Aoshima, a police detective working in the Bayside Precinct, is continually frustrated by the hierarchy and red tape that plague the system. His friend Muroi is climbing the ladder of the police bureaucracy. Muroi has made a pact with Aoshima that while Aoshima looks after the streets, Muroi would make life easier for the cops on the beat. One day in Bayside, a series of events turns the small station upside down.
Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.
Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
Benkei, a master fighter and killer, vows never to take another life after his conversion to Buddhism. His faith in pacifism, however, is shaken and ultimately broken by the attacks from a trio of fighters known only as the demons. Taking up his sword once more, he sets out to end their murderous terror.
Genji Sokabe (Hakuryu) is a legendary hit-man who has just finished a 15-year prison stretch for killing the head of a rival gang. But Genji returns to a world where the old Yakuza codes of honour, vengeance and pride have been forgotten by a younger generation of criminals, and discovers that his old gang is now more concerned about money and finance. Taking up his guns once more, Genji sets out to teach the younger generation a lesson they will never forget.
The first of three V-Cinema sequels.
Rei, whose undercover role is so guarded that there is no written record of her identity, is well known for her accuracy in completing missions and her willingness to get naked if the situation calls for it. When she's instructed to bust Kayama, who has been buying confiscated drugs from corrupt police officers, she finds herself in a sticky situation -- not only is she attracted to him, but Kayama, like Rei, does not officially exist.
Miki (Kaoru Mitsumune), Aya (Mika Kumagai), Megumi (Miyako Takayama) and Haruka (Yukiyo Sono) are friends in the same photography club at their university. They often spend their time together at "Tide-Pool" tea shop, run by Miki's parents. One month before they graduate, they girls plan a graduation trip, but Miki is unable to join due to her studies. Also, Haruka lost the girls' trip money. They all make up, but next month they'll go their separate ways. Miki feels empty ...
Heinous. Two wolves haunted by the past. Can you hear the gunshot?-Is it his voice?- Starring: Ichizo Matsuda ("The Emblem of the Yakuza", "The Rule of the Yakuza") x A non-stop action with a gorgeous cast What kind of life will a yakuza who has lost his memory live?
Sequel to 'Solitary Scream'.
An adaptation of the Shotaro Ikenami novels, set in the historical Edo period, and centered on Fujieda Bayan, a medicine man and doctor by day, but ruthless killer for hire by night. His tools of the trade are the same in either job: acupuncture needles that leave no trace.
Based on the historical figure of Nobutora, the father of the famous Warring States period general Takeda Shingen. Takeda Shingen has proven himself in battle but there’s an even more capable person in his family, his father Nobutora (lit. Samurai Tiger). The son exiles the father and so the old patriarch goes to Suruga to serve the Ashikaga shogun in Kyoto. Decades later, Nobutora, now 80 years old, learns that Shingen is in trouble and the old man returns home to keep the Takeda family alive as a new leader seeks to usurp leadership of the Takeda’s and starts a fight with the great warlord, Oda Nobunaga.
Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in the clan, but finds his boss's enemies almost overwhelming.
At a restaurant called Anrakutei on an island is a wasteland surrounded by moat and swamp. The owner Ikuzo manages the restaurant with his daughter. It’s customers who have a dark past have utmost respect for Ikuzo. One day, a half-dead man Tomijiro comes to the restaurant. This is the beginning of Ikuzo’s terrible fight.
Tatsumi, a young doctor who works at Teito University Hospital, will be witnessing the operation of Black Jack, who does not have a doctor's license. Osamu Tezuka's comic of the same name was made into a series with an original video.
A difficult request brought to the unlicensed genius surgeon Black Jack. It was supposed to be born as twins, but it was an operation to separate what had been taken into another body. The second in a series depicting the episode of the birth of Pinoko.
Blackjack's surgery was to save Dr. Summit, a surgeon infected with a mysterious infectious disease. However, there appears Dr. Kiriko, who demands extraordinary money like Black Jack, but undertakes euthanasia instead of treatment.
