Eiji Minakata
Chizuru, a typical Japanese young female office worker, is socially clumsy, poor at romance and unhappy with her job. Being weary from a busy and stressful city life, she seriously desires to end her life somewhere faraway from the city and leaves for deep in the mountains, where she finds one lonely house. Then she attempts to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills in the guest house but she fails.... This is the beginning of her new life.
Middle-aged pro wrestler Ushinosuke's wife passes away, and he and his son, Kazuo, move in with his father. His fellow wrestlers help them shift house and celebrate their new home, but in the midst of their revelry sits Kazuo with a pained look on his face. He hates pro wrestling with a passion and is embarrassed by his father who has made a heel turn in order to save the ailing wrestling organization he belongs to. He even keeps his dad's profession a secret from his new classmates. When Ushinosuke finds out how his son feels, he sets up an unusual death match with a karate champion in a bid for acceptance. He is knocked down several times, but each time manages to rise to his feet and inch towards the championship. Finally he manages to unleash his finishing move, a devastating backdrop, and achieves a miraculous upset victory with Kazuo watching on proudly.
A man who appears to have no particular passion for anything ironically proves effective with troubled high school students. Known as a legendary savior of problem schools, he shows up one day to salvage what's left of a class that had fallen apart completely. His highly unpredictable reactions and controversial advice to students shock the teachers and staffs much as they do the problem students themselves.
When an innocent young country girl falls for a low level yakuza, she enters a completely different world in which the line between good and evil are quickly blurred. Through great ups and downs their love will be tested, but the ultimate test lies in whether or not they will survive the downward pull of the lifestyle they have chosen.
After spending over half his life in prison, ex-hitman Kunihiro is determined to go straight. But the shortcomings of the new gangs mean that he is soon having to call on his old-school yakuza talents. And when he falls for Asako, a beautiful piano player, she unknowingly ignites a fire within Kuni that will immolate everything and everybody around him. Regarded by many as his masterpiece, Onibi has all the hallmarks of a Mochizuki film, with the gangster elements tightly compressed and controlled to allow space in which a subdued romance can bloom. Coming from a background in porno cinema, this master of sexual relations injects a fresh passion and tension into the macho world of the yakuza film.
Makabe is a yakuza who is addicted to 'shabu' (a slang refers to stimulant drug). He lives as if he wants to destroy himself. He steals a mistress of the boss of a big yakuza syndicate by force. He takes over the yakuza group he belongs to, by killing the old boss. When he tries to use 'shabu' as the main finacial resource of his group, it leads to the serious confrontation with another big yakuza syndicate.
The main hero of this film is the spirit of the once very popular wooden statuette called Billiken. It's a small god with a pointed head, a fat belly and a characteristic smile. When the casket in which the statuette was found is broken, the spirit of Billiken is free. After that he tries to fulfill the wishes of all those who had prayed to him, but it doesn't always works.
Kitano plays Murakawa, a Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life. Along with a few of his henchmen, he is sent by his boss to Okinawa to help end a gang war, supposedly to mediate between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, Murakawa's headquarters are bombed and he and his gang are ambushed in a bar.
Kuroiwa, a high school teacher who carries a “Big Magnum 44” gun is sent to a school that is full of violence. Can Kuroiwa reform the students with the gun?
Pinku from 1981. A man in debt runs away from home, leaving his elderly father and wife between a rock and a hard place.
The final film in the 20 Duels of Young Shingo trilogy directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda.
Gonzo, who longs to become a full-fledged samurai, is caught up in a warlord conflict.
In this tale of bravery and honor among the roving gamblers of old Japan, the heroic Jirocho, Boss of the Tokaido is called upon to help a young yakuza named Eijiro after he runs afoul of the new samurai officials who have taken over his hometown. Expertly portrayed by Kitaoji Kinya (son of the all-time great star Ichikawa Utaemon), this young man stands up for the townspeople and puts his life on the line. Jirocho, played by superstar Nakamura Kinnosuke, a boss known for his honor and valor soon finds himself involved in the feud which will only end in a brutal showdown.
The remake of Yoshikawa's novel continues with the second installment in which Takezo, soon to be Miyamoto Musashi, emerges from the Himeji Castle after three years of intense contemplation and philosophical study and starting on his epic quest to complete his skill in the Way.
Three young yakuza, Fujitaro, Matsugoro and Kanjuro, travel the country fighting evil.
While on the road, famed Yakuza Boss Jirocho is falsely accused of starting a peasant's uprising and chased by the law. Meanwhile, one of his henchmen in an attempt to raise money for the Boss gambles away not only all their funds, but their clothing as well. Jirocho, famed for his honesty and integrity must take on the challenge of rival gangs while trying to elude the government's officials at the same time. Things really heat up when the most famous of all Yakuza Bosses, Chuji of Kunisada gets involved. Will he team up with his old friend or is gang warfare about to erupt?
A comedy about a free-spirited man Shosuke, whose life is turned upside down when he is ordered to serve the clan lord.
