Overview: On the same year that she defined the action heroine with her role in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, Japanese screen legend Meiko Kaji teamed up with future Sister Street Fighter director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi for a diptych of gambling, deception and violence set on the mean streets of 1970’s Tokyo: Wandering Ginza Butterfly and its sequel She Cat Gambler!

The first film sees Kaji’s character Nami The Red Cherry Blossom returning to her old stomping ground in the seedy Tokyo district of Ginza after a stint in prison for killing a yakuza boss. She soon settles in, living in her uncle’s pool hall and working at the local hostess club. But when ruthless yakuza Owada (Koji Nanbara, 11 Samurai) attempts to take control of the club, Nami and her uncle devise a plan to take him down.

In the sequel, Kaji is paired up with the equally legendary Sonny Chiba at his most charismatic as the streetwise Ryuji, who takes a shine to Nami and decides to help her on her quest to avenge her father. Together they’ll comb through every seedy gambling den and lowlife ruffian of the Ginza underworld until Nami finally zeroes in on her prey.

Meiko Kaji is magnetic as the steely and righteous Nami, whose foray into Tokyo’s sordid back alleys is brought to life by Yamaguchi’s energetic direction in this electric spectacle of 1970’s Japanese crime cinema.

Blu-ray Verdict: Up first is Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972) and the film begins in prison where Kaji is incarcerated. However, oddly, the film turns out NOT to be a prison film. It’s also odd when later a cellmate appears and then disappears quickly and nothing comes of this. Also containing several subplots - a couple that just seem to fizzle - one interesting aspect of the film, however, was when you learn why Kaji’s character was in prison and how she deals with making amends for her wicked past. Personally, I would have liked to see more of this and why this plot was in a film that essentially becomes a revenge film is odd, in my humble opinion.

As for most of the rest of the film, lots of low-life’s from the Ginza district of Tokyo make up the movie. While you soon assume that all this will lead to a big showdown with the leader of the Owada clan, the film meanders a bit getting there. There is even a lengthy tense snooker match that, in the end, nothing comes of; so that was strange also. And, soon after, Kaji - and out of nowhere - becomes a killing machine along with her male friend!

But, it doesn’t matter the plot inconsistencies, there are many, as noted, because the unique presence of the actress and the intense direction of Yamaguchi, along with those endearing and sordid pulp styles, make this film eye-candy for fans of Japanese 70’s action thrillers.

Along next is Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler (1972), where Nami (played again by Meiko Kaji), is once again wandering around Tokyo and the surrounding areas. She’s a professional gambler, following in the footsteps of her wrongly murdered father. She’s still a tough cookie, and still quite beautiful.

Her first act is to save a girl sold into prostitution. She rescues her and takes her back to Tokyo to work as a hostess (without the sex) at a club run by an old friend of Nami’s. She also runs into a no-good gambler thug and helps him out, putting him forever in her debt. Then she runs into Sonny Chiba, this time playing a character named Ryuji (like the first movie, but not the same character). He runs the only other prostitution ring outside of the Aoshida Company, which is the evil corporation of Yakuza this time around. But he’s a nice guy and very kind to his girls.

In any case, things go okay until Aoshida starts muscling in on the club and Ryuji’s racket. It doesn’t help matters that he might have had something to do with Nami’s father’s death. Eventually everything ends up in another orgy of violence and destruction.

This film is perhaps a little better than the first one, but as a sequel it doesn’t have quite the same effect. Since both films are 86 minutes long it’s no problem watching them together; a double dose of Kaji never hurt anyone. Well worth watching.

Bonus Materials:
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of both films
Original lossless Japanese mono audio for both films
Optional newly translated English subtitles for both films
Brand new audio commentary for Wandering Ginza Butterfly by Japanese cinema experts Patrick Macias and Matt Alt, hosts of the Pure TokyoScope podcast
Archival audio commentary for Wandering Ginza Butterfly by Japanese cinema expert Chris D.
Back to Back in the Yakuza Multiverse, a brand new interview with Patrick Macias and Matt Alt on Wandering Ginza Butterfly 2: She-Cat Gambler
Genre Mill Memories, an archival interview with director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Butterfly and Scorpion, an archival appreciation of star Meiko Kaji by Japanese action and pink film expert J-Taro Sugisaku
Original trailers for both films
Reversible sleeve featuring new artwork for both films by Andy Bourne
Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the films by Asian cinema expert Camille Zaurin

Official Purchase Link

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