When the samurai warlord Daigo Kagemitsu trades his first-born son for victory in battle his son Hyakkimaru is born barely human. Forty-eight of his body parts have been distributed amongst demons and he is left in a basket to float down the river. A doctor named Jukai eventually discovers the infant and raises him as his own, building him a makeshift body out of spare parts. Hyakkimaru possesses special powers and an immunity to pain and injury. He decides to truly become human, he must use his abilities to take back the body parts stolen from him at birth. He sets off on a journey to defeat the 48 demons and along the way teams up with a thief named Dororo who assists him on his adventure and the inevitable confrontation with his father Daigo. Region 1, NTSC. AC-3 audio with English subtitles.
Available at Amazon.com on 9/23/2008.Tags: akihiko shiota, anna tsuchiya, eita, hitori gekidan, kiichi nakai, kou shibasaki, kumiko aso, mieko harada, satoshi tsumabuki, yoshio harada