i must admit that i have be a sucker for samurai flick since i can remember . i use to watch rather indiscriminate and be it elitist work like the seven samurai or the bloody comic book variation like lone wolf and cub . i also like u or japanese crossover like the bushido blade . and of course everything contain sonny chiba and hiroyuki sanada . and i have virtually watch every samurai at least twice . but not kabuto . in 1993 i first watch kabuto on video and that even samurai film can be bore . in the beginning i be look forward to mayeda reach europe and the confrontation that would come from that but by the time he actually reach spain and i really do not care so much for the movie anymore . it wouldn not do the film justice to call it bad . technically it a clean entry into the genre . but there be simply never quiet enough . sho kosugi have limit skill a both director and actor and have only a fraction of above mention japanese actor charisma . and speaking of sho kosugis son kane and who appear in almost all sho kosugi film a shos son represent he have inherit little to none of his father limit act skill . add to the minus point be the absence of the blood and gore that until then be a trademark of all samurai film . this be obviously intend for a young u or european audience . let just say that it a so so film for the average historic action adventure fan but a bore for hardened fan of samurai cinema . fan who be into the samurai meet genre and should rather go and watch red sun ( 1971 ) and feature charles bronson a cowboy who have to team up with samurai toshiro mifume to retrieve a samurai sword from bad guy alan delon . it pretty much how to do it right and where kabuto go wrong . so and even though the film be a mere 100 minute and it seem like a much long film . the reason i give this a honourable 4/10 point instead of negative represent first time i saw this film and i saw it in the german synchronized version . in this version and kosugi can actually be understood . i must admit that his engrish be at time funny but get tiresome after about 30 minute .