Wandering Ginza Butterfly: She-Cat Gambler

1972 1h 26m JA

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 10

ActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Meiko Kaji reprises her role as Nami, a vengeful female gang leader, in the second installment of this high-action series that casts a new actor -- martial arts legend Sonny Chiba -- in the role of Nami's loyal friend Ryuji. This time around, Nami is looking for Hoshiden, the man who murdered her father and shattered her once-hopeful childhood. But living under an assumed name, Hoshiden could stay hidden forever.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Meiko Kaji
Nami Higuchi
Sonny Chiba
Ryūji
Fujio Suga
Sōnosuke Aiboshi
Junzaburō Ban
Senzō Asai
Tamayo Mitsukawa
Hanae Asai
Shingo Yamashiro
Monjirō
Tōru Yuri
Yukie Kagawa
Miyoko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Writers: Isao Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Wandering Ginza Butterfly Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Toshiaki Tsushima. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yoshiki Nagasawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Meiko Kaji and Sonny Chiba and Fujio Suga carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0978601 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kazuhiko Yamaguchi directs. Yoshio Nakajima behind the camera. Toshiaki Tsushima scores. Yoshiki Nagasawa cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Wandering Ginza Butterfly Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Nakajima. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Toshiaki Tsushima. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Yoshiki Nagasawa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Meiko Kaji and Sonny Chiba and Fujio Suga carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0978601 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.