Sympathy for the Underdog

Sympathy for the Underdog, also known by its Japanese romaji title Bakuto gaijin butai, is a Japanese crime drama film directed by Kinji Fukasaku.

Production and Crew

The film was directed by Kinji Fukasaku, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Fumio Konami and Hiro Matsuda. It was produced in Japan and features Japanese language dialogue.

Plot and Synopsis

The story follows Gunji, an aging Yakuza played by Koji Tsuruta, who is released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence. Facing a modern criminal underworld dominated by corporate-style gangs rather than traditional codes of honor, Gunji reforms his former gang. He takes control of the whiskey trade on the island of Okinawa before making a final stand against the mainland gang responsible for his imprisonment.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast of prominent Japanese actors associated with crime and action cinema:

• Koji Tsuruta as Gunji
• Noboru Ando as Shark
• Kenji Imai as Mad Dog Jiro
• Akiko Kudo
• Kenjiro Morokado as Gushken
• Hideo Murota
• Tomisaburo Wakayama as Yonabaru, Koza downtown boss
• Tsunehiko Watase
• Rinichi Yamamoto as Haderuma