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A yakuza tries going straight for his family. Spoiler: crime doesn't have an off-ramp.
TMDB
71
IMDb
68
Google
88

Ryuji (1983)

gritty domestic noirmelancholic desperation1980s Japanese underbelly

Overview

DramaRomanceCrime

Ryuji tries quitting the yakuza to actively support his wife and daughter; as he's used to easy money, it's a difficult transition.

Flag of JPJPJapanese
Content warning
gangsteryakuzalife of crime

Standout Aspects

Acting

Shōji Kaneko's shoulders carry the weight of impossible choices.

Direction

Kawashima finds poetry in fluorescent-lit failure.

Production

Dreary '80s Japan as its own suffocating character.

Best for:Solo: Late-night contemplation when you want to feel things quietly.·Date Night: Only if you're testing relationship resilience with sadness.·Rewatch: Second viewing reveals all the ways he was doomed from frame one.
Heads up:Violence: Sudden yakuza brutality punctuates slow emotional erosion.·Emotional: Hope is a trap the narrative deliberately sets and springs.
T

Director

Tōru Kawashima

ReleasedOct 29, 1983
Runtime1h 32m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feelheavy
production Ryûji

Top Cast

Eiko Nagashima

Eiko Nagashima

Mariko Hanashiro

Koji Kita

Koji Kita

Hiroshi

Kinzō Sakura

Kinzō Sakura

Nao

Masataka Iwao

Masataka Iwao

Sekiya

Asami Ogawa

Asami Ogawa

Takashi Sasano

Takashi Sasano

Akira Takahashi

Akira Takahashi

Gin Pun Chou

Gin Pun Chou

Kansai Eto

Kansai Eto

Ask about Ryuji

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Part of the 1980s 'jitsuroku' movement—yakuza films stripped of romanticism, reflecting Japan's economic anxiety and collapsing social contracts.

Trivia

Eiko Nagashima was primarily a pink film actress; this rare mainstream dramatic role was specifically requested by Kawashima who saw her untapped melancholy.

YouTube

ryuji trailer

ryuji trailer

Gallery

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