# The Water Margin (1973)

> A band of outlaws led by Lin Chung clashes with a corrupt local official in this Japanese adaptation of the Chinese classic Water Margin.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/31623

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 26
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, drama
- Network: Nippon TV
- Cast: Atsuo Nakamura, Sanae Tsuchida, Kei Satō, Takeshi Ōbayashi, Toshio Kurosawa, Makoto Satō, Teruhiko Aoi, Isamu Nagato
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0227975/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, adventurous, philosophical, heroic

## Synopsis

The Water Margin (1973-1974) is a Japanese television series created for Nippon Television, a two-season adaptation of the Chinese classical novel Water Margin. Atsuo Nakamura plays Lin Chung, whose standoffs with the local government official Kao Chiu (Kei Satō) drive the story, while Sanae Tsuchida plays Hu San-Niang and Takeshi Ōbayashi plays Sung Chiang among the outlaw company. The engine of the series is a band of outlaws gathering in the wilds and answering injustice with action, as each episode pits the fugitives against corrupt officials and armed pursuers. Across twenty-six fifty-minute episodes split between two seasons, the story unfolds as a continuing chronicle rather than isolated cases. Set in Song Dynasty China, it carries the sweep of a historical chronicle and the sincerity of a loyalty tale. Its tone is earnest, adventurous and occasionally philosophical, with proverbial sayings punctuating the action. Fans of Monkey, Journey to the West and Shaolin Temple will find resonance in its wuxia-tinged heroism and outlaw fellowship.

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