Rashomon by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, 1915. Directed by Kurosawa Akira. Cast by Toshiru Mifune and Takashi Shimura, Japan, 1950.
I guess most of you know this novel or probably watch the movie. Rashomon was made Kurosawa Akira, The Emperor of Japanese Cinema, became famous in international cineworld. It has a very unique story arc, about the mystery of a murder and rape. Maybe because it was a very old movie or what, when I watched it I almost fell asleep >.< fu...fu...fu...

Shichinin no Samurai (Seven Samurai) by Kurosawa Akira. Cast by Toshiru Mifune and Takashi Shimura, Japan, 1954.
Yatta! Samurai Alive!!! Here come another samurai-movie. This time Kurosawa-sensei brought you into a poor village where 7 samurai were hired to protect the village from the terror of bandits. This movie won the Silver Lion Prize at Venice Movie Festival in 1954 and probably the best of Kurosawa's movie in b/w. In case you didn't know, this movie was adapted in US as Magnificent Seven and Seven Warriors in Hong Kong. Ain't that cool or something?!

The Hidden Fortress by Kurosawa Akira, Japan, 1958.
Again, a movie cast by Toshiru Mifune ^^". A story about 4 men who tried to sneak into a town in order to escape from enemy's chasing which involved a huge amount of gold @_@. The uniqueness is that these 4 men were divided into two 'fortress' viz. 2 noblemen and 2 civilians. How they try to escape from the chasing and sneak to the neighboring town became the theme of this b/w movie (again!).

Yojimbo by Kurosawa Akira, Japan, 1961.
Don't ask who cast this movie, it's, again and again, our man Toshiru Mifune. He became a rounin named Sanjuro. At that time there were many samurai who lost their position and became rounin or roushi. In a small village existed 2 landlord which made bloodfest often happen. Sanjuro was there and either he desired or not, he has to make the decision of whom landlord he will serve.

Sanjuro by Kurosawa Akira. Cast by Toshiru Mifune. Japan, 1962.
Guess you know it from the title, it's the sequel of Yojimbo. This time Sanjuro might not looking so vicious as in the previous movie but it doesn't make this movie less attractive. In fact you can watch how Sanjuro trained his 9 junior samurai and save a family of nobleman from being slandered by his rival.

Ran by Kurosawa Akira, Japan, 1985.
The Kurosawa's movie I watch first. It was awesome, I watched it with my best friend in one of movie fest in my hometown. But I've gotta say "Kurosawa Rulz!" he succeed in fusing Shakespeare's King Lear with Japanese history and born Ran. It told a story of a landlord Hidetora who decided to resign and gave his land to his 3 sons. But ironically, it provoked a disaster among the sons when they started to fight for the legacy. It's quiet touchy indeed T.T, my friend cried 'til the movie ends (she's so intense into the movie). It's a real amazing classic movie @_@.

Red Shadow (Akakage Comic Version) by Missile Kakurai. Published by Kadokawa Comics A Extra-Kadokawa Shoten, Japan, 2001.
A movie-based shounen manga. I never really read the manga but I've seen glimpse of the artwork and it looked pretty cool. The story goes around three great ninja namely Akakage, Aokage and Usukage who were ordered by Oshishou (Shirokage) to bring back Kotohime, the daughter of Takatsugi Shinjou from her fiancé's residence, Masamitsu Washizu. It probably sounds serious but this manga was quiet humorous, wanna prove? Buy and read it yourself ^^.

Akakage. Directed by Hiroyuki Nakano. Script by Hiroshi Saitou. Japan, August 11, 2001
A very cool 21st century ninja movie (although the setting is far far in the Muromachi Bakufu.) Akakage was cast by a young actor named Andou Masanobu, Okina Megumi as Kotohime, Takenaka Naoto as Oshishou/Shirokage, Murakami Jun as Aokage and Kumiko Asou as Asuka. Probably it's the best ninja movie ever, moreover the ninja outfit made them looks so dashing @_@.

Kamen no Ninja Akakage by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. Serialized by Weekly Manga Magazine Shounen Sunday, Japan, 1967.
Still related with the other Akakage (Movie and Comic). Actually this very classic manga was the mastermind. In Japan, it was made into anime about in the end of 80's >o<. It's about a lil boy who lived in the woods and desired to join with the Kage-clan. Finally he joined with Akakage's team and later was called Aokage. Akakage, Aokage and Shirokage were against a group of rebels led by Gennyosai which backed up by a kunoichi named Hanbuki, Zaki the corny ninja, and a bishounen Kasumimaru.

