Dokuganryū Masamune

Dokuganryū Masamune (独眼竜政宗) is a 1987 Japanese historical television series. It is the 25th NHK taiga drama.[1] The broadcast received an average viewer rating of 39.7 percent in the Kanto area with the highest viewing rating of 47.8%.[2]The drama was adapted from the novel of Sōhachi Yamaoka.[3]

Dokuganryū Masamune
Cover of Disc 5 DVD Release
GenreHistorical, Jidaigeki
Written byJames Miki
Directed byKatsuji Nakamura
StarringKen Watanabe
Tomokazu Miura
Teruhiko Saigō
Junko Sakurada
Yasuko Sawaguchi
Hiroyuki Sanada
Kanako Higuchi
Eiji Okuda
Hironobu Nomura
Chosuke Ikariya
Takanori Jinnai
Hiroshi Katsuno
Yoichi Hayashi
Shigeru Kōyama
Mikiko Otonashi
Renji Ishibashi
Minori Terada
Raita Ryū
Kei Tani
Ryūnosuke Kaneda
Ryō Ikebe
Isao Yamagata
Kumiko Akiyoshi
Hideji Ōtaki
Yoshio Harada
Kaoru Yachigusa
Masahiko Tsugawa
Shima Iwashita
Kin'ya Kitaōji
Shintaro Katsu
Narrated bySeiji Kasai
Opening themeNHK Symphony Orchestra
ComposerShin’ichirō Ikebe
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes50
Production
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 1987 (1987-01) –
December 1987 (1987-12)

Plot

The drama takes place during the late Sengoku and early Edo periods.

It chronicles the life of Date Masamune, from before his birth until his death.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan in 1590, but Date Masamune did not abandon his ambition to rule the nation at every possible opportunity.

Production

Cast

Starring role

  • Ken Watanabe as Date Masamune, the one-eyed dragon
    • Ryota Fujima (later Fujima Kanjuro VIII) as Bontenmaru (child Masamune)
    • Eiji Shima as Tojiro (pre-teen Masamune)

