The Bamboo Gods Project: Manila Gokudo Wars (1992)

1992 - Manila Gokudo Wars (Toei V-Cinema)

[Japanese co-production filmed entirely in the Philippines and released direct-to-video in Japan; full title "Medal Of The Underworld: Manila Gokudo Wars"/暗黒街の勲章マニラ極道戦争]

Director Kiyoshi Miyokoshi Screenplay Ei Ogawa, Shinichi Tominaga Producers Shin Yoneyama, Ken Watanabe Cinematography Mamoru Chishiki Music Shinsuke Kikuchi

Cast Tatsuo Nadaka (Kanzaki), Romano Kristoff (Gomez), Naomi Akimoto (Kyoka), Shingo Kazami (Hamaguchi), Robert Marius (Colonel Reid), Choei Takahashi (Shibata), Rokko Tora (Lin), Keiko Hata (Miyuki) [uncredited] Archi Adamos (Kanzaki's Henchman)

CRIME/ACTION

NOTES by Andrew Leavold: Released in 1992 at a time when cinema releases were no longer viable for many titles, even Yakuza-themed action films, Manila Gokudo Wars ("Gokudo" is Japanese for "extreme path" and refers to organized crime in general or the Yakuza specifically) is an ambitious example of V-Cinema, a term for direct-to-video features named after Toie's own VHS label. The trailer to Manila Gokudo Wars even states it was the very first V-Cinema film to be shot entirely overseas - and only one of many Japanese direct-to-video features filmed in the Philippines - with Japanese actor and Silver Star regular Ken Watanabe acting as Line Producer. Manila locations include the business district of Makati, the sleazy bars in Ermita, and the adjoining Manila Bay.

And the patch of earth where the Japanese built a large complex of grass huts and guard towers, only to blow them to smithereens at the end? I asked my friend Archi Adamos who plays one of Kanzaki's henchman, as he dies a hero's death there amidst the explosions. "Somewhere Northeast," Archi recalled over Facebook chat, "Tungkol area in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. Area known at the time as Asia Land, where usually former foreign-produced films about the Vietnam War would be locations for shooting. I was fortunate to have participated in about 5-6 films (always as a 'Chicano-looking' soldier)!!"

ONE EXPLOSION AFTER ANOTHER: MANILA GOKUDO WARS reviewed by Paul John Blair (Our Man in Japan)

There are three main crime organizations in Manila run by three men - Kanzaki (a yakuza boss and Japanese national), Gomez (a Spaniard) and Lin (an elderly Chinese mafia boss).

Kanzaki is definitely the one out of the three men to have the best standing as he runs the gun smuggling trade from the American army base and is very close to a certain General Graham. Kanzaki developed an arms smuggling route to Japan through his export fruit company. Everyone is financially benefitting from this scheme and nobody gets hurt in the process.

However, somebody wants to upset the banana cart…

Japanese yakuza boss Shibata of the Kanto Rengou group is in town and wants to replace the weapons smuggling with drugs and kick off his ambitions by attacking one of the vehicles of the Kanzaki group and stealing the weapons inside. Kanzaki learns about this and is wondering whether his Spanish and Chinese partners are involved. Kanzaki has a chat with both men and puts his suspicions to one side for now.

Unbeknown to Kanzaki, his underling Hamaguchi had stolen a scrubber called Miyuki from Shibata back in Japan and had eloped to Manila. Shibata has decided to kill two birds with one by taking over the smuggling ring and replacing it with heroin trafficking and getting his petty revenge on Hamaguchi by kidnapping Miyuki as collateral.

Shibata also wants Hamaguchi to betray Kanzaki.

Things escalate very quickly as Shibata has managed to convince Gomez and Lin to join his scheme. In a very cheesy scene Shibata, Lin, Gomez and a man called Colonel Reid do an informal sakazuki ceremony- the bonding of yakuza brotherhood. Reid is the new man inside the army base who will side with Shibata. This piece of shit will kill the general and make it look like a suicide.

The next step is to assassinate Kanzaki in one of his clubs…

Kanzaki survives the hit but is informed that his wife has been kidnapped and is being held in paddy field by Kyoko a female assassin who works for Shibata. Unfortunately, Kanzaki`s Filipina wife is killed in a helicopter and M-16 attack that was clearly meant to conveniently take out all three - this dishonorable behavior disgusts Kyoko and in true old school Toei yakuza film fashion she teams up with the man she was supposed to take out.