Asian Blue focuses on Koreans brought to Japan to work in forced-labor brigades during World War II
First Lieutenant Shun'ichi Maki of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is a prestigious F-15 Eagle jet pilot (or "driver" as he is called in the film). A lifelong fan of flying since he was a child, being a pilot is his ultimate dream. Unfortunately, his duties distance himself from his wife, Yoko, who always ends up being neglected, and his son, Tsugumu, who has a congenital blood disease and has a high risk of dying at a young age.Maki decides to quit the Air Force to devote more time to his family and to spend whatever is left for his son. He takes a part-time job as a commercial tour guide run by a kindly group of people who allow him time to work and to also take care of his family.
A woman with no past or identity, Rei is a gorgeous undercover agent for the Zero Department, a deadly shadow division of the police force. But her skillshave made her a threat and this sleek, sexy assassin has been marked for death by a rival organization. It will take this deadly seductress every ounce of her cunning to survive!
A young queen requests a bouquet of snowdrop flowers for New Year's Day in exchange for a reward. One greedy woman sends her stepdaughter, whom she does not like, to look for the flowers in a cold forest, knowing the task will be impossible for her. The girl almost freezes to death in the forest, but she is rescued by the spirits of the Twelve Months, who create spring around her. The girl is able to deliver the bouquet to the queen, but others want a share of the reward.
In this installment of the Zero Woman series, Rei, the number-one assassin of the Tokyo Police Department's secret Zero Division, has been assigned to take out a notorious gangster responsible for dozens of murders. At the same time, she must protect the gangster's mistress from the hitmen who want to keep her from telling the police what she knows. At first, both women are upset about the arrangement, but they eventually come to appreciate each other.
Sayo has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday when she attends a temple festival. On her way back she sees a large cherry tree which is infamous for the legend of dead white horse. When her fiancé returns from war and visits her he comes across a white horse which he takes in. The man also does not see himself engaged anymore as his family has lost its wealth.
Police coroner Kuraishi Yoshio (Masaaki Uchino) and the crime lab team attempt to solve a serial murder case with a killer who seems to kill indiscriminately.
A barkeeper saves a Yakuza boss' life and thus makes his way up in the organization. However, his fear of nothing soon causes problems.
A young samurai dares to approach a castle mistress as he searches for an escaped falcon, a crime punishable by death, but escapes with his life. He is forced to return to the castle by the dying light, but the mistress has become fascinated with him...
In 1868, a battle between new government forces and shogunate forces are about to take place in Edo. Katsu Kaishu wants to avoid useless bloodshed and sends a peace envoy to Takamori Saigō, but Katsu Kaishu is unable to get a response from Takamori Saigō. One day, Katsu Kaishu meets high school teacher Mikako and her student Masaya who is captivated by the shogunate. Mikako and her student Masaya tells Katsu Kaishu that they are from the future. Katsu Kaishu takes care of Mikako and her student Masaya, while Mikako hopes to go back to the future where she came from.
The Saika clan, that had succeeded in battle against the large armies of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, had in the Tokugawa era of Ieyasu, been driven into the mountains 7 generations later, forced into subsistence hunting. A man comes to them offering revenge: to assassinate current Tokugawa Shogun Yoshimune. (Made-for-TV movie)
Kitahara (Hitoshi Ozawa) is a prisoner who is obsessed with escaping from prison. He is a born escapee, who is not waiting for anyone or seeking freedom, but is determined to break out of prison. What could Kitahara's new escape plan be? And what awaits at the end of the complex and intertwined bonds between men?!
When a young Yakuza torments the customers in a rival crime family's nightclub, it is not long before his dead body is found. Soon, inter-family retaliation follows, resulting in the death for a prominent crime boss. Devastated by this turn of events, the temperamental Kenzaki vows to avenge his boss's death and, as bloody violence ensues, the body count reaches excessive proportions.
In the year 1868, three young men join the elite Shogitai division of the Shogunate. The Shogitai fights to the end and opposes the dismantling of the feudal military dictatorship known as the Bakufu system.
Tomohiro takes his fiance Machiko to his hometown of Aridagawa in Wakayama Prefecture to see his family.Tomohiro’s family includes three siblings. His younger brother Takeshi refuses to go to school. His older sister Yumi isn't interested in their family. Younger sister Sayaka has an inferiority complex and has a fear of dating. There's also Satomi who everybody calls Mama and she does all of the housework. Kayoko is called Kaka and she works as a snack bar manager. Narumi is called Haha and she is a high school teacher. Finally, there's their father Shoichiro better known as Chichi. It's an unusual family, but able to exist in harmony. Due to Machiko's appearance, the family becomes shaken.
