Official Collection
Series Freshness: May 15, 2026

The Rambler Series

9Movies
★ 10.0 Avg Rating

The Rambler Series Movies: Timeline & Franchise Overview

The The Rambler Series franchise spans roughly 3 years, featuring 9 interconnected films that build a shared narrative universe.

From its earliest installment to the most recent release, the series has expanded its world-building while introducing new characters and story arcs. Notable entries such as The Rambler Rides Again demonstrate the franchise's ability to maintain audience interest over time.

Franchise Quality Benchmark

Across all entries, the series holds an average audience rating of 2.4. While many long-running franchises experience declining reception, this series continues to deliver memorable cinematic moments.

Viewing Order Strategy

Most viewers prefer watching the films in release order, which reflects how audiences originally experienced the evolving story.

However, a chronological viewing order can provide deeper insight into the timeline of events within the The Rambler Series universe.

Timeline & Watch Order

We recommend watching the The Rambler Series franchise in the following order to fully experience the narrative expansion.

1
The Rambling Guitarist

The Rambling Guitarist

1959★ 6.9HIT

Arriving in the town of Hakodate, a wandering musician, Shinji Taki, is soon recruited by the local gang as a hired hand. However, with the arrival of a siniste...

2
The Guitarist and the Rancher

The Guitarist and the Rancher

1960★ NRPENDING

Rambler Shinji arrives in town armed with nothing but a guitar. With assistance from an old gun-for-hire friend, he sets about to stop the mob from turning an h...

3
Return of the Vagabond

Return of the Vagabond

1960★ 5.0AVERAGE

The 3rd film of the famous "Wataridori" (The Rambler) series from Nikkatsu. The young rambler, Shinji Taki (Akira Kobayashi), with his guitar arrives in Sadogas...

4
The Rambler in the Sunset

The Rambler in the Sunset

1960★ NRPENDING

The young rambler, Shinji Taki, with his guitar arrives a hot spa town at the foot of Mount Aizu Bandai. Of course he solves the problems in the town while enco...

5
The Rambler Rides Again

The Rambler Rides Again

1960★ 10.0SUPER HIT

In this fifth episode of the "Wataridori" series, Taki Shinji (Kobayashi Akira) drifts north to Hokkaido, where he helps protect an Ainu village from unscrupulo...

6
The Rambler under the Southern Cross

The Rambler under the Southern Cross

1961★ NRPENDING

In the nine part Wataridori series (1959-1962), Kobayashi played a wanderer on Japan’s back roads with most of the accoutrements of a Western hero, from a horse...

7
Rambling in the Sea

Rambling in the Sea

1961★ NRPENDING

Seventh in the nine-film series, "The Wandering Guitarist"....

8
The Rambler Goes North

The Rambler Goes North

1962★ NRPENDING

In the nine part Wataridori series (1959-1962), Kobayashi played a wanderer on Japan’s back roads with most of the accoutrements of a Western hero, from a horse...

9
The Rambler Returns Home

The Rambler Returns Home

1962★ NRPENDING

Final installment of THE WANDERING GUITARIST series....

Common Questions about The Rambler Series

How many movies are in the The Rambler Series?

There are currently 9 movies in the The Rambler Series, starting from The Rambling Guitarist to the latest release, The Rambler Returns Home.

What is the best order to watch the The Rambler Series?

The best way to watch the The Rambler Series is usually in release order: starting with The Rambling Guitarist and ending with The Rambler Returns Home. Check our timeline for the full chronological breakdown.

Which is the highest-rated movie in the The Rambler Series?

According to movieMx ratings, the fans have a strong preference for The Rambler Rides Again in this franchise.