Onmyouji by Yumemura Baku (Novel). Cast by Inagaki Gorou (J-Dorama), Nomura Mansai and Itou Hideaki (Movie), Japan, 2001.
Do you believe in supernatural world? This time I won't discussed about samurai or ninja, but a classic Japanese mystique namely Onmyoujutsu. Started from a novel to manga, adapted in J-dorama then finally into the bigscreen. The main-theme is the same, about a real charismatic onmyouji named Abe no Seimei who lived in Heian [921-1005]. He was believed to be the greatest onmyouji ever lived in Japan who has 12 shikigami, it's said that he was the son of a kitsune (fox demon) and human being (kind a hanyou like Inuyasha? ^^). Abe no Seimei has a very close friend named Minamoto no Hiromasa, a very talented musician in the Palace. There are actually plenty of manga use Onmyoujutsu in it, name some of it, Tokyo Babylon & X [CLAMP], Onmyouji [Akano Reiko], and Yami no Matsuei [Matsuhita Yoko].

Vagabond by Inoue Takehiko. Serialized by Shounen Jump, Japan, 1998.
A remarkable manga about Miyamoto Musashi. The artwork was excellent and detailed. Inoue-sensei did the best, with realistic drawings, to bring Musashi back alive in this 21st century. I suggest you to read the book written by Miyamoto Musashi himself entitled Gorin no Sho (A Book of Five Rings. Translated by Victor Harris). Probably it's a bit difficult to be understood under our nowadays lifestyle, but it has many deep philosophy to be learn. It's a very genius book, mind you @_@.

Karakuri Zoushi Ayatsuri Sakon by Obata Takeshi and Sharaku Marou. Published by Jump Comics, Japan, 1996.
Another great manga by Obata-sensei (Hikaru no Go). Even though the artwork will remind you to Rurouni Kenshin but the story is far from it ^^". Once upon a time in Meiji Era, there was a bunraku player named Tachibana Sakon, a calm and charming guy who had a bunraku doll named Ukon as his mediator in solving cases. I think it's rather to Meitantei Conan or Kindaichi, a great choice for those detective otaku. I think Sakon and Ukon were a very great partner. Anyway in Kanji, Sakon means "left" meanwhile Ukon means "right", ain't that something or what? @_@

Shanaou Yoshitsune by Sawada Hirofumi. Published by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 2001.
It's a new manga indeed. It reminds me somehow to Heike Monogatari, I bet you know it (if you're pretty nerd 'bout Japanese history). In my source book it is said: The most attractive figure in the Heike Monogatari is Yoshitsune (1159-89) of the Minamoto, the bane of the Taira and the greatest of Japan's popular heroes. He is the "Roland" of this war tale. Roland has been called "....brave to the point of rashness, provocative, arrogant with the naive egoism of the epic hero, loyal, self confident, and open as the day..." But this manga is far from mere boring seriousness, instead Sawada-sensei makes Yoshitsune such a real obstinate kid with a very nasty behaviour >o<. You've gotta read this, it's so amusing!

Jiraiya by Hashimoto Masae. Published by Shinshokan, Japan, 1991.
Here another ninja-manga. To be honest I do not really like the artwork neither the story arc so it's just a reference for those ninja-otaku. It's quite short actually, only 3 volume but I haven't red any of it til now ^o^ although it's been in store for months (I'm just to busy and lazy lately, Gomen nasai ne...).

Mizukagekusa by Miura Hiroko. Published by Shogakukan, Japan, 1982.
A very classic manga. This time it's about the daughter of Japanese dopest ninja, Hattori Hanzo. Her name is Ayame (one of Tenchu's kunoichi?), but I'm hesitate whether it was the real name of Hattori's daughter or not, in fact I even didn't know he has a daughter ^ ^. The setting is in Sengoku Jidai, there were the almighty Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The drawing is pretty neat, but the story is real serious, many facts in the history performed here. If you are interested in Sengoku Jidai (like me ^_~) it's definitely worth to be red.

Shura no Toki by Kawahara Masatoshi. Published by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1990.
Another classic manga. I didn't read all actually, but in the tankuobon 2 you can read about Sakamoto Ryouma, one of the greatest Ishin Shishi who deceased in 1867, and in tankuobon 3 you can see the Shinsengumi. However, maybe because the drawing and the storyarc is "poor", I personally didn't really like it. But I owe this manga for the biography of Sakamoto Ryouma (Arigatou, Kawahara-sama *bow*)