Dragon Princess

Welcome back to the blog! So after the Giallo film, I felt a need for a change-up and decided I haven't had a martial arts film with a compelling story, a collection of characters and some serious fight scenes. So normally you think Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li on maybe some Donnie Yen. This time around however I am heading back to Sonny or Shin'ichi Chiba and his Sister Street Fighter co-star Su or Etsuko Shiomi. This is Sonny Chiba's Dragon Princess a.k.a. Assassin Woman's Fist a.k.a. Lady Karate a.k.a. Dragon Princess.

Yumi's first drag queen encounter.

Wouldn't be my blog without alternative titles. A quick side note before going into the film story. Dragon Princess part of a double feature billing via Grindhouse and Drive-in with another Sonny Chiba movie, Karate Warriors.

This film opens with the Karate master, Kazuma Higaki (Sonny Chiba of Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, Sister Street Fighter, Karate Inferno, Karate Warriors, Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, The Bushido Blade, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2)arriving with his daughter finding his shrine and dojo completely thrashed. A rival member of the Karate school,Hironobu Nikaido (Bin Amatsu of the Ninja Hunt, The Magic Serpent, Samurai Wolf II, Gokudo, Blackmail Is My Life and Gangster Cop) decrees Kazuma is not worthy to be teacher, a fight ensues. Kazuma is clearly the superior fighter but Nikaido will win by any means necessary, including calling in three of his boys to assist. Most dishonorable. With four masters attacking Kazuma, expect these cameramen to earn their money! Not kidding, these guys were like a sadistic ballet, moving gracefully but full of rage and focus.

CHIBA!!!

They break out blades and start cutting him down by inches, damn near bleeding him out. Between adrenaline and the need to protect his daughter, Kazuma goes head on against them. These bastards go so far to threaten his daughter's life. With a commendable defense, the sheer numbers wear Kazuma down, they damage his hand so badly and cut out one of his eyes with a Kunai knife (a farming tool, throwing weapon/dagger). The guy was stabbed under the shoulder with a Katana, stabbed the hand with a Sai and had lost his eye to a Kunai knife and still standing. BADASS!

Leaving him a broken and bitter man, Higaki doesn't give back so much as a second glance.

Alive but crippled, our former Karate master takes and trains Yumi. Pity Yumi, for she will never know another life aside from her father's need for vengeance and she will be the instrument to carry it out. They have fled to Los Angeles to Rocky montage Yumi's training, building her skills, strength and stamina. Yumi (Su Shiomi of Sister Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread, The Great Chase, The Gorilla Seven, Return of the Sister Fighter, Karate Warriors, Hoero tekken and Fall Guy) is as trained and prepared as she can be.

Kazuma is on his death bed explaining that he asks Yumi to keep the corruption away from Karate and avenge them both. For her loss of a childhood and his crippling. This is spurred into action when Kazuma passes away. Yumi puts her plan into action and decides she will track these men down and show them the error of their ways.

Worry not my readers, for Master Nikaido is foremost master of being a complete cheat and utter dick wagon, as his thugs, "The Big Four" are sent out to dispatch the competition for impeding Karate tournament. Seriously this guy is lacking the armor but he is in full Shredder mode. This much dishonor, you would think his ancestors haunt him in the night and laugh at his tiny willy when he is in the shower or hitting the bathroom. Maybe he has an unlicensed, nuclear accelerator in his closet.

Yumi returns to Tokyo, a land she has not been in since a child to her grandfather. Grandpa while not creepy like say; the one from Silent Night, Deadly Night does cast a lot of shade on Yumi's dead father and how he left so soon after the death of her mother. Personally I think he just needed to vent his spleen a bit. Still bad form, Grandpa.

Yumi's job been made that much more easier as she follows these asshats to get not only revenge for her father but to deal a blow to Master Nikaido's plans. Twofer!

Pirate Chiba!!!

Yumi isn't the only one on a path for vengeance. She is joined by Masahiko Okizaki (Yasuaki Kurata of The Fists of Vegeance, Fists of Revenge, The Godfather Squad, The Golden Triangle, Young Hero of Shaolin, The Legend of the Owl and Blood, the Last Vampire), who was also a target for the competition, he and his bad ass mullet don't take prisoners nor BS lightly.