The famed leader Oda Nobunaga had two right-hand men who contributed to unifying the nation. One was Akechi Mitsuhide and the other Kinoshita Tokichiro, both rivals of each other for higher promotions. Eventually Mitsuhide was recognized for his work and was given a castle. However, Nobunaga's ambition to conquer the nation did not allow Mitsuhide to live happily in his territory. That is when an idea flashed across Mitsuhide's mind… Akechi Mitsuhide, the man who was considered to be the most intelligent general of the warring states era. What was the truth about him, Oda Nobunaga's best general and murderer?
The government in Edo era is suffering from a financial crisis. It hires "Kage" to provoke the collapse of small hans (prefectures). "Kagekari" are people who were hired by Daimyos (mayors of local governments) to resist kage. The young mayor of Suwa Takashiwa, Tadamaru was assaulted by a kage on his way to Edo. Zyubei and Gennnosuke, the Kagekaris, try to carry injured Tadamaru to Edo.
Shinpei (Junpei Mizobata) dreams of being a professional cameraman and lives in Tokyo. One day, he hears that his mother has been hospitalized and returns to Kochi for the first time in five years. At the hospital, Shinpei finds out Sakura (Ayane Omori) who is the younger sister of his ex-girlfriend, has a bad disease, which no one has lived with for more than 5 years. This might be her last summer. Sakura strongly hope to dance at the Yosakoi festival, and five years ago, Shinpei made a promise to her that they would one day dance together. Sakura still remembers the promise and it also gives her the drive to live longer. Shinpei decides to dance once more at the upcoming Yosakoi festival, however. . .
Ryuji Inahara, the heir to the Atami Yamazakiya family, subsequently placed the group under the control of the influential members of the Guretai, known as the "Yokohama Four Heavenly Kings," and the Inahara group quickly expanded its influence from Yokohama to the Tokaido region. The world of yakuza then enters the era of Ryuji Inahara and Masao Tashiro, the third generation member of the Yamaga-gumi.
Ryuji Inahara changed the name of the Inahara-gumi to the Inahara-kai, and accordingly unified the emblem of the Inahara-kai. Then, in 1961, Inahara-kai opened a new headquarters office in Roppongi, Tokyo. Further incidents and conflicts await Ryuji and the Inahara-kai.
A gang of evil ninjas has stolen the sacred sword of the Lady Mayu and are demanding that her family exchange her for the family treasure. The world's greatest swordsman, Shuranosuke Sakaki, is called in to get the sword back.
Geisha Yaeko is approached by a samurai who has just returned to Edo while she is painting a picture of camellia flowers in a temple. The samurai, whom she meets again at a drinking party, is the heir to the castle's daimyo, Yuuki Shinichiro, and the two become romantically involved despite their different social standings. Although he tells her he cannot marry her immediately, Yaeko believes in Shinichiro and continues to wait for the day they can be together. However, Shinichiro's uncle, Kuwajima, tells her to end the relationship.
Tobikantaro has just been released from prison and is greeted by his younger brother Kakuji. Together, they have 23 convictions and are the most villainous duo in the world, who have made Osaka tremble with fear as the "Tobikan Kaku" duo. On a whim, Tobikataro falls in love at first sight with a beautiful woman and is forced to rescue her. The villainous duo eventually become embroiled in a conspiracy behind the mayoral election, and hit out at the gangsters...
A free-spirited girl living in a Japanese province spends her time working in a brothel and running with her dog. When her routine is shattered she gets on a path of hate and self discovery.
Based on the "2.26 Incident", an attempted coup d'état in Japan 1936, launched by radical ultra-nationalist parts of the military. Several leading politicians were killed and the center of Tokyo was briefly held by the insurgents before the coup was suppressed.
Set in the icy wilderness of Hokkaido during the early days of the Meiji era, where the brutal warden of Kabato Prison terrorizes convicts sentenced to forced labor to build the roads needed to open up the territory.
A Japanese Company funded by the USA experimenting with anti-bacteriological weapons creates a mutated humanoid rat creature which becomes violent and murders the lab technicians. The lab is condemned and its horrifying experiments kept a secret. However the strange bacteria leak from the lab and spreads to the nearby inhabitants causing a humanoid epidemic! Three people are sent to the lab to uncover the US government conspiracy that unleashed a bloodthirsty monster beyond their wildest imagination.
