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It is no secret that currently the job market is tough, but consider karate master Kazuma Higaki’s (Sonny Chiba) case. He is out for a walk with his daughter, Yumi, celebrating his newly attained post of karate instructor, when they are attacked by opposing Nikaido (Bin Amatsu) who is absolutely eager to get that position. Clearly, the 70’s was a rough time for martial artists in Japan because, hey, not many people in the far east cared about karate or kung fu. Or, let’s put it this way – weapons are available in the market.
Well, seeing as Nikaido is an antagonist, we must say he fights dirty. He uses three hired assassins against Higaki, one of whom is a silver-haired hippy in a buckskin fringe who darts him in the eye. If we refer to him as played by Sonny Chiba, Higaki immediately retaliates by gouging both the bastard’s eyes out of his socket. Now that ought to teach him a lesson. Nikaido has transformed into a major power holder within Tokyo’s political elite and has a strategy to take over the entire country by establishing a series of karate schools. Now, he does not simply wish to wage war by getting rid of people. He does have a degree of subtlety. There is a war that can be won through politics with far greater ease. He can build the schools and pay for them with funds received from the public purse for the politicians, and within a month Japan will be ready to dive into democracy. The moment the bill gets passed there is no return. Every student he recruits is peddled idealistic propaganda along with the assumption that votes will be all they’ll ever need, so the entire cadre of politicians recruited will be forced to make all kinds of promises. They’ll be paid to do whatever he wants. As tedious as bonding with politicians may be, it is far more intricate and time-consuming and for them to even consider saying yes. Edwin and his army of karate masters will first need to outbid the rest of the world at a global martial arts contest. And believe me, the only one qualified to assuage the situation is Yumi.
Renowned for her versatility, Etsuko Shiomi is remembered as one of the most iconic Japanese actresses, at least when it comes to the action genre. Her stunningly sweet smile and girlish demeanor coupled with great athleticism endeared her to countless young Japanese girls Mukai had fondly dubbed her as the ‘badass big sister.’ When Shiomi left the film industry in 1986, she left a gaping hole that remains unfilled. This gap has finally started getting filled with the likes of Sho Ikewaki, Masako Yashio, and Miyoko Taka, who claim Shiomi’s legacy has started to inspire them. Although Sister Streetfighter may have put her on the map, best works of her time, Dragon Princess, remains her best because of the stylish direction of Yutaka Kohira. Kohira rose to prominence as the assistant director of Shuniya Ito for Toei’s pioneering Female Prisoner Scorpion films, combined with the innovative visual flair of the studio. Seventies Japanese fight films were filled with decent camerawork that was uninspiring at best, but this frantic karate actioner was a marvel. Smooth tracking shots, unconventional angles, and division editing perfectly complemented the speedy choreography.
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