The Most Terrible Time of My Life (NR)

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synopsis

The Place is the down side of Yokohama, an area populated with migrant workers from Asia-China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and more recently, Iran. the atmosphere is international and the action fast. The hero is Maiku Hama - a delinquent turned private eye who operates out of the second floor of the local movie theater. One day Maiku visits the local mahjong place and ends up helping a young waiter from Taiwan, Hai Ting, who gets into a fight with two yakuza punks. Through this incident, Maiku and Hai Ting become fast friends. It turns out that young Chinese is in Japan to look for his long-lost brother, De Jian. When Hai Ting learns that Maiku is a private eye, he asks Maiku to help him look for his brother. Maiku goes to the Yokohama Immigration Bureau to get some information on De Jian, but on the way out he meets his old nemesis, Lieutenant Nakayama, who knows Maiku from his days as a delinquent. Nakayama mentions something in passing about some yakuza punks who were recently murdered. Maiku contacts his old buddy Hoshino to get the low-down. Hoshino is a Yokohama cabby who knows everything that's happening around town and will tell-for a price. According to Hoshino, the Hong Kong and Taiwanese Mafia are planning an all-out war on Japanese turf, and Lt. Nakayama is on the trail of the Hong Kong Black Dog Gang. The Black Dog Gang is headed by a ruthless Chinese thug who has taken on Japanese citizenship and who insists his fellow Chinese gang members also become naturalized. It seems De Jian is involved with this group. As Maiku gets to know Hai Ting, he learns that Hai Ting and his brother were abandoned by their parents when very young, and now De Jian is Hai Ting's only family. Maiku feels an affinity to Hai Ting; he himself is parentless and has only his little sister. With this common bond, their friendship deepens, and Maiku vows to do all he can to find De Jian. Maiku and Hoshino break into the black Dog Gang's office to get more information. They are almost caught but manage to get away with proof that De Jian is in fact a member with the naturalized name Yamamoto. Mike has a sickening premonition that things will not turn out well. In the meantime, Maiku's mentor, Shishido, comes to warn Maiku to stay clear, otherwise he will find himself in the middle of a gang war. Maiku resists the advice: even if De Jian is a member of the vicious Black Dog Gang, Maiku has made a promise and is duty bound to reunite the two brothers. Little does he know that Hai Ting has his own reason for finding De Jian. The day Maiku learns that reason is literally the most terrible time in his life.

details

Drama
1 hr. 32 min.
Opened August 25th, 2000

MovieGoer Review

A down-and-out Japanese gumshoe stumbles into a gang war in Kaizo Hayashi's finger-chopping film noir tribute/parody.

Story

Yokohama private dick Maiku "Mike" Hama scratches out a living taking on small cases for his ... MORE

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synopsis

The Place is the down side of Yokohama, an area populated with migrant workers from Asia-China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and more recently, Iran. the atmosphere is international and the action fast. The hero is Maiku Hama - a delinquent turned private eye who operates out of the second floor of the local movie theater. One day Maiku visits the local mahjong place and ends up helping a young waiter from Taiwan, Hai Ting, who gets into a fight with two yakuza punks. Through this incident, Maiku and Hai Ting become fast friends. It turns out that young Chinese is in Japan to look for his long-lost brother, De Jian. When Hai Ting learns that Maiku is a private eye, he asks Maiku to help him look for his brother. Maiku goes to the Yokohama Immigration Bureau to get some information on De Jian, but on the way out he meets his old nemesis, Lieutenant Nakayama, who knows Maiku from his days as a delinquent. Nakayama mentions something in passing about some yakuza punks who were recently murdered. Maiku contacts his old buddy Hoshino to get the low-down. Hoshino is a Yokohama cabby who knows everything that's happening around town and will tell-for a price. According to Hoshino, the Hong Kong and Taiwanese Mafia are planning an all-out war on Japanese turf, and Lt. Nakayama is on the trail of the Hong Kong Black Dog Gang. The Black Dog Gang is headed by a ruthless Chinese thug who has taken on Japanese citizenship and who insists his fellow Chinese gang members also become naturalized. It seems De Jian is involved with this group. As Maiku gets to know Hai Ting, he learns that Hai Ting and his brother were abandoned by their parents when very young, and now De Jian is Hai Ting's only family. Maiku feels an affinity to Hai Ting; he himself is parentless and has only his little sister. With this common bond, their friendship deepens, and Maiku vows to do all he can to find De Jian. Maiku and Hoshino break into the black Dog Gang's office to get more information. They are almost caught but manage to get away with proof that De Jian is in fact a member with the naturalized name Yamamoto. Mike has a sickening premonition that things will not turn out well. In the meantime, Maiku's mentor, Shishido, comes to warn Maiku to stay clear, otherwise he will find himself in the middle of a gang war. Maiku resists the advice: even if De Jian is a member of the vicious Black Dog Gang, Maiku has made a promise and is duty bound to reunite the two brothers. Little does he know that Hai Ting has his own reason for finding De Jian. The day Maiku learns that reason is literally the most terrible time in his life.

details

Drama
1 hr. 32 min.
Opened August 25th, 2000

MovieGoer Review

A down-and-out Japanese gumshoe stumbles into a gang war in Kaizo Hayashi's finger-chopping film noir tribute/parody.

Story

Yokohama private dick Maiku "Mike" Hama scratches out a living taking on small cases for his ... MORE