Shin jingi naki tatakai

Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki (Tomisaburō Wakayama, "Lone Wolf and Cub") attempts to seize power from the boss, and Miyoshi finds himself stuck between the two factions with no honorable way out.

Following the success of the original five-part "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" series, director Kinji Fukasaku was already planning on continuing with further yakuza-themed films. However, Toei was more interested in direct sequels (even if not necessarily directly connected) so Fukasaku created a new series featuring many of the same performers from the previous series (including Bunta Sugawara) in new roles. The only actor playing the same role, in fact, is Nobuo Kaneko as family boss Yoshio Yamamori.

Handled the script is Fumio Konami (known for "Female Prisoner Scorpion") and Koichi Iiboshi (who had crafted the original "Battles Without Honor and Humanity"). What we have is a strong crime tale that easily blends in with the first series. Japanese yakuza films are very much their own genre, more so than American gangsters films, and it is largely because of strong efforts like this that such a claim can be made.