Hibotan bakuto: Nidaime shûmei

This film begins during the Meiji Restoration during which Japan began its own industrial revolution using western technology. As such, coal became an increasingly important commodity and this story begins with the Yakuza gambler "Ryuko Yano" (Sumiko Fuji)--who is also known as "Oryu-The Red Peony"-traveling in a carriage when suddenly a man on horseback comes riding by with several armed men chasing him. Having been shot he falls from his horse and just as the other men arrive Ryuko intervenes and prevents them from killing him. After taking him to a hospital she agrees to deliver a package to his girlfriend and then continues on her destination to see her critically ill uncle. When she gets there she learns that there has been several incidents involving local boatmen who are concerned that their livelihoods are being threatened by the construction of a new railroad--which her uncle is responsible for building. And with his dying breath he designates Ryuko to take over as his heir and instructs her to complete the railroad. That being said, she first has stop the destruction caused by the boatmen but what she doesn't realize at the time is that a rival Yakuza clan led by a man named "Arrakido" (Bin Amatsu) is intent on stopping construction for his own selfish purposes. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an entertaining addition to the Red Peony Gambler series which had an intricate plot along with some good comedy and action scenes. Admittedly, I would have preferred a meatier role for Ken Takakura (as the Yakuza swordsman "Yojiro Kawabe") but even so I thought that this was a fine film all things considered and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

For one major problem: where's the gambling part? In this movie Oryu acts for 100% of the time as a businesswoman of sorts (I know, Yakuza in Japan have several ties with legal businesses, but still it doesn't make any sense considering the series title), making the purpose of watching a movie in a series about the misadventures of a female gambler totally pointless. Also, the whole stuff about her having an unknown uncle magically giving her the leadership of her family clan makes the road travelling seen in the previous movies in the series once again completely pointless, what was the rationale for her to travel, having adventures and get experience in the Yakuza world if to become the leader of her clan all she had to do was to have a relative bestowing on her the title? Or to her to start traveling again at the end of the movie? For the rest, this thing is watchable once but it's clearly not en par with the previous movies in the series.