[SEASON 3] WOMEN GAMBLERS
Masters of cards or dice, and on a mission for justice: meet the gambling royalty of yakuza eiga!
Plot Deep Dive: Red Peony Gambler (1968)
From gambling halls to moonlit showdowns: a full breakdown of Oryu the Red Peony Gambler’s quest for justice!
[SEASON 2] NIKKATSU SPY
It’s spy season! A look at Nikkatsu’s unique take on the genre – and five films to explore Nikkatsu maverick director Suzuki Seijun.
Review: Black Tight Killers (1966)
Stolen gold, ninja gangs, portable canons, and all out action: a look at Nikkatsu’s colourful take on Bond. Arrivederci, Leoparda Carina!
Review: Asiapol Secret Service (1966) x Asia-Pol (1967)
A look at the Nikkatsu / Shaw Brothers co-production that generated two almost identical films – and started a whole spy genre!
Top 5 Nikkatsu Spy Films (feat: Kobayashi Akira)
International crime, cursed jewels, lost princesses, and black tight killers: five gadget-packed Nikkatsu spy films featuring Kobayashi Akira!
Plot Deep Dive: Black Tight Killers (1966)
Stolen gold, ninja gangs, portable canons, and all out action: a full breakdown of this colourful Nikkatsu gem!
5 Films to Explore Suzuki Seijun
Five classics big and small to explore Suzuki’s opus and unique style.
[SEASON 1] BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY (1973-74) – PART 1
Looking back at the five-part Fukasaku yakuza epic – and five films to get started with yakuza eiga.
Introduction to Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973-74)
Five keys to get started with the five-part yakuza epic. No spoilers!
5 Yakuza Films to Discover the Genre
New to yakuza films and unsure where to start? Here are five classics to dive into this rich genre.
![Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [1] (1973)](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bwhah_chart1949-1.jpg?w=1200&h=900&crop=1)
Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [1] (1973)
1946-1956: the formative years of Hirono Shōzō and the Yamamori family, one backstab at a time.
![Review: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [1] (1973)](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bwhah_01_poster-3653159618-e1673267501192.jpg?w=400&h=300&crop=1)
Review: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [1] (1973)
A new kind of violence replaced the old in lawless Japan. It was every man for himself amidst the chaos.
![Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [2] – Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bwhah2_chart_1955-3-2.jpg?w=1200&h=900&crop=1)
Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [2] – Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)
1950-1955: the rise and fall of the impetuous Yamanaka Shōji, and of his firecracker nemesis Otomo Katsutoshi.
![Review: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [2] – Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bwhah_02_poster-1.jpg?w=600&h=450&crop=1)
Review: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [2] – Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)
His name is still whispered as a legendary Hiroshima yakuza. But no one visits his grave now.
![Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [3] – Proxy War (1973) Part 1](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bwhah3_chart_1961-1.jpg?w=1200&h=900&crop=1)
Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [3] – Proxy War (1973) Part 1
1960-1961: the troubled Muraoka succession and explosive set-up to the Hiroshima War.
![Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [3] – Proxy War (1973) Part 2](https://gamblersanddrifters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/bwhah3_charts_1963-2.jpg?w=800&h=600&crop=1)
Plot Deep Dive: Battles Without Honor and Humanity [3] – Proxy War (1973) Part 2
1962-1963: shaky alliances, betrayals, and expulsions – and the final sparks that ignite the Hiroshima War.
Gamblers & Drifters 