Hibotan bakuto: Hanafuda shôbu

There's nothing guilty about this pleasure, the best in the Red Peony series and an evocative glimpse into Meji-period Japan. With its genre feel well established, this comes off feeling more like a classic western than a standard yakuza flick. Oryu, a wandering gambler known for her skill and beauty, must deal with corrupt bosses, reform a cheater for the sake of her blind daughter, and try to save a university student from certain doom after the boy falls prey to a cheat.

Director Tai Kato, a minor master of genre films, delivers a narrative with texture and emotional impact. The dedicated viewer will notice a few people who played some of the other Red Peony films (all of whom were killed off), but the cast is solid and convincing.