One year has passed since the Kidojis' eldest son Otohiko was arrested for his part in a terrorist kidnapping, which resulted in multiple deaths. Although the parents of all the other perpetrators have either resigned from their professional positions or taken their own lives, Nobuyuki Kidoji tries to remain adamant that he was not responsible for his son's actions.
Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses on "Kagemusha" (1980).
A psychological drama about the consequences of a 15 year old girl's gang rape.
Kumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan.
Vain, middle-aged actress Biwako is placed in witness protection while authorities investigate the brutal murder she witnessed. Under the watch of two dedicated cops, Biwako struggles to maintain her career, her public image, and her personal life as she prepares for her new role on the witness stand.
Based on Tetsuya Saruwatari's manga series about a reporter who gets assigned to a serial murder case involving schoolgirls who engage in "compensated dating".
Dr Toma, a skilled surgeon, starts work at a regional hospital in Japan. After performing an operation to remove a patient’s liver cancer, something that normally would not be done at this hospital, he quickly gains a very good reputation amongst the town’s people. Some of his colleagues become so jealous they are resentful and waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to crucify him. Soon they get their chance as Dr Toma considers performing a controversial operation…
Tomoyo was the lover of Udo, a leading member of the Japanese mafia. When Udo disappears with a bundle of dirty money, she is a suspected accomplice. tomoyo is a woman who has always depended on men, and she often sleeps with them in order to survive. Yuki spent all her time around dangerous men, until her luck finally ran out. Beaten, raped and left in the trunk of a car, she ends up overhearing Udo as he assassinates his fellow mafia agents. Yuki is a woman who has always confronted men, and she often spills blood in order to survive. Thrown together by chance, Tomoyo and Yuki must work together, or die at the hands of the syndicate. They're always ready to love, always read to kill, and never ready to trust.
4th Entry in a Four-Part-Series, following the success of the original XX-series with 7 parts: In this one Yoko is an undercover cop infiltrating the chinese mafia
A tough and violent battle ensues between Hikaru Gotokuji, who's been assigned as the bodyguard for a popular young entertainer, and the ex-mercenary who is aggressively intent on assassination.
Chief Detective KIMURA Denbei, fondly referred to as Smoky Denbei, is a legendary figure at the Metropolitan Police Department. Transferred to Denbei's Criminal Investigation Division 1, Detective KUMADA Tomekichi arrives from the Toyama Prefectural Police. KUMADA is disconcerted by Denbei's position that murderers nowadays do not need a plausible motive, but gradually adapts to Denbei's unusual methods of investigation.
Shino Sakuragi is an OL. She attends a wine party recommended by her boss, even though she isn't comfortable at such a fancy get together. There, Sakuragi meets Kazushi Oda. He is knowledgeable about wine and he doesn't show off his success as a businessman. She becomes attracted to him, but Oda gets arrested for accounting fraud later. Sakuragi is confused by the situation, but she keeps attending the wine parties and becomes hooked on wine.
In the midst of societal conflict in the futuristic city of Metropolis, Kenichi and his uncle Shunsaku Ban set out to uncover the mystery behind the first human-like robot, Tima.
A former stockbroker-turned-yakuza must make sure his alcoholic boss is up to the task of swearing in the next leader of their syndicate.
Nami Matsushima has escaped from the prison to which she was sentenced in Scorpion, but is now obsessed with tracking down the--don't laugh--one-armed man who murdered her younger sister fifteen years ago. Nami is certainly no great action heroine, and the plot at times makes little sense, climaxing with a coincidence more ridiculous than any Shakespeare ever used. For complicated reasons, Nami uses her medical knowledge to break into a women's prison as staff physician. There, as in the previous movie, the convicts wind up naked awfully frequently.
Naraho town in Fukushima Prefecture is on the front-line of the government-funded nuclear power plant decommissioning work. Kokuhei Kusunoki is transferred from Aizu Wakamatsu City to Naraho Town to take over the Disaster PR Division. Murai takes Kokuhei around Fukushima including areas washed away by the tsunami. They examine the still incomplete railway lines, the unfinished decontamination area and villages in the danger zone, where deadly cesium continues to pile up. One day Kokuhei is told to organize a party to celebrate the professor who has been appointed as deputy director of the Atomic Energy Research Institute.
