Released in 1983, Toru Kawashima’s “Ryuji” redefined the yakuza genre by rejecting its tired formulas and insisting on gritty authenticity. The actor playing its protagonist, Shoji Kaneko, not only wrote the script but also embedded himself with a real gang — though he insisted he never became a full-fledged yakuza. He died of cancer shortly after the film’s release, as though living out the tragic destiny of the title character.
Now, Nobuo Mizuta, whose long list of directorial credits include the hit Nippon TV series “We’re Millennials. Got a Problem?” and 2023 spinoff film of the same main title, has remade “Ryuji” based on Atsuhiro Tomioka’s script. Starring Yuya Yagira as the title character, the film may seem, on the face of it, like a crass cash grab, since the original has become an often-revived cult classic.
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