Another quick bit of trivia for the New Yorkers, this was double billed with Karate Warriors on 42^nd Street Marquee in 1976 before its massive makeover in the early 2000s

Now we can easily argue this is yet another Karate/Kung Fu/Taekwondo revenge story but there is some heart to go with the action, Su is damn impressive as a martial artist and okay that piggy portion of me is enjoying seeing her in pigtails (WHAT OF IT??!!) but unlike most of these films, it is usually a son or elder male student avenging the fallen master, not a young woman let alone the daughter of said Sensei. That you find more popular in Manga or Anime but not so much the live action films.

From this and a TV pilot, Su and Sonny went on to doing more films giving her international stardom. I look forward to finding some more of Sue Shihomi's later hits. I did enjoy this one.

Unfortunately, I found my version in Public Domain and it is clearly a straight VHS to DVD transfer with piss poor rendering. 

Master Raiden...you're female now. K.

 

Sister Street Fighter

And we are back ladies and gents. More Sonny Chiba coming at you in technocolor from the looks of it and recorded in mono from its mere sound. Well we are still with the Street Fighter series but shying away from Sonny's character Terry. What? But how can this be still Street Fighter without that key ingredient? Well relax your sphincters, folks and realize the wonders of....ALTERNATIVE TITLES!!!

Yes you knew that is always a possibility on this site that an alternative title chosen by foreign distribution is never far from my writing.I kid.  It appears to simply be a spin-off of the series.   Instead of the focus being around Sonny, a new challenger approaches!! Sue Shiomi takes the reins and boy it is going to be a helluva ride.

This is Sister Street Fighter.

Brown eyed bad ass.

Once again Toei Production brings another hard hitting, gory film of martial arts and yes I am watching the 86 minutes of uncut graphic violence that landed them yet another X rating. Yes this would hit NC-17 rating but we don't seem to have any directors up for this kind of violence anymore.

Kempo expert Lee Long (Hiroshi Miayauchi of Ramen Rider, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, The War in Space, Supaidāman (1978-1979 Japanese Spider Man series), Renegade Ninjas and Kita no hotaru) is an undercover cop trying to find his way into the drug trafficking heroin ring from Japan to Hong Kong when he gets outed as a cop and taken away for questioning. Could have used those Escrima sticks that Kempo develops the fighting style with but hey I am not one to tell you how to run your undercover ID.

Mr. Miyagi is not amused.

The dummy corporation known as Central Export is under investigation attempting to link the heroin smuggling but no luck thus far, the Tokyo Police call in Tina Long (Sue Shiomi of Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, Karate Bear Fighter, Message from Space, Shogun's Ninja, Fall Guy, Moon Mask Rider and The Shadow Army 3), petite and demure girl with the cutest dimples and some of the most nasty martial arts moves I have seen in a while. Wailing the monkey crap out of anyone laying hands on her, she is also experienced in thrown weapons, sais, nunkuku and improvised weapons.

As the assignment has gotten deadly, Tina reaches out to a Karate master for aid as the gangs are a bit more than one woman can handle. Personally I think they are outclassed but that's my take.

Pity that man.  He'll probably limp to the end of his days.

After an extensive fight with these leopard leotard clad hunnies flogging men and no this isn't some perverted thing I added (the film did that) a Kempo/Karate student teacher Sonny (yes Sonny Chiba) joins in the fray and goes sick house on these punks.

The members of the Yakuza feeling their heroin is in jeopardy hire the illusive Hammerhead and his mercenaries to deal with the “bitch”. Hope they're insured.

Will Tina and Sonny rescue Lee? Can the drug ring be smashed? Will Commissioner Gordon and Chief O' Hara still be baffled about these crimes?

This is a typical relative is in trouble/danger/captured and has to be rescued. That now known, holy crap Shiomi is downright terrifying. Snap and crane kicks to the likes of Chun Li of Street Fighter in the games. Sonny doesn't steal the show but will eclipse a few scenes. At the end of the day this is the Street Fighter film I recommend for many ages...of course there is extreme violence so again the kids probably shouldn't be watching.

Round kick of Doom!

Return of the Street Fighter

Howdy folk.  Need to apologize, the migraine fairy came to visit and short changed me any time at all to write.   That being said we move back to Sonny Chiba in the Street Fighter series again.  Yup, Terry Tsurguri is back in action, kicking ass and taking names again.   This time around, Terry has another interaction with the Yakuza and the fists go flying.  This is Return of the Street Fighter.

Are you calling me, pretty?

Sonny is back as Terry but we do not have that typical sequel that is bridging multiple added characters that are linked to the previous characters of the original.  In fact,  I think Terry is the only reprising character at all so that's one bullet dodged.  The story is a bit more simplistic as Terry looks into whether or not a charity cause is being looted from the Yakuza. 

With the police almost as corrupt as the Yakuza, Terry seems to be fighting both but concentrates his efforts on the Yakuza primarily.    There are several flashbacks from the original but unlike something like the Hills Have Eyes 2 were it felt like filler, these seem to either haunt Terry or are plaguing his mind at the time.  I mean you rip a guy's wang off in a fight, it should stay with you.   Oh sorry, was that spoilers from The Street Fighter??  Walk it off!!

Ryu wins!

I guess to compromise the previous flick's graphic violence, we get some nudity so yes titties for all and all a good night.   To be honest, nudity was a welcome exchange versus genitals getting ripped off.   Even with toning down the violence levels, this film was still rated X (NO NC-17 yet) and no one knew how to quantify the flicks' genre or sub-genre.

Again martial arts master is doing dirty deeds for the mob and offering up a series of ass whippings to anyone in his way.   The action is substantial, the voice dubbing is...okay it is really over the top most of the time and the scoring of the soundtrack is very 70s and rocking along.   Just watch it with subtitles.  Taking in all that, Terry seems a bit more tongue and cheek, almost a sense of humor since he murdered those men with his bare hands.   No clue if they were trying for less of an X rating or if they wanted to showcase that Chiba could take himself lightly.

Snow levels are always difficult.

Once again Toei Production put out some guerilla filming (gonzo or grindhouse) about taboo concepts and concerns with this film than most of their subgenre films.  We have Manga live action films, cop dramas, cartoons for children, sukeban (troubled teenage girl) women in prison films, Anime, thrillers, horror and even some comedy.

It kind of reminds me how many of the Paramount hated the Friday the 13th films and the money it and its sequels made them.  Maybe it is that way with Toei and the Street Fighter series.   I noticed New Line Cinema didn't mind the revenue.

Golgo 13: Assigment Kowloon

And we're back again.  Yeah two in a row, it must be confusing as hell.   Hello ladies and gents.   I will be pushing more Sonny Chiba on you and you're gonna take it.   Yeah that may have sounded a lot more filthy than intended.  Today's film is based on a Manga which has existed from creator Takao Saito of Big Comic since 1968.  This film is oddly enough the sequel to its predecessor that came out in 1973.   This is Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon.

The post office is gonna pay.

The previous movie had actor Ken Takakura of Manhunt, The Yellow Hankerchief, The Yakuza, Black Rain, Mr. Baseball, 47 Ronin and The Firefly as lead character Golgo 13/ Duke Togo.   This time we have Sonny Chiba, who honestly resembles the Manga character more so.  You'd swear they modeled Duke after Chiba.  Solid muscle yet lean build, piercing eyes and mirrored aviator's glasses.

Once again a Toei Production as so many drama and science fiction films in Japan, our hired killer is hired by an American mob to bump off Chou Lei Fang (Nick Lam Wai Kei of Dangerous Encounters, The Amazing Spider-Man, Stoner, Twisted Love and Mercenaries) , a key member of the same mob via Hong Kong branch. 

And what can you bring to this firm?

Concerned how public this assignment must be, Togo cases the location, checks wind and exit locations but notices a capable detective Smith (Lun Chia of Cold Blooded Murder, Qi wu shi, Killer Rose, The Lost Generation and Magnum Thunderbolt) trying to get Chou on drug trafficking charges.   He sent in his aid Lin Li (Etsuko Shiomi of Fall Guy, Moon Mask Rider, Kabamaru the Ninja, Legend of Eight Samurai, The Audition, Shadow Warriors IV and Cabaret)to infiltrate the drug trade but she is captured by Chou's men after she was wailing the monkey crap out of his men. 

Chou and Smith both are aware of the arrival of Golgo 13.   For Smith, Golgo 13 sniped a foreign diplomat he was protecting.  Trying to get his chief to arrest Chou for his own protection, the chief reluctantly agrees after Chou's presentation... the presentation that he is scheduled to most likely get shot at.  Derp!  Togo in position to take the shot but a white girl pops Chou before him and Togo knows now he's the fall guy.   He hightails it out, chucking his weapons and disappears.

Go Speed Racer GoooOOoo!!!

Chou's widow Leika (Dana of Infra-Man, Bruce Li in New Guinea, The Bamboo House, Miao Jie nu q and Wan Zai si tiao nu) clearly heartbroken over the death of her husband does the humpty dance with Togo as part of the grieving stage no doubt.  Duke "pumps" her for information ending that "interrogation" with a gun fight.

Can Golgo 13 find out who screwed him over?  How many more bodies ending up on the slab?

