Fudoh: The New Generation: Viewer Comments

"Fudoh" stands high among the highlights of the early work of Takashi Miike. The film brings many of the themes of the shock-yakuza films Miike is best known for. The ultra-violence, absurd sex scenes, and unexpected characters (with certain unexpected talents, including darts) can all be found here. The story follows young Fudoh as he witnesses the assassination of his older brother at the hands of his Yakuza ganglord father. After tattooing himself in his older brother's blood, young Fudoh vows revenge against his father and all those "old-generation" yakuza involved in his death. Fudoh recruits fellow classmates in his own Yakuza syndicate to assist in the killing of these people. The beginning of the film depicts the death of the four councilmen of the gang, all of whom die in extremely original and gory ways. This sets the stage for a tale of revenge that only Miike can tell. The rest of the film is equally enjoyable and never lets down the pace it started out at. So for those who love the absurd violent-style Miike films, much like "Ichi The Killer", this is a must-see. Having seen nearly 40 Miike films, "Fudoh" is not my favorite but is definitely in the top 10. Maybe not the best film to get introduced to Miike, but definitely worthy of your collection once you learn of the brilliance that is Takashi Miike.