The Water Margin poster

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 (849 votes)
Seasons
2
Language
JA
Type
TV series

Ratings refreshed Jul 3, 2026 · 2 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1973)

7.42 avg 13 episodes 8.1 → 7.6 45 min avg

Ep 1: 8.1 · 25 votesEp 2: 7.4 · 14 votesEp 3: 7.2 · 9 votesEp 4: 7.2 · 7 votesEp 5: 7.2 · 7 votesEp 6: 7.3 · 8 votesEp 7: 7.2 · 7 votesEp 8: 7.2 · 7 votesEp 9: 7.3 · 8 votesEp 10: 7.9 · 9 votesEp 11: 7.6 · 8 votesEp 12: 7.3 · 7 votesEp 13: 7.6 · 9 votes
Season 1 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1Daisôkoku no ryûsei8.125
2Sôshû no neppû7.414
3Both at Last Will Reach the Sea7.29
4Ever Busy Are the Gods of Love7.27
5A Treasure of Gold and Jade7.27
6Bandits Who Steal Are Executed7.38
7How easy to die, how hard to live7.27
8A man's only happiness7.27
9A dutiful son and the love of a brother7.38
10Escape is not freedom7.99
11The girl who loved the flower priest7.68
12Kao Chiu loses his heart7.37
13When Liang Shan Po robbed the poor7.69

Season 2 (1974)

7.55 avg 13 episodes 7.9 → 7.7 45 min avg

Ep 1: 7.9 · 10 votesEp 2: 7.8 · 7 votesEp 3: 7.4 · 8 votesEp 4: 7.6 · 6 votesEp 5: 7.4 · 6 votesEp 6: 7.7 · 7 votesEp 7: 6.4 · 8 votesEp 8: 7.7 · 7 votesEp 9: 7.8 · 7 votesEp 10: 7.9 · 8 votesEp 11: 7.3 · 8 votesEp 12: 7.5 · 7 votesEp 13: 7.7 · 7 votes
Season 2 episodes — IMDb ratings
#TitleRatingVotes
1A death for love, more deaths from greed7.910
2The bravest tiger is first killed7.87
3Heaven aims the master's arrow7.48
4The traps of love and hate7.66
5A foolish sage who got involved7.46
6Mourn the slaughter of so many7.77
7The War to End All Wars6.48
8Death of a great man7.77
9Lin Chung is beaten7.87
10A concubine's dowry7.98
11Liang Shan Po and the millionaire7.38
12Knight of the long sword7.57
13The dynasty of Kao7.77