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Onihei Gaiden is a series of Japanese historical films and television dramas based on novels by Shōtarō Ikenami, focusing on stories from the "thieves" side, distinct from the main Samurai Detective Onihei series. It tells tales from the perspective of criminals, such as bandit leader "Night Rabbit" Kakuemon or the events surrounding the notorious thief Kumagorō. These side stories provide a look into the lives of common people and outlaws in Edo-period Japan.
Bandit leader "Night Rabbit" Kakuemon has always kept the rule to "never kill, never rape, never steal from the poor", passed down to him by the gang's previous leader. He has never been arrested, and for that, he always thought he would have a peaceful death. But one day, after talking to a young one-armed homeless girl, he decides to break up his gang and turn himself in.
In pursuit of the notorious thief “Subashiri no Kumagoro,” the Arson and Theft Investigation Squad corners him. Seizo, who has been actively working as their agent is killed by Kumagoro. Amidst the chaos, Kumagoro manages to escape from the squad. Four years later, Seizo’s widow, Onobu, is raising her young son, Yusomatsu, single-handedly while running a small tea shop. One day, she helps a traveling merchant named Shintaro, who collapses from a sudden illness in front of her shop. The two soon fall in love and promise to start a family together. Shintaro leaves on a business trip and promises to return in a few days. Right after his departure, Onobu is shocked to see a wanted poster delivered by the Arson and Theft Investigation Squad… Kumagoro’s face on the poster is the spitting image of Shintaro.
Every year on the fourth of January, Shobei's soba restaurant serves "Sanada Soba"; soba noodles topped with grated spicy daikon radish. Even regulars refrain from coming to the restaurant because of the extra spicy soba. But on year, a stranger comes in and finishes the bowl, announcing that it tastes familiar. The man begins to visit every year on the 4th of January to eat Sanada Soba. Shobei develops a warm feeling towards the peculiar customer he interacts with once a year.
Ex-bandit Komakichi has a random encounter with an ex-ally, Matsuzou. Seeing each other for the first time in 35 years, the two drink and talk about their past, without revealing their current lifestyles, Matsuzou then recounts an odd story... The doomed reunion slowly steers the old bandits toward a life-changing event.
Inomatsu, a carpenter with a reputation as a skilled craftsman, has a wife named Oritsu. Oritsu is deeply in love with Inomatsu and believes that the purpose of her life is to devote herself to her husband day and night. However, Oritsu is Inomatsu's fourth wife. In fact, he is a robber and thief. As a carpenter, Inomatsu usually sneaked into merchants' houses and carried out robberies. For him, wives are just a tool to deceive the public...