Family

Samurai movies, like cowboy movies, can be seen as enjoyable action movies. But sometimes there feels like there is a underlying message or that the movie is aimed at a particular audience. I felt watching this movie that the director or writer was alluding to all those parents who have to live apart from their families due to work. I am sure this must have hit a lot of viewers when they watched it. (In Japan big companies relocate(d) workers throughout the country while the family would stay in the hometown).