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In the style of sequels frequently met into Miike’s filmography, “Ambition Without Honor 2” includes Harumi Sone, Hideki Sone and Kojiro Shimizu in the protagonist roles, but does not continue the story of the first part in any way.

This time, the script follows Tetsuya, a young yakuza, member of the Mogami group, who returns to his family along with his sidekick, Yuji, after his adoptive father, Iwasaki, the leader of the homonymous yakuza group, is wounded in an attack from a rival gang. Soon, both his father and the doctor who was treating him, who also happens to be Tetsuya’s brother-in-law, are found dead and the Yamane group, a rival yakuza clan, seems to be the culprits. Tetsuya is torn between his loyalty to the Mogami group and his will to quit them and head the attack of the Iwasaki against the Yamane clan, with his problems becoming more intense when his uncle,...

Noticeably early in its straightforward approach to the subject matter, “Ambition Without Honour” is one of the most predictable films directed by the Japanese master. Written by Muneo Kishi who also stands behind the script for the sequel, the story of the film is a simple account of a naïve, and slightly dumb youth’s wish to become a yakuza at any cost.

It’s the begin of the Heisei period (1989) and the 17-year-old Tetsuya Kurashiki (Yûta Sone) has it all figured out. He will help the yakuza boss Shiromatsu (Nobuo Yana) to get rid of his opponent who rules the Tamazawa family. As a reward, he is promised to become one of the yakuza and a “made man”. Seven years after, he’s out of the prison where there’s nobody waiting for him besides his still girlfriend Kayo (Naoko Amihama).

Tetsuya is back into a completely changed world in which Botaiho,...