Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The title might implore Crimson Bat to "Watch Out," but, well, she can't. Yōko Matsuyama is Oichi, the titular "Crimson Bat" and notably blind swordswoman, and _Watch Out, Crimson Bat!_ (1969) is the third of four cinematic adventures for this feminine spin on Zatōichi, courtesy Shochiku.
All four films (released in Japan across 1969 and into 1970) were dubbed into English in Hong Kong by the usual Ted Thomas ("Axis International") crew, with Linda Masson dubbing Oichi in each. While Dutch label Worldwide/International Video put out the English-dubbed versions of all four, _Watch Out_ was the only film in the series to reach American video (in 1984). Video Action, which usually handled subtitled versions of Japanese films, released this unfortunately smeary transfer of the dubbed version, film-chained from an unattractive, cropped 16mm print. Check out that whip pan at 2:42.
Compiled here are every instance of English "visuals" from the Video Action cassette... Oh, and the Japanese Shochiku logo, too. A lot of English dubbed Shochiku exports reached Dutch video in the 1980s and just about all of them are localized in the same way: sloppily-lettered white text against a solid red frame. So, because that's unappealing to watch, please consider the wee bit of action and dubbed dialogue here a "treat" — unless and until the copyright ghouls strike.
retrospektive-film has the dubbed trailer: youtu.be/QmTfWQkHLYs?si=ZoyFL0FFb5Bd0jAD
The title might implore Crimson Bat to "Watch Out," but, well, she can't. Yōko Matsuyama is Oichi, the titular "Crimson Bat" and notably blind swordswoman, and _Watch Out, Crimson Bat!_ (1969) is the third of four cinematic adventures for this feminine spin on Zatōichi, courtesy Shochiku.
All four films (released in Japan across 1969 and into 1970) were dubbed into English in Hong Kong by the usual Ted Thomas ("Axis International") crew, with Linda Masson dubbing Oichi in each. While Dutch label Worldwide/International Video put out the English-dubbed versions of all four, _Watch Out_ was the only film in the series to reach American video (in 1984). Video Action, which usually handled subtitled versions of Japanese films, released this unfortunately smeary transfer of the dubbed version, film-chained from an unattractive, cropped 16mm print. Check out that whip pan at 2:42.
Compiled here are every instance of English "visuals" from the Video Action cassette... Oh, and the Japanese Shochiku logo, too. A lot of English dubbed Shochiku exports reached Dutch video in the 1980s and just about all of them are localized in the same way: sloppily-lettered white text against a solid red frame. So, because that's unappealing to watch, please consider the wee bit of action and dubbed dialogue here a "treat" — unless and until the copyright ghouls strike.
retrospektive-film has the dubbed trailer: youtu.be/QmTfWQkHLYs?si=ZoyFL0FFb5Bd0jAD