Date clan

Mogami clan

Toyotomi clan

Tokugawa clan

Tamura clan

Others

Television schedule

EpisodeOriginal airdateTitleDirected byRating
1January 4, 1987 (1987-01-04)"Birth" (誕生, Tanjō)Masahiro Higuchi28.7%
2January 11, 1987 (1987-01-11)"Fudō Myō'ō" (不動明王, Fudō Myō'ō)36.9%
3January 18, 1987 (1987-01-18)"Parental Love" (親ごころ, Oya Gokoro)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura40.7%
4January 25, 1987 (1987-01-25)"Coming-of-age Ceremony" (元服, Genpuku)37.9%
5February 1, 1987 (1987-02-01)"Megohime" (愛姫, Megohime)Masahiro Higuchi42.0%
6February 8, 1987 (1987-02-08)"Handmaidens Punishment" (侍女成敗, Jijo Seibai)45.8%
7February 15, 1987 (1987-02-15)"First Battle" (初陣, Uijin)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura43.0%
8February 22, 1987 (1987-02-22)"Young Warrior" (若武者, Wakamusha)45.2%
9March 1, 1987 (1987-03-01)"Ambition" (野望, Yabō)Masahiro Higuchi43.4%
10March 8, 1987 (1987-03-08)"A Man's Ability" (男の器量, Otoko no Kiryō)43.7%
11March 15, 1987 (1987-03-15)"Slaughter of Eight Hundred" (八百人斬り, Happyakunin-giri)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura46.9%
12March 22, 1987 (1987-03-22)"Terumune's Cold-blooded Tragedy" (輝宗無残, Terumune Muzan)43.1%
13March 29, 1987 (1987-03-29)"Hitotoribashi" (人取橋, Hitotori-bashi)Yoshiki Nishimura41.2%
14April 5, 1987 (1987-04-05)"Declared Victor" (勝ち名乗り, Kachinanori)Masahiro Higuchi36.5%
15April 12, 1987 (1987-04-12)"Mego and Neko" (めごとねこ, Mego to Neko)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura35.9%
16April 19, 1987 (1987-04-19)"Enemy of the North and South" (南北の敵, Nanboku no Teki)35.1%
17April 26, 1987 (1987-04-26)"Court Service" (宮仕え, Miyazukae)Yukinori Kida40.3%
18May 3, 1987 (1987-05-03)"Lady of the East's Stand" (お東、居座る, Ohigashi, Isuwaru)Masahiro Higuchi36.9%
19May 10, 1987 (1987-05-10)"Great Migration" (大移動, Dai-idō)Yoshiki Nishimura35.0%
20May 17, 1987 (1987-05-17)"Decisive Battle, Suriagehara" (決戦、摺上原, Kessen, Suriagehara)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura44.7%
21May 24, 1987 (1987-05-24)"A Mother's Strife" (修羅の母, Shura no Haha)36.5%
22May 31, 1987 (1987-05-31)"Kill My Younger Brother" (弟を斬る, Otōto wo Kiru)Masahiro Higuchi38.6%
23June 7, 1987 (1987-06-07)"To Odawara" (小田原へ, Odawara e)39.9%
24June 14, 1987 (1987-06-14)"Ruler of the Nation" (天下人, Tenkabito)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura39.2%
25June 21, 1987 (1987-06-21)"Mego as Hostage" (人質、めご, Hitojichi, Mego)37.2%
26June 28, 1987 (1987-06-28)"Desperate Situation" (絶体絶命, Zettai Zetsumei)Yoshiki Nishimura39.7%
27July 5, 1987 (1987-07-05)"Golden Cross" (黄金の十字架, Ōgon no Jūjika)37.1%
28July 12, 1987 (1987-07-12)"Competition of Wits" (知恵くらべ, Chie Kurabe)Masahiro Higuchi45.5%
29July 19, 1987 (1987-07-19)"Demotion" (左遷, Sasen)41.0%
30July 26, 1987 (1987-07-26)"Dandy" (伊達者, Datesha)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura35.1%
31August 2, 1987 (1987-08-02)"Blessed With Children" (子宝, Kodakara)36.3%
32August 9, 1987 (1987-08-09)"Hidetsugu's Downfall" (秀次失脚, Hidetsugu Shikkyaku)Yoshiki Nishimura35.2%
33August 16, 1987 (1987-08-16)"False Accusations" (濡れ衣, Nureginu)Masahiro Higuchi37.5%
34August 23, 1987 (1987-08-23)"Taikō's Death" (太閤の死, Taikō no Shi)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura36.8%
35August 30, 1987 (1987-08-30)"Shigezane Disappears" (成実失踪, Shigezane Shissō)36.6%
36September 6, 1987 (1987-09-06)"Decisive Battle" (天下分け目, Tenka Wakeme)Yoshiki Nishimura36.9%
37September 13, 1987 (1987-09-13)"One Million Koku Fantasy" (幻の百万石, Maboroshi no Hyakuman-goku)Akio Suwabe43.0%
38September 20, 1987 (1987-09-20)"Sendai Castle Construction" (仙台築城, Sendai Chikujō)Yukinori Kida39.7%
39September 27, 1987 (1987-09-27)"Iroha Marries" (五郎八、嫁ぐ, Iroha, Totsugu)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura38.8%
40October 4, 1987 (1987-10-04)"Great Shipbuilding" (大船造り, Ōfuna-zukuri)32.9%
41October 11, 1987 (1987-10-11)"Embarking Overseas" (海外雄飛, Kaigai Hiyū)Masahiro Higuchi41.3%
42October 18, 1987 (1987-10-18)"Attack on Ōsaka" (大坂攻め, Ōsaka-zeme)42.3%
43October 25, 1987 (1987-10-25)"Neko, To Uwajima" (ねこ、宇和島へ, Neko, Uwajima e)Yukinori Kida43.7%
44November 1, 1987 (1987-11-01)"Ōsaka's Summer Siege" (大坂夏の陣, Ōsaka Natsu no Jin)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura40.8%
45November 8, 1987 (1987-11-08)"Two Fathers" (ふたりの父, Futari no Chichi)Akio Suwabe44.1%
46November 15, 1987 (1987-11-15)"Divorce Notice" (離縁状, Rienjō)Masahiro Higuchi41.5%
47November 22, 1987 (1987-11-22)"Vice Shōgun of the World" (天下の副将軍, Tenka no Fuku-shōgun)Yukinori Kida38.9%
48November 29, 1987 (1987-11-29)"Date-style Perverseness" (伊達流へそ曲がり, Date-ryū Hesomagari)Yoshiyuki Yoshimura40.7%
49December 6, 1987 (1987-12-06)"I Miss My Mother" (母恋い, Hahagoi)44.2%
50December 13, 1987 (1987-12-13)"Peaceful Death" (大往生, Daiōjō)Masahiro Higuchi47.8%
Average rating 39.7% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).

See also

References