title: Samurai Kids
text: # Samurai Kids
  
  Samurai Kids (水の旅人 侍KIDS, Mizu no Tabibito Samurai Kiddzu, lit. 'Water Traveller-Samurai Kids') is a 1993 Japanese film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi.
  
  ## Cast
  
  * Tsutomu Yamazaki as Sutonahiko Suminoe (sometimes referred to as 'old man' by Satoru), a miniature samurai who is discovered by a little boy in a river.
  * Ryō Yoshida as Satoru, a young boy.
  * Ayumi Ito as Chizuko, Satoru's sister.
  * Jun Fubuki as Yuuko, Satoru's mother.
  * Kiyotaka Nanbara
  * Onoe Ushinosuke VI
  * Tōru Yuri
  * Tomoyo Harada as Yuki, a librarian who introduces Satoru to the legends of miniature samurai.
  * Ittoku Kishibe as Fumihiro, Satoru's father.
  * Ishirō Honda as Grandfather—Obayashi included Honda's portrait as a posthumous cameo, honouring him as a filmmaker, and paying respects to him as a friend.
  
  ## Release
  
  Samurai Kids was distributed theatrically in Japan by Toho on 17 July 1993. In the Philippines, the film was released as My Little Bodyguard on 24 August 1995.
  
  ## Reception
  
  Samurai Kids won an Excellence-Silver Award for Japanese Movies in the 11th Golden Gloss Award. The film won two awards at the Japanese Academy Awards: Best Music Score for Joe Hisaishi and the Popularity Awards for the Most Popular Film.
  
  