Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972) Ginchô wataridori | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Title: Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972)

Alternate Title: Ginchô Wataridori

Genre: Crime, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
After serving a three-year prison sentence for killing a high-ranking yakuza member, Nami returns to Tokyo’s Ginza district. She moves in with her uncle, who owns a billiard hall, and befriends Ryuji, a local pimp. To support herself, Nami becomes a hostess in a Ginza club, where she quickly gains popularity. However, her past catches up with her as she becomes entangled in a local gangster’s scheme to take over the bar she works for.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
• Writers:
  • Isao Matsumoto
  • Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
• Cast:
  • Meiko Kaji as Nami
  • Tsunehiko Watase as Ryuji
  • Tatsuo Umemiya
  • Kōji Nanbara
  • Akiko Koyama

IMDb Link:
Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Nathan Stuart – ★★★☆☆
   “After being released from prison for killing a Yakuza Boss, Nami (Meiko Kaji) heads back to Ginza and takes a job as a hostess in order to send money to the wife and son of the Boss she killed.”
2. More_Badass – ★★★★☆
   “Meiko Kaji displays a lot of charismatic range in this, much more cheerful and melancholic than other roles I’ve seen of hers. The familiar fire simmers as her ex-con looks to make amends for past sins.”
3. dustin d – ★★★☆☆
   “Wandering Ginza Butterfly is a stylish and unique Japanese crime film. Meiko Kaji gives a more human performance than in the Lady Snowblood or Scorpion series, often smiling and laughing, along with being enraged.”

Meta Description:
Wandering Ginza Butterfly (1972), also known as Ginchô Wataridori, is a Japanese crime drama directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. The film stars Meiko Kaji as Nami, an ex-convict who becomes a hostess in Tokyo’s Ginza district after serving time for killing a yakuza member. As she attempts to rebuild her life, she becomes entangled in the criminal underworld she sought to escape.