Crime, Loyalty, and the Women Who Rule

Read Time:5 Minute, 58 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Yakuza Wives (Gokudô no onna-tachi)
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Genre: Crime
Year Released: 1986, 88 Films Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 2h
Director(s): Hideo Gosha
Writer(s): Shôko Ieda, Kôji Takada
Cast: Shima Iwashita, Rino Katase, Akiko Kana, Riki Takeuchi, Koujiro Shimizu, Shôko Ieda, Yasuko Naito, Junko Enjou, Yasuko Haru, Yasuko Yagami, Meika Seri, Nao Asuka
Where to Watch: Available now, order here www.88-films.myshopify.com, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Genre conventions can only stretch so far before someone decides to snap them altogether. That’s what happens in this reimagining of yakuza storytelling. This entry shifts the spotlight toward those most often left on the sidelines and lets them drive the entire operation.

The backbone of the story is a shifting power structure after the top figure in a sprawling organization dies unexpectedly. What follows is a rupture in loyalties and ambitions, a familiar setup for tales of betrayal and street-level warfare. But this time, the narrative gives weight to the figures that would usually be background detail—the women left holding it all together. The focus isn’t on tradition but control through influence, respect, and strategic positioning. One woman, calmly taking over her husband’s syndicate while he’s incarcerated, carries a presence that commands rather than demands attention. She’s not bluffing her way through leadership—she’s earned it. That control is tested when succession choices spark infighting that leads to a brewing civil war among rival factions.

The film’s other central figure, a younger woman initially removed from the criminal chaos, has her arc that collides with her sister’s ambitions in complicated and troubling ways. Her transformation from bystander to someone fully embedded in the world she once kept at arm’s length is one of the more provocative turns in the story.

What the story does well is take its time. Instead of forcing the plot through relentless action, it lets the weight of conversations, glances, and maneuvering simmer. The first half of the movie is less about shootouts and more about how loyalty can be a weapon as sharp as any blade. When the violence comes, it lands with far more significance because it’s not constant. There’s a deliberate rhythm to the structure—build, break, erupt—and it works to the film’s advantage.

Interiors feel tense and claustrophobic, reflecting the characters’ internal struggles and power dynamics. Outdoor scenes, by contrast, offer brief reprieves—an illusion of peace that never lasts long. The camera rarely feels flashy, but it knows exactly when to zoom in or pull back. The score seamlessly blends jazz and noir sensibilities, lending tension to even the most innocuous scenes and infusing the tone with an unexpected flavor.

There’s also a unique dynamic at play in how authority is expressed. The older sister never tries to mimic the men around her; she operates according to her own set of rules. Where others might lean on intimidation or chaos, she opts for calculated control. That contrast becomes even more apparent when the younger woman’s journey spins in a far less disciplined direction, and their inevitable conflict is less about family and more about ideology—how each has adapted to, or rejected, the rules of their world.

There’s a density in the early going that could alienate viewers trying to find their bearings. So many characters are introduced with little differentiation at first, and alliances shift so quickly that the drama risks losing clarity. The story’s broader structure is sound, but some of its details demand more attention than the script is willing to give. Had there been more narrative trimming early on, or at least a more focused way of anchoring viewers to the central players sooner, the journey would feel more immediate.

The portrayal of trauma and how it’s resolved—or glossed over—feels dated. One of the major character relationships stems from an act of violence, yet the emotional fallout isn’t explored enough. While the film is rooted in a genre where extremes often go unchecked, its lack of questioning around this development weakens the emotional resonance. There’s an opportunity to use that moment as a turning point for deeper character exploration, but instead, it becomes a narrative shortcut that carries weight without delivering substance.

There’s a clear reason why this story didn’t stop with one installment; 15 more followed. It tapped into a rarely-seen perspective—women asserting dominance and driving change in a space almost always defined by men. The formula was strong enough to spawn a long line of follow-ups, each reportedly standing on its own while building on the original concept’s success. That’s not just due to novelty; it’s because the film showed that crime stories don’t have to center on physical might to be effective. They can live in the choices people make when no one’s watching and the consequences that unfold when they finally are.

This is a project that understands how power isn't always loud. Sometimes, it’s strategic silence, waiting for the right moment to move. Sometimes it’s a refusal to bend, and sometimes it’s a well-timed concession. And when stories like this lean into those themes, they unearth a different kind of tension—less about who shoots first, and more about who’s still standing after the smoke clears.

Bonus Materials:
LIMITED EDITION BOOKLET
LIMITED EDITION INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED OBI STRIP
TRAILER
ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY SEAN LONGMORE
STILLS GALLERY
ORIGINAL MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH NEW ENGLISH SUBTITLES
HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY PRESENTATION IN 1.85:1 ASPECT RATIO

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[photo courtesy of 88 FILMS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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