Shin Roppongi
2021花札渡世
Masashige Narusawa
Tatsuo Umemiya, Haruko Wanibuchi
An absolutely astonishing art house ninkyo yakuza film. Wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with old man. They are both arrested by detective. A year later gambler is staying with gangster boss when he comes across that woman and her partner again. Boss lusts for both her and his own daughter, while the boss's crazy yakuza brother loves his daughter, who, in turn, watches the player and wants to destroy the people standing in her way. And here lies one of the film's remarkable departures from the standard ninkyo efforts: it doesn't have a third party villain, nor a clear distinction between good and evil. It's bursting with romantic emotion and wrenched with gritty realism, shot with striking black and white compositions, and explodes into shocking carnage. It has lengthier, more detailed gambling scenes than any other yakuza film I've seen. And it has a heartbreakingly beautiful score. You could call it the Ashes of Time of ninkyo yakuza films. A masterpiece!
Flower Cards Chivalry
御身
Koji Shima
Junko Kano, Ken Utsui
Akiko lives with her brother Toshio in suburban Tokyo working in different companies. One day, Toshio loses 500,000 yen which he was holding for his section chief, and as he is unable to return the money, tries to kill himself. Akiko determines to obtain the money by selling her chastity and soon becomes the mistress of Hasegawa, for 500,000 yen. Hasegawa gives her the money but does not make advances. Before she became Hasegawa's mistress Akiko was in love with Wake, who works in the same Company. Gradually Akiko begins to develop a liking for Hasegawa and in turn, her love for Wake gradually weakens...
Akiko
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Ishirō Honda
Katsuhiko Sasaki, Tomoko Ai
A submarine expedition to salvage the remains of Mechagodzilla is thwarted by a massive dinosaur named Titanosaurus. An Interpol investigation leads biologist Ichinose to uncover the work of Dr. Mafune and his mysterious daughter Katsura. Aligned with the Black Hole Aliens, Katsura's life becomes entwined with the resurrected machine.
Terror of Mechagodzilla
