The Water Margin (1973)

Action · Drama · History

The Water Margin is a Japanese television series based on Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The novel details the trials and tribulations of 108 outlaws during the Song Dynasty. This adaptation follows Lin Chung and his clashes with the local government official Kao Chiu. The Water Margin is famous for its, sometimes obscure, but memorable philosophical quotes, such as "Do not despise the snake for having no horns,for who is to say it will not become a dragon?""

IMDb rating: 8.1 (858 votes)
Seasons: 2
Language: JA
Type: TV series

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Ratings refreshed Aug 19, 2026 · 2 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1973)

7.42 avg 13 episodes 8.1 → 7.6 45 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Daisôkoku no ryûsei	8.1	25
2	Sôshû no neppû	7.4	14
3	Both at Last Will Reach the Sea	7.2	9
4	Ever Busy Are the Gods of Love	7.2	7
5	A Treasure of Gold and Jade	7.2	7
6	Bandits Who Steal Are Executed	7.3	8
7	How easy to die, how hard to live	7.2	7
8	A man's only happiness	7.2	7
9	A dutiful son and the love of a brother	7.3	8
10	Escape is not freedom	7.9	9
11	The girl who loved the flower priest	7.6	8
12	Kao Chiu loses his heart	7.3	7
13	When Liang Shan Po robbed the poor	7.6	9

Season 2 (1974)

7.55 avg 13 episodes 7.9 → 7.7 45 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	A death for love, more deaths from greed	7.9	10
2	The bravest tiger is first killed	7.8	7
3	Heaven aims the master's arrow	7.4	8
4	The traps of love and hate	7.6	6
5	A foolish sage who got involved	7.4	6
6	Mourn the slaughter of so many	7.7	7
7	The War to End All Wars	6.4	8
8	Death of a great man	7.7	7
9	Lin Chung is beaten	7.8	7
10	A concubine's dowry	7.9	8
11	Liang Shan Po and the millionaire	7.3	8
12	Knight of the long sword	7.5	7
13	The dynasty of Kao	7.7	7

The Water Margin (1973)

Cast

Seasons

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