The president of the Japanese National Railways is found dead during a period in which train service is plagued by numerous layoffs, strikes and shutdowns. The government says that the president was murdered; the police claim it was a suicide. A quizzical reporter follows the case for years, but the basic question remains unanswered: was the victim killed by members of the burgeoning Communist movement in Japan, or was the death stage-managed by the authorities in hopes of discrediting the Communists?
Katsunori Takahashi and Ken Watanabe star in a modern yakuza tale in the classic Japanese film series, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, directed by Hajime Hashimoto.
The first in the "Gokudo Seisen" series, a hard-line action OV that presents the original draft of Shigenori Takechi under the supervision of Takashi Miike of "IZO". It depicts the activities of the martial arts yakuza who challenge the major general contractors who are plotting wrongdoing. Actors such as Taishu Kase and Hiroki Matsukata performed well with the men living in Shuraba.
The second installment of the "Gokudo Seisen" series, a hard-line action OV that presents the original draft of Shigenori Takechi under the supervision of Takashi Miike of "IZO". A hot-blooded yakuza challenges a "holy war" against a company that earns a lot of money in a villainous way. Big actors such as Taishu Kase and Hiroki Matsukata set aside.
The third installment of the hard-line action OV "Gokudo Seisen" series, which presents the original draft of Shigenori Takechi under the supervision of Takashi Miike of "IZO". It depicts the activities of the martial arts yakuza who challenge the major general contractors who are plotting wrongdoing. Actors such as Taishu Kase and Hiroki Matsukata performed well with the men living in Shuraba.
Todo, an old wealthy man, is fascinated by the appearance of Sayumi walking in the graveyard in midsummer, holding the urn of his late mother. Sayumi, who doesn't know her father, longs for Todo like her father and begins to love him as a man. One day, Sayumi, invited by Todo to visit the villa, finds a portrait of Kazumi, a girl with pigtails that looks exactly like her. And the relationship between Todo and Sayumi begins to go crazy in an unexpected direction due to an uninvited guest who arrives on a stormy night.
The powerful organization Fifth-Generation Tōdō-gumi, based in Osaka’s Minami district, is led by Wakagashira Ōtani (Ryu Daisuke), under whom Yuji Mikasa (Musashi Ken) walks the path of the old-school yakuza code. Devoted to daily sword training and upholding traditional values, Mikasa’s peaceful days take a sharp turn when he commits a murder to cover for his younger protégé. The situation spirals out of control. As the yakuza world grows more entangled with politics, the organization’s boss, Myojin, announces his retirement. Seizing the opportunity, the cunning Serizawa (Kawano Taro) plots to oust Ōtani by any means necessary. Worse still, Mikasa’s own “civilian killing” ends up pushing his respected boss into a corner...
Ōtani Ryūzō (Ryu Daisuke), head of the Ōtani-gumi within the Tōdō-gumi, is stripped of his position due to the scheming of Serizawa Daijirō (Kawano Taro), head of the Serizawa-gumi. With Serizawa taking over as the new wakagashira, the Tōdō-gumi rapidly transforms into an economic yakuza group. They begin extorting indiscriminately under the guise of “regional revitalization association fees.” Even the store run by the wife of Mikasa Yūji (Musashi Ken)—who is still serving time—falls victim to this ruthless scheme. Osaka’s Minami district is thrown into chaos by Serizawa’s insatiable ambition. And so begins a new yakuza war, fought in the name of old-school ninkyōdō and honor!
The Katsumata-gumi, based in Nishinomiya, becomes outraged by the Serizawa-gumi's brazen expansion of their operations within their territory and prepares for all-out war. Despite being falsely accused due to Serizawa’s (Kawano Taro) devious schemes, Ōtani Ryūzō (Ryu Daisuke), head of the Ōtani-gumi, heads out to set things straight—only to fall to a hail of bullets from an enraged Katsumata-gumi member. Mikasa Yūji (Musashi Ken), still imprisoned, is left in shock and helpless upon hearing the news of his boss’s death. As the Kansai underworld is slowly swallowed whole by the serpent that is Serizawa, what fate awaits each of these men of ninkyō?
A film director plans to make a film about a man who embarks on a journey to find a missing musician, who has disappeared after becoming obsessed with the sound of a Porsche engine.