Japanese movies have its unique charm that always entertain the audience. Japanese seamlessly blends two different genres and makes an attractive product. One such blend is the action crime genre. These movies also have the glimpse of the Japanese culture which is a pleasure to watch. From thrilling action sequences to its infamous yakuza groups, these elements make the viewers glued to their screen. If you are a fan of action crime genre then you should try Japanese movies and take a break from Hollywood. From timeless classics to modern adaptation, here is a compilation of best action crime Japanese film.
1. Hell Dogs
Hell Dogs was released in 2022. The film tells the story of Shogo Kanetaka. Sogo Kanetaka is a police officer with a past trauma when his loved one was murdered. Since then, he only has the feeling of revenge in his heart. He was then given a task to go undercover as a yakuza member and interact with another yakuza member named Hideki Murooka to step into the organization. The film is based on the novel with the same title and written by Akio Fukamachi. The movie is directed by Masato Harada and Junichi Okada, and Kentaro Sakaguchi plays the lead roles.
2. The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill
The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill was released in 2021. The movie tells the story of Akira. Akira was a legendry killer, but now he lives an ordinary life with his partner Yoko as siblings, after he was overworked. Now he works part-time in a design company, Octopus. But the employees in the company doesn’t know about his background as a killer. The movie is directed by Kan Eguchi and Okada Junichi, Tsutsumi Shinichi, and Hirate Yurina play the lead roles.
3. The Confidence Man JP
The Confidence Man JP was released in 2019. The movie revolves around Ran Riu. Ran Riu was a member of a triad in Hong Kong. She was called Ice Princess because of her cold behavior towards people. She possessed the world’s best diamond and a group of people wanted to steal that diamond from her. Meanwhile, a handsome con man, Jessie, wanted to get his hands on the diamond. The movie is directed by Ryo Tana. Nagasawa Masami, Higashide Masahiro, Kohinata Fuimiyo, and Oda Lisa play the lead roles.
4. Joker Game
Joker Game was released in 2015. The movie is set on a fictitious second world war at an Asian international city. Lieutenant Colonel Yuki runs a soy training school called “D Kikan.” In the other side of the story, Kato is facing capital punishment, then he is scouted by D Kikan. After going through a rough training, he is assigned with his first mission to get the Black Note from American ambassador Graham. The movie is directed by Irie Yu and Kamenashi Kazuya, Fukada Kyoko, and Iseya Yusuke play the lead roles.
5. First Love
First Love was released in 2019. The movie revolves around a man named Leo and his first love, Monica. Leo is a rising boxer who works at a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Yuri is a drug addict and struggling to pay off her father’s debt. Unfortunately, she is trapped in an illegal drug scandal by a corrupt officer who is also a yakuza member and his girlfriend. The story progresses as Leo meets Yuri and helps her escape addiction and deal with the corrupt officer. The movie is directed by Miike Takashi and Kubota Masataka and Konishi Sakurako play the lead roles.
6. Outrage Beyond
Outrage Beyond was released in 2012. The movie is set along a rigorous battle between several yakuza clans who fight for their head family in Japanese underworld. There is also seen politics among the yakuza clans as they make alliances and conspire against their familiar rivals. The film is directed and written by Beat Takeshi and Nishida Toshiyuki. Kase Ryo, Miru Tomokazu, and Kohinata play the lead roles.
7. Caution, Hazardous Wife
Caution, Hazardous Wife was released in 2021. The movie is based on the drama series with the same title. Nami Isayama is an exceptional agent who lives as the wife of Yuki Isayama in disguise. Yuki doesn’t know about the real identity of his wife. Meanwhile, Yuki is also deceiving his wife. He pretends to be an ordinary office worker, but in reality, he is a secret agent in the Public Security Department. The movie is directed by Toya Sato and written by Yukiko Manabe. Ayase Haruka and Nishijima Hidetoshi play the lead roles in the film.
8. Violence Action
Violence Action was released in 2022. The film tells the story of Kei Kikuno. Kei Kikuno attends a vocational school, also works as a contract killer. She is known to be excellent in her job and, is fearless, which keeps her going. One day she receives most challenging task that she had never done before. The movie is directed by Toichiro Ruto and written by Era Itaru. Hashimoto Kanna plays the lead role in the film.
9. Mr. Long
Mr. Long was released in 2017. The film tells the story of a professional hitman named Long. He flees to a small town after the assignment given to him did not go, as planned. One day, a young boy, Jun, brings water and some clothes for him. He then settles in a small house and prepares meals for him and Jun as Jun’s mother is a drug addict. Soon the cooking skills of Long became famous in the town and the people set up a small food stall for him. Jun’s mother also got rid of her addiction with Long’s help. The movie is directed and written by Sabu. Chang Chen, Eleven Yao, and Bai Run Yin play the lead role in the film.
10. Shippu Nijimaru-gumi
Shippu Nijimaru-gumi was released in 2014. The film revolves around school friends who became a thug gang as an adult. Haguro Shoumaru and Nijikawa Jun were childhood buddies. As they grew up, they formed their gang with a goal of becoming he powerful in the area so that they can get their hands on the treasure in the military base. With Shoumaru behind the bars, Nijikawa has to lead the group by his own. Takagi Manpei, Takeuchi, an Ozeki Riku play the lead roles in the movie.
