Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 28, 2024

Radiance may be slowly but surely bringing out the films in the so-called Bakuto series from Toei, and in that regard it may be helpful for some to read my Big Time Gambling Boss Blu-ray review, since that release from Radiance offered some supplements that gave some information on the series which perhaps aids in understanding context. If Big Time Gambling Boss was, as I mentioned in that review, a kind of exercise in Succession (so to speak), Sympathy for the Underdog might be more of an exercise in what might be called rematriculation, as a Yakuza honcho named Masuo Gunji (Kōji Tsuruta) is hoping to reclaim his old territory which has been co-opted by an old nemesis. As some of the supplements on this disc get into, there's some rather interesting, if for Westerners potentially challenging to completely fathom, "regional" intrigue involved vis a vis the film's setting in Okinawa, and its history of being controlled by Americans in the post-World War II era.

Commentator Nathan Stuart also offers some information on the Bakuto series, though it's not strictly necessary to understand this film as part of a larger franchise, and the distinctive use of Okinawa as a kind of hotbed for all sorts of nefarious influences, including both Japanese and American, offers substantial "standalone" content. There's a rather interesting subtext here in terms of what the American occupation of Okinawa, which was soon to end within a year of this film's release. But the actual focal interest from a gut level emotional standpoint may simply be the story of an "old school" gangster having to adjust to some "new" ways of doing business, but perhaps ironically finding out that time tested threatening behaviors can be helpful in establishing dominance.

Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sympathy for the Underdog is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.34:1. Radiance's insert booklet offers only the following pretty generic information about the transfer:

Sympathy for the Underdog was transferred in high definition by Toei Co. Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a high definition digital file.

A lot of this transfer boasts really nice densities and commendable saturation, and the palette can pop very nicely, especially in terms of some primaries like reds. There is still a somewhat prevalent green-yellow undertone that can slightly tweak things, making flesh tones in particular a little sickly looking at times. Detail levels are typically excellent in close-ups. As is often the case with some Asian films in particular, there are noticeable anamorphic anomalies which can be spotted in some of the screenshots accompanying this review, where parts of the frame can be squeezed. Grain is quite heavy a lot of the time, but adds to the organic texture of the viewing experience.

Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sympathy for the Underdog features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that can show just a bit of harsh brightness in the upper most registers, something that's probably most noticeable with regard to a rather interesting score by Takeo Yamashita that combines almost Swingle Singers-esque vocalese with ethnic instruments like what sounds like a koto. There's some minimal background hiss that can be discerned in quieter moments, but which is probably made more noticeable due to the brightness of the high end. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Nathan Stuart


• Olivier Hadouchi (HD; 27:05) features the biographer of Fukasaku discussing the film. Subtitled in English.


• That Distant Territory (HD; 25:51) is a really interesting visual essay by Aaron Gerow which focuses on the "meaning" of Okinawa as a location in various Japanese films, including this one.


• Trailer (HD; 2:47)

Additionally, Radiance provides a nicely appointed insert booklet with new writing by Bastian Meiresonne and an archival review, along with the typical cast and crew and technical information. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve and Radiance's obi strip.

Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kōji Tsuruta is cooler than cool in Sympathy for the Underdog (you have to kind of love a guy that keeps his sunglasses on in bed with a woman) and provides the film with a lot of energy. The story may be kind of rote in a way, but the Okinawan setting gives the film a really distinctive flavor, one whose appreciation is aided by some of the supplements Radiance has included with this release. Technical merits are generally solid. Recommended.