Misumi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Shintarō Katsu shares the most, 12.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers