Red Peony Gambler 1–3 – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1968 (The Valiant Red Peony, Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation), Japan, 1969 (Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game)
Directors: Kôsaku Yamashita (The Valiant Red Peony), Norifumi Suzuki (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation), Tai Katô (Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game)
Cast: Sumiko Fuji (All Films), Tomisaburô Wakayama, Minoru Ôki, Kyôsuke Machida, Nijiko Kiyokawa, Nobuo Kaneko, Ken Takakura (The Valiant Red Peony), Tomisaburô Wakayama, Michitarô Mizushima, Kunio Murai, Mari Shiraki, Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Endô, Kôji Tsuruta, Kyôsuke Machida, Kô Nishimura (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation), Ken Takakura, Kanjûrô Arashi, Teruo Ishiyama, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Kanbi Fujiyama, Asao Koike, Kyôsuke Machida (Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game)

Release Date: June 17th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 12 Seconds (The Valiant Red Peony), 94 Minutes 49 Seconds (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation), 98 Minutes 9 Seconds (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £26.99 (UK)

"Set during the Meiji era, Red Peony Gambler stars Fuji as Ryuko Yano, the daughter of a gambler. When her father is murdered, Ryuko takes on a new name derived from the crimson flower tattooed on her shoulder – “Oryu, the Red Peony” – and sets out for revenge. Then, in Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation, Oryu falls in with a group of yakuza attempting to monopolise the silk trade. When machinations within the gang lead to a betrayal, the Red Peony takes action. Finally, in Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game, Oryu meets a pair of star-crossed lovers as she becomes embroiled in a conflict between rival yakuza clans." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (The Valiant Red Peony, Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game), 3.75/5 (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation)

Here’s the information given about the transfers, "1080p HD presentation of all three films from restorations of the original film elements supplied by Toei."

The Valiant Red Peony and Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.4 GB

Feature: 21.6 GB (The Valiant Red Peony) 21 GB (Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation)

Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.8 GB

Feature: 28.3 GB

The sources for The Valiant Red Peony and Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game look excellent, while the Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation has some minor print debris. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation is the weakest-looking of the three, and there are moments where image clarity is not on par with the other two films.

Audio:

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles.

All audio tracks are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include a theatrical trailer for The Valiant Red Peony (3 minutes 28 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation (3 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Chris Poggiali for The Valiant Red Peony, and an audio commentary with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema for Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation.

Extras on disc two include a theatrical trailer for Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game (3 minutes 31 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns titled Tony Rayns on Red Peony Gambler (19 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Tom Mes for Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game. 

Other extras include reversible cover art, a O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, A Flower Blooms Introducing the Red Peony Gambler Series written by Joe Hickenbottom, an essay titled Taking a Gamble Junko Fuji and the Red Peony Gambler Series written by Jennifer Coates, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing. 

Summary:

The Valiant Red Peony: The daughter of a murdered gambler has made it her life's mission to avenge her father's death.

Kôsaku Yamashita directed The Valiant Red Peony. He is also known for Big Time Gambling Boss, The Tattooed Hitman, Father of Kamikaze, and The Last True Yakuza.

The story of Ryuko Yano, aka The Red Peony, begins with her looking into the camera and introducing herself. This is a clever way to quickly provide backstory and jump right into the action. The character of Ryuko Yano lives in a world where deception often comes into play, and she has a code of honor that guides her on her journey. That said, despite laying out all of her cards right away, the narrative slowly reveals information about other key characters.

Though known for her exceptional card playing, early on there is a scene that showcases her equally impressive sword fighting skills. She carries a gun in addition to a sword; it proves useful when she's outnumbered. In the fight scenes, we see skillful execution, and there is an ample supply of carnage.

Sumiko Fuji’s portrayal of Ryuko Yano is the heart and soul of The Valiant Red Peony and the films that follow. She delivers a phenomenal performance of a strong female character who’s equal to her male counterparts in every way. So much about her character foreshadows the strong female characters that would dominate 1970s Toei films.

Though Sumiko Fuji’s performance is the focal point, the rest of the cast are not excellent in their roles. Another performance of note is Tomisaburô Wakayama’s (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance) portrayal of Torakichi Kumasaka, a yakuza boss who becomes weak in the knees whenever Ryuko Yano is around. It is always interesting seeing an actor portray a character against type. Ken Takakura (Abashiri Prison) portrays a yakuza named Katagiri Naoji; he knows the identity of the person who killed Ryuko Yano’s father.

