Japan Synopsis
子連れ狼 子を貸し腕貸しつかまつる
In this first film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, adapted from the manga by Kazuo Koike, we are told the story of the Lone Wolf and Cub's origin. Ogami Itto, the official Shogunate executioner, has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yagyu clan, against whom he now is waging a one-man war, along with his infant son, Daigoro.
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
6 sharedLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades
★ 7.2 · Japan
6 sharedLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril
★ 7.4 · Japan
6 sharedLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
★ 7.3 · Japan
5 sharedLone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx
★ 7.3 · Japan
5 sharedThe Tale of Zatoichi
★ 7.2 · Japan
5 sharedBaragaki: Unbroken Samurai
★ 6.3 · Japan
Other Titles From Katsu Production
Drama + Action in Japan
444 Japan titles in our catalog blend the Drama and Action genres. Below: the top-rated of them (excluding Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance itself).
The 1971–1973 Japan Window
Among 62 Japan films we catalog from this window, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance places #7 — near the top of its class.
The 1970s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year across the 1970s in Japan, 197 titles in total. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance premiered alongside 19 others.
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 19 other Japan films in 1972.
The 366th Japan title from Japan we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1899).
Our Japan catalog contains 4,579 titles in total (2,908 films).
Audience Engagement
196 audience reviews — more than 86% of Japan films in our index.
Review volume (86th percentile) outruns trending popularity (71th) — a durable title with sustained audience attention.
Thematic Fingerprint
Tags on Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, grouped by how common each theme is across the full Asian catalog. Rare tags are more distinctive signals.
- chanbara · 14
- chambara · 12
- japan · 454
- samurai · 128
- jidaigeki · 61
- assassin · 47
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #1,186 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (74th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.6 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Drama productions specifically: #511 of 1,933 (top 26%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Katsu Production, TOHO |
| Runtime | 1h 23m |
| Release Date | January 15, 1972 |
| IMDb | tt0068815 |