This is a just a quick supplement to Ardvark’s excellent review of “Konketsuji Rika”. Let me first say that I definitely agree with most of what Ardvark had to say regarding his impressions of “Rika” but wanted to add just a couple of things that may be of interest to those wanting to either rent or watch the movie.
As Ardvark mentioned “Rika” was Toho studio’s attempt to compete and trump rival Toei’s “Pinky Violence” 70s exploitation films like “Sukeban Bancho” (1973), “Sukeban Guerilla” (1972), “The Zubeko Bancho” series(1970-1974) and “The Sukeban Blues” series (1971-1973).
Screenwriter Bonten Taro’s story shares many similar themes with the Toei movies which it tried to emulate…you have the noble “sukeban” (bad girl)heroine whom the fates seemed determined to undermine at every chance and who always made the wrong decisions in life which often times led to crime, death and revenge.
Director Nakahira Ko infused “Rika” with all the elements of a typical Pinky Violence film: the bitter rivalries between beautiful gang leaders, the skimpy 70s fashions and go-go boots, imprisonment and torture, the tragic love romance between the heroine and a strong but equally noble male Yakuza, the obligatory rape scenes and cat fights and the unapologetic and often gratuitous scenes of grim violence and over-the-top action.
Star Aoki Rika isn’t pretty like other Sukeban heroines such as Ike Reiko, Sugimoto Rika and Oshida Reiko. She doesn’t have the stunt woman background of Shihomi Etsuko and is not as graceful or alluring as Kaji Meiko. What makes her unique is that she is a “half” (Caucasian/Asian “hapa” mix) and is tall (she stood considerably taller than her opponents both male and female). She is more of a tough brawler and she
fights almost like a man with a lot of punching, kicking and wrestling involved. She is Tamara Dobson’s “Cleopatra Jones” to Pam Grier’s “Coffy”.
There are parts were it is obvious that Rika is being doubled for a male stuntman especially in the end where we see her riding a motorcycle. I can’t tell if her fights are also like that but it could be as Rika looks very “mannish” in some of her fight scenes.
As Ardvark mentioned the acting is bad but it is basically on the same level as the other Pinky Violence movies I’ve seen. Aoki Rika “lip syncs” a lot of her singing in the movie and I wonder how much of her dialog is also dubbed (sometimes it seems like the voice track doesn’t quite match her lips).
I was hoping that more focus would be placed on her unique ethnic, mixed background as Toho did in the similar but much better “Noraneko Rock: Sex Hunter” but unfortunately very little mention was made regarding this. Rika did have an interesting friend in fellow mixed cell-mate Hanako (Muneta Masumi playing a mixed “hapa” Black/Asian), who is in love with a G.I. trying to avoid the Vietnam War.
I kind of wish that the producers had gotten someone like eurasian singer/actress Yamamoto Linda or stunt woman Mitchie Love (both who are also mixed but who were signed with Toei) to play the heroine but then again maybe Aoki Rika’s rough look is keeping with the tone of the movie.
I tried to find more information on Aoki but couldn’t find anything on her which makes me suspect that 1) she was one of those part-time actors 2) an alias/stagename and not her real name 3) just wasn’t a good enough star to make other movies. Oddly enough there is an “Aoki Rika” who is an AV actress but I don’t think it’s the same girl.
In the end “Konketsuji Rika” is a good attempt by Toho to match Toei’s Pinky Violence films but is neither one of the best nor one or the worst of the genre. It is an interesting if but flawed piece of Japanese sexploitation and 70s violence cinema that is more of a curiosity piece and will appeal to die hard fans of the genre.