After opening with an intense ambush sequence, the narrative then shifts towards a series of scenes where the protagonist resolves conflicts. Most of these moments are resolved without violence, and it is not until the finale where carnage erupts. Though the narrative is bookended by its two bloodiest moments, there is a lack of tension even when it comes to the moments in between. Ultimately, The Valiant Red Peony is an exemplary example of how to establish a protagonist and start a film series.

Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation: When the yakuza try to monopolize the silk industry, a group of farmers enlists the help of a wandering gambler named Ryuko Yano.

Norifumi Suzuki directed Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation. He is also known for Sex & Fury, School of the Holy Beast, Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls, Roaring Fire, and the first four films in the Sukeban film series.

For the second installment of the Red Peony Gambler film series, Norifumi Suzuki takes on the role of the director. Changing a director can reshape a series; this is not the case since Norifumi Suzuki, who wrote the screenplay for the first film, follows the blueprint of his predecessor. That said, anyone familiar with Norifumi Suzuki's more known films will be surprised by how different Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation is when compared to those films.

Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation picks right up where its predecessor left off; it even opens with Ryuko Yano introducing herself to the camera. This time around, instead of revenge, she’s now become an avenger who rights wrongs, and a lot more screen time is devoted to showcasing her card-playing skills. That said, characters, with the exception of Ryuko Yano, receive very little time for development.

Sumiko Fuji returns to the role of Ryuko Yano, and with one film under her belt, she’s even more confident in her performance. Though her character can become a killing machine at the drop of a hat, it is actually the calmer moments where her performance shines brightest. Notable actors are Kôji Tsuruta (Japan Organized Crime Boss) who portrays a wandering yakuza, Bunta Sugawara (Violent Streets), who portrays a short-fused yakuza, and Tomisaburô Wakayama (Killer’s Mission) returns in the role of Torakichi Kumasaka. Another performance of note is Mari Shiraki’s (Underworld Beauty) portrayal of a female gambler who rivals Ryuko Yano.

Despite having all of the elements and resources that its predecessor did, the result feels like a step backwards. Though there are no glaring pacing issues, the narrative overreliance on action and carnage instead of exposition is one of its shortcomings. That said, when it comes to moments of violence, this is an area where Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation always delivers. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation is another welcome addition to the story of Ryuko Yano.

Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game: A wandering gambler named Ryuko Yano finds herself in the middle of a dispute between two rival clans.

Tai Katô directed Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game. He is also known for Tokijiro: Lone Yakuza, Eighteen Years in Prison, The Ghost Story of Oiwa's Spirit, I, the Executioner, By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, and Beast in the Shadows.

Instead of Ryuko Yano looking into the camera and introducing herself, the narrative opens with a pre-credits sequence where she saves a blind girl’s life from an approaching train. This is not the only area where Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game differs from its predecessor. Where the first two Red Peony Gambler films have a similar vibe, Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game breaks away from its predecessor by going in a different direction. That said, this should not be a surprise to anyone familiar with the films of Tai Katô, a filmmaker whose work within genre cinema is anything remotely by the numbers.

Though Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game retains the core elements present in the two films that preceded it. Unlike those two films, which had moments that were similar, everything about Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game feels fresh and not a rehash of what came before. That said, there are several moments related to gambling, and there is an ample amount of carnage.

Sumiko Fuji’s portrayal of Ryuko Yano once again steals the show. Tomisaburô Wakayama (Sympathy for the Underdog) returns for a third time in the role of Torakichi Kumasaka, and Ken Takakura (Bullet Train), who appeared in The Valiant Red Peony, returns in a different role. The characters Ryuko Yano and Shogo Hanaoka force themselves into conflicting situations due to a shared code, adding depth to the unfolding story. Another performance of note is Nijiko Kiyokawa’s (Vengeance Is Mine) portrayal of a woman who impersonates Ryuko Yano.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game does not excel. Though the premise covers familiar ground, the execution of it ensures there is rarely a predictable moment. And when it comes to pacing, the narrative does a superb job building momentum towards a frantic bloodbath finale that serves as a perfect coda. Ultimately, Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game is an exceptional sequel that makes a strong case for being the best film in the series.

Red Peony Gambler 1–3 gets a solid release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer