Ambitious Yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for advancement, as well as by his bodyguards' growing jealousy of Chuji.
Acting
Ikeuchi's silent longing could shatter glass
Score
Blues harp as emotional language, not gimmick
Direction
Restrained Miike is somehow more devastating
Director
Takashi Miike
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rare early 90s Japanese cinema exploring queer yakuza relationships without exploitation, influenced by pink film traditions but aiming for genuine emotional weight.
Miike reportedly fought producers who wanted more violence; his restraint here makes the inevitable explosion hit harder than his goriest films.
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