Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons

Synopsis

On his travels on "the Demon Path in Hell," Ogami Itto is contronted by a series of messengers who represent a clan wanting his services. Each assassin in turn administers a specific test of his abilities, and when bested, gives Ogami partial payment for the job and, as per his usual stipulation, discloses some of the "secrets and reasons" for the killing. By the time Ogami has defeated all the messengers, he has been informed of a conspiracy to disguise a daimyo's illegitimate female offspring as a prince, while the clan leader's official offspring, a son, is kept concealed. A letter uncovering the plot is being delivered by a monk to the shogun, which would mean the dissolution of the clan, leaving retainers, samurai, and vassals without an organization to support them -- a disastrous end. Ogami is to intercept the Buddhist monk carrying the letter; the monk will be traveling under the protection of his arch enemy, Yagyū Retsudō, further complicating the mission. On a stopover at a town festival, Itto's three year old son, Ogami Daigoro, is separated from his father and gets mixed up with a notorious pickpocket being chased by constables. She asks him to promise not to divulge her identity, and when he is confronted he keeps his promise. The law officers publicly flog him in front of the townspeople, until the pickpocket surrenders herself and confesses. Still Daigoro keeps his word. Finally the constables release him, impressed by his stoic courage and honor. On route to intercept the monk, Ogami is contracted to kill the senile old lord, his concubine, and the young daughter. After securing the letter, he confronts the daimyo, and kills him, his concubine, and the young girl, fulfilling his contracts and preserving order.

Cast

Release

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Car in the Land of Demons was released theatrically in Japan on 11 August 1973 where it was distributed by Toho. The film was released on home video by Samurai Cinema, a division of AnimEigo with English subtitles on July 20, 1997.