Episode I
Ashikaga Mochiuji rebels against the government and is killed by the Emperor’s chief steward Norizane. Mochiuji’s two surviving sons run to seek protection in Yuki Castle, but the castle falls under siege and the two princes, Captain Satomi Suyemoto and his men are forced to spend 3 years in the castle. Suyemoto’s young son Yoshizane is a 19 year-old samurai who is both learned in scholarly matters and skilled in martial arts. When Yuki Castle falls at last, his father’s dying wish is for Yoshizane, together with the two loyal lieutenants Ujimoto and Sadayuki, to flee the battle to continue with the family lineage elsewhere. They narrowly escape the enemy’s pursuits and cross the bay for Awa, where they know no one to turn to, equipped with hardly any resources…
Episode II
Meanwhile, in the province of Awa, Jin’yo Mitsuhiro, the ruler of half of Awa Province, neglects his duty of administration, taxes heavily on his people and indulges himself in transient pleasure. He was under the heavy influence of his favourite concubine Tamazusa, together with his favourite varlet Yamashita Sakuza’emon Sadakane. Bokuhei and Mukuzo plan to assassinate Sadakane, but Sadakane’s cunning overpowers theirs., and believing it is Sadakane they kill Lord Mitsuhiro instead. After putting up an impressive fight against outnumbering guards, Bokuhei is killed, and now Mukuzo, deeply wounded, is surrouned by a crowd of officers…
Finally, Mukuzo is captured to die in prison shortly. Sakuza’emon Sadakane takes Mitsuhiro’s concubine Tamazusa as his wife and makes himself the ruler of the two counties which previously belonged to Mitsuhiro. Sadakane now sends messengers to the two neigbouring lords Anzai Kagetsura and Maro Nobutoki to demand allegiance. However, when the two lords are conferring in Anzai‘s Tateyama Castle as to how to deal with Sadakane, Yoshizane and his two loyal lieutenants request an audience…
Episode III
Kagetsura and Nobutoki, the two lords of the other half of Awa Province, meet Yoshizane and his lieutenants under heavily armed guard. At the meeting, Kagetsura starts insulting Yoshizane; thus begins a subtle but dangerous war of words exchanged between the hosts and guests. After a few wrong moves on the hosting party however, the visitors win the promise that Maro and Anzai will take them up on one condition – to fish a carp as an offering to the god of war within three days. Not knowing it is a trap the two lords set up, Yoshizane goes out to fish for carp with Ujimoto and Sadayuki.
Episode IV
Yoshizane and his lieutenants spend every hour of each day fishing but the promised third day comes without a single catch. There appears a beggar in a terrible condition, singing a strange song. He reveals them there are no carp in the entire Awa Province – they were deceived. He then reveals that he is Kanamari Takayoshi, a former retainer of late Mitsuhiro who was the rightful lord of Nagasa and Heguri and proposes that Yoshizane should raise a flag to beat Sadakane and save the long-suffering people. Finally, Yoshizane agrees. Takayoshi sets fire to a lonely bamboo bush and gathers villagers. The time has come. On three wise village elders’ suggestion, they attack the fort of Tojo and successfully capture it. The renegade lord Kokuroku nearly escapes but Takayoshi’s quick wit and valour beats him. Yoshizane, now faced with the task to capture Castle of Takita and beat Sadakane before their imminent attack back, departs on a campaign with only a few hundred horsemen, leaving Ujimoto to guard his newly obtained castle…
Episode V
(To be updated)
The Legend of the Eight Samurai Hounds 