Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler's Obligation

The second installment of the influential Red Peony Gambler series finds the titular heroine Oryu taken under the arm of the benevolent gang boss of a silk farming town. Soon ruthless loan sharks encroach on the business determined to enslave and exploit the workers. When their treachery leads to murder, it is Oryu's sworn duty to avenge her benefactor and exact justice. Meanwhile, she must also deal with a nefarious card-hustling couple who have infiltrated the local gambling scene as well as moral conflicts between her allies. Noribumi (aka Norifumi) Suzuki, the screenwriter of the first film and a genre filmmaking stalwart in his own right, takes over the directorial reins with his patented style of taut action and drama inflected with ribald humor. Yakuza genre icons Koji Tsuruta and Bunta Sugawara guest star opposite the series' incomparable lead, Junko Fuji.