Meiko Kaji has been great in a number of films, but even she can't save this film from an uninspired script and wholly lackluster direction. The story is a combination of a womens' "weepie" about the protagonist's trials and tribulations after serving a three-year prison hitch, and though the DVDs packaging would lead one to believe it's an action-packed story about a yakuza chick who's very handy with a sword, there is no action whatsoever until the last ten minutes or so, and what little we get is just not worth the uninvolving buildup. I love Japanese cinema and have endured far worse than WANDERING GINZA BUTTERFLY, but its overwhelming mediocrity dooms it to the "I have better things to do than watch this" category. Skip this and check out Kaji in the vastly superior LADY SNOWBLOOD. You won't be disappointed by that one!
Review of Wandering Ginza Butterfly
