, sometimes translated as Sabu & Ichi's Arrest Warrant, is a manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series by Shotaro Ishimori

Shotaro Ishinomori

was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, what would go on to become part of the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider Series...

 originally published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday beginning in 1966. In April 1968, the series moved to serialization in the first issue of Big Comic

Big Comic

is a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...

, where it was published until the series ended four years later in the April 10, 1972 issue. The manga was adapted into an anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 TV series which aired on NET

TV Asahi

, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....

 from October 3, 1968 to September 24, 1969. The series won the 1968 Shogakukan Manga Award

Shogakukan Manga Award

The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...

.

In addition to the manga and anime series, a live action period

Jidaigeki

is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...

 drama series

Japanese television drama

, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...

 was aired on Fuji TV from 1981 to 1982 as part of their Jidaigeki Special series. A total of four specials were created and aired. Sabu and Ichi were played by veteran actors Tomokazu Miura

Tomokazu Miura

is a Japanese actor. Born January 28, 1952 in Enzan, Yamanashi, his real name is Miura Minoru . He attended Hino high school in Tokyo, and married actress and singer Momoe Yamaguchi in 1980...

 and Tatsuo Umemiya (respectively), with Yūko Natori and Junzaburō Ban playing the parts of Midori and her father, Saheiji.

Plot

The series follows the adventures of Sabu, a young Edo bakufu investigator traveling with the blind master swordsman Ichi. In their travels, they assist the common people in solving mysteries and righting wrongs (usually committed by bandits or corrupt officials). Sabu is engaged to Midori, the daughter of his boss, who works as a police officer for the Tokugawa shogunate

Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...

.

Main characters

Voiced by: Kei Tomiyama

Kei Tomiyama

, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from Anshan, Manchukuo. During his life, Tomiyama was affiliated with Aoni Production and Production Baobab....

 (ep.1-33), Makio Inoue

Makio Inoue

is a Japanese voice actor. He began voice acting in the '60s, landing small roles in Astroboy, and was the actor of choice for deep-voiced, serious males in the '70s. These days, he rarely takes on new roles...

 (ep.34-52))

A handsome young warrior. His main weapon is a jutte attached to a long hemp

Hemp

Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...

 rope, and he is an expert in using it to capture villains in order to turn them over to the authorities. He is originally from a poor village. He works for Saheiji.

A blind anma

Anma

Anma refers to practitioners of the Japanese massage of the same name, which has its origins in China. Anma was often practiced in communal business groups in feudal Japan. They were made popular by the famous popular culture character known as Zatoichi, quite possibly the best known and most...

 masseur who is also a master swordsman

Iaido

is a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...

. He is a close friend of Sabu and frequently helps him capture criminals. His sword is similar to the one used by Zatoichi

Zatoichi

is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and swordmaster, was created by novelist . This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios and actor...

. All of the hair on his head (including eyebrows) is shaved, and his eyes are milky-white due to his blindness. He lost his sight due to being kicked in the face by a horse when he was very young, and he trained with the sword since that time.

Saheiji's daughter and Sabu's fiancé.

A police detective

Detective

A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...

, and Sabu's boss. He has a weak constitution

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

, however, so spends a lot of time in bed. He generally only goes out in order to arrest those captured by Sabu.

Voiced by: Osamu Kobayashi

Osamu Kobayashi (voice actor)

was a Japanese seiyū and actor from Tokyo and the former executive director of Dōjinsha Production. He was a baritone.-Television animation:* Alps Story: My Annette: Pierre...

Sabu and Saheiji's boss. The equivalent of a chief of police

Chief of police

A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...

 for the Edo bakufu.

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