When you think about it, this is one of the first comic book movie with an R rating.  Suck it Deadpool!   


Rounding off at 83 minutes, mild nudity and a fair degree of gun and hand-to-hand violence, it's an impressive story, Chiba is a bad ass who even gets off one of those bullet through the telescope shots.  I had fun with this.  Hell the whole point of watching this flick is the the wharf fight scene alone.  Six toughs attempt to gut Togo and well...you have to see it to believe it.

Pushy waiter!  No tip!

The Street Fighter

Hey gang.  I'm back.  After the major SNAFU with the notebook, my folks were kind and thoughtful enough to loan me a laptop for better writing capabilities.  Today we are talking about a Japanese karate film.  Now if the martial arts movies are not your cup of tea, you will be disappointed with this write up.  If in fact you do enjoy this sort of thing, I must warn the women folk there are some disturbing context in this particular film.   Okay now that has been cleared up, I am on about one of cinema's finer martial artist bad asses, Sonny Chiba.  This is Street Fighter.

 Ming-Na Wen made an awesome Chun Li in spite of giving her a completely different backstory.

That is the face of a man with the most conflicting boner.

Okay don't abandon ship.  This is the 1974 action film not the unfortunate live-action film of 1994 with Van Damme.  That being said,

Our story begins with Terry Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba of Bullet Train, Karate Warriors, Doberman Cop, Sister Street Fighter, The Assassin and Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon),  a man for hire with exceptional Karate and Hapkido mixture.   Faking the death of a prisoner Junjo and sneaking him away from the cops, a pair of siblings that hired Terry are pleased with the news but uh oh they can't afford his prices.  Terry is unmoved by their pleas and tells them he'll just sell the sister to the sex trade.  Her brother attempts to combat Terry only to go flying out a window of about 5 stories and the girl is pawned off.   Our hero!  Okay that was actually all the real disturbing portion.

I make the same face when I am popping my back.

 














Later a young daughter of a recently deceased oil tycoon stands to inherit millions so the Yakuza (Japanese mafia for you lousy gajin.) decides to hire Terry to kidnap the girl and force her to sign over all her deeds to them.  Terry pitches them a price they refuse to agree to pay and opt to killing him for the knowledge of their plans.  Bad call but they are a collective of butter heads so I wasn't surprised.

Terry comes to the idea of hiring out his services to the girl Sairi (Yutaka Nakajima of Code Name Black Cat o oe, Kyotaro Nishimura's Travel Mystery 13, Kyotaro Nishimura's Travel Mystery 15, Nanmim Rodo, Hotel Doctor and Red Dead Wagon 5: Gorgeous Mistakes) as her protector.  She is currently being guarded by her uncle Kendo Masaoka in his dojo.   Terry with all the sympathy he can muster tells Kendo that his students couldn't stop a housefly and yup, you guessed it.  More fight scenes.  Terry proceeds to smack the monkey crap out of Kendo's students until he challenges Terry.   Kendo recognizes the fighting style to a man that years ago was executed for mixing his blood with a Chinese woman, a punishment of death.  Before he dies, he tells young Terry to improve his skills and always be a number one man.

You gawking at me, cameraman?

Kendo agrees that Terry can watch over Sairi and the Yakuza realizing their own people are getting slaughtered to tackle Terry recruit Junjo to deal with him.  Hmm, didn't you sell off his sister, Terry?  Looks like that came to bite you in the ass after all.

Can Terry foil the Yakuza?  Will Junjo be the superior fighter?

Now given you have a lesser villain as our protagonist, the bloody fighting styles, the complete contempt of women, this film got an X rating in 1974 and has at least 3 different cuts of it.   Ranging from a tamer 75 R rated minute film, to 87 with English subtitles and Japanese release to the unvarnished 91 X rated version,  I'd point out it was the violence that gave it such a rating.  You aren't seeing women being plowed like the back 40, it was simply a factor the film was so dicey for some they did not know how to catalog it.

Chiba is a muscle bound but lean, fast moving bad ass and kudos to the cameramen about to keep up with him and keep each other out of frame.   This film also spawned two sequels and yes we will have at those as well.

Sonny Chiba was deemed Bruce Lee's competition and yet most of his characters ranged from villain, anti-hero to noble warrior while Bruce always seemed to play a good guy, with the exception of his thug in Marlowe starring James Garner.  
The action is sound, the scenes impressive and the story is simplistic but gripping.  It is now in the public domain so give it a download or find it on a streaming site.

Hi. We wanted to talk to you about our lord and savior, Gorjira.