Things go from bad to worse when Hamaguchi finds out Miyuki is actually part of the betrayal and was used as bait to get Hamaguchi drawn in to betray his boss. The poor bastard learns the hard way when he goes to threaten Shibata and finds Miyuki there in the office dressed like a tart and looking very healthy.

Not enough for you?

Hamaguchi is forced to play Russian roulette with Miyuki while the bosses bet and watch. Miyuki doesn’t make it in the game. Kanzaki turns up resembling Chuck Norris in Delta Force rather than a yakuza hero such as Ken Takakura or Koji Tsuruta. He saves his underling but discovers he has been pumped with horse and now hooked on it.

So, we have two nudge-nudge, wink-wink film references - The Deer Hunter and French Connection 2. They all head to a cave where assassin for hire Kyoko even declares her newfound allegiance to Kanzaki while Hamaguchi during cold turkey gets sniped by one of Shibata`s men in the shadows.

“IT`S WAR!” cries Kanzaki.

Firstly, Kanzaki takes out Lin unceremoniously in his warehouse of drugs before he and his men are morphed into an all in black full blown mini army donning some serious weaponry as they attack Gomez, and Shibata at their jungle lair. These dope peddling tricks aren’t playing either as they have an elite khakis-and-red-beret squad themselves - most likely on loan from Colonel Reid.

Remember him?

Kanzaki and his men overpower the rival militia, and it ends up a man-on-man knife fight between himself and Gomez in which Rambo style blades replace the standard yakuza tanto short sword.

When in Manila…

I actually forgot about Colonel Reid but he comes back from nowhere with a full tank brigade causing Kanzaki to turn from Chuck Norris into Stallone ala Rambo 3 taking on the whole army himself. Even the evil shite bag Shibata is back with a machine gun but not for long as he is filled with bullets ruining his $100 white double-breasted suit that he had tailor made by a Sikh on a stopover at Hong Kong!

Kanzaki and Kyoko walk off into the distance and away from the carnage being the only two alive. She gives him a hug, but it doesn’t feel like love and more like respect as they both just took down an entire squadron of Filipino soldiers and foreign gangsters together.

THREE falling goons from guard towers; a fourth (clearly
a dummy) is about to be roasted in an exploding tower.

Phew!

Bear in mind, this is a film with a trailer that boasts –

THE JAPANESE WHO REIGN OVER THE UNDERWORLD

JAPAN`S BIGGEST AND MOST VIOLENT ARMY

SLAUGHTER AND CARNAGE ONLY!

For a V-Cinema film it is no surprise it has a story so profound it could be written on the back of a Chiquita banana. In saying that, there is so much going on action wise and with the foreign locations it feels much grander. Not to mention the plentiful guns and helicopters (on loan from the Philippine army no doubt) that certainly make the film seem much bigger in scale and budget than what it actually is.

One word - EXPLOSIONS!

A Little Something About the Cast and Crew...

The leading man Tatsuo Nadaka is primarily a television actor with scores of appearances under his belt from the late 70s to the present plus he had a brief music career and experience in theatre.

Naomi Akimoto was an idol and J-Pop singer in the early 1980s with over ten albums to her name. She is a television and radio actress as well as appearing in films.

Keiko Hata is a television and film actress who made other V-Cinema works with an erotic emphasis.

Romano Kristoff is a Spanish actor and veteran of low budget Philippine action cinema who definitely needs no introduction on here.

Choei Takahashi is a face easily well known for his work with the late Japanese director Juzo Itami.

Robert Marius (1958-2008) was also another foreigner who had roles in low budget Filipino action cinema. He can also be seen in Lucio Fulci`s fateful Zombie 3 (1987) which was lensed in The Philippines.

The wonderful character actor Rokko Tora (1930-1993) as the Chinese mafia leader Lin is perhaps the most famous name in this being an instantly recognizable face from the films of Nagisa Oshima. Never a leading man, Tora was a staple of chanbara, art house, political, and exploitation cinema. His voice is also distinct from the many narrations he did in Japanese cinema. He also got the privilege of whispering English into David Bowie`s ear in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) with his role as the military lawyer.

The late great composer Shinsuke Kikuchi (1931-2021) is nothing short of a legend in terms of his output in the film scoring business having composed stuff such as the SCI-FI horror classic Goke Body Snatcher from Hell (1968), martial arts crackers such as the Sister Streetfighter series (1974), the brutal pinky violence entry Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs (1974), commercial television shows such as the first series of Kamen Rider (1971-1989), and legendary anime Dragon Ball Z (1986-2011) being only the tip of the iceberg of his work. I assume maestro Kikuchi did not turn his nose up at scoring V-Cinema films as long as the cheques came through the letterbox…