I got the first one on DVD just before Christmas and have now watched it a couple of times. The first time I was completely lost trying to figure out the role of the different characters and understanding the plot. The second time it was easier to get into the story but I still feel some of the battlescenes were too long.

The most annoying thing about watching is probably not the movie itself but my own lack of cultural knowledge. I guess you could compare it to someone Chinese watching something like Troy without ever having heard about classic greek literature and mythology. I have the feeling the movie takes a certain cultural knowledge for granted and it makes it difficult for me to decide what I think about the acting and the plotline.

Btw Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of my secret obsessions. I may or may not have watched weird Japanese talk shows on Youtube just because he was a guest....