Red Peony Gambler (1968): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1968, Red Peony Gambler is an action, comedy, thriller and drama film directed by Kōsaku Yamashita, running about 98 minutes.

What it’s about. Ryuko was raised by her father, a gambler named Senzo Yano in Kumamoto, Kyushu, after her mother died when she was little. When she turned 18 years old, her father was attacked and killed by a stranger in alley. Ryuko then dissolves her yakuza family, and, carrying the wallet left by the killer, she sets out on a journey to avenge her father's death. Five years later, she wanders the nation, known only as! Red Peony Oryu who has a red peony tattooed on her shoulder and has the defiance and courage of a man. She meets Katagiri - a loner gambler, Kumatora - boss of a family in Shikoku, and Otaka - female boss of the Doman Family in Osaka. With their help, she finally catches up with the man who murdered her father.

Who’s in it. Red Peony Gambler stars Sumiko Fuji as Hibotan no Ryu, Ken Takakura as Naoki Katagiri, Kyōsuke Machida as Fujimatsu, the Immortal and Tomisaburō Wakayama as Torakichi Kumasaka, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, Red Peony Gambler has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Red Peony Gambler page.

If you liked it. Fans of Red Peony Gambler tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.