Fast, furious, and permeated by a devil-may-care attitude. Those are terms I would use to describe this humdinger of a chopsocky flick. That said, the sheer amount of fighting prowess is such that you’d be hard-pressed not to be in awe of it. Sure, the story takes a back seat as a result, but what is life without an excess of kinetic kicks and pulverizing punches? The beautiful Etsuko Shihomi is no stranger when it comes to answering that question, and so she lives up to the titular role. God only knows why she wasn’t rewarded for her involvement in martial arts films of this era, but I digress. 

Revenge is the name of the game as Yumi’s puts her father’s training to good use in order to avenge his death, and with that in mind, it is dish best served with many some rather thrilling moments. Have you ever seen a martial arts student get kicked so far that he breaks through a door? Have you ever been curious about a group of thugs getting knocked to the ground as payback for roughing up street vendors? Those are just two of the instances in which Yumi’s training pays off. She doesn’t hesitate to put her opponents in their place, which tops off her reign of violence nicely. 

It is odd that Sonny Chiba gets top billing despite not having much screen time, but he suits his role well as he balances fatherhood with martial arts mastery, so both elements are treated attentively. Plus, the opening sequence in which he goes up against Nikaido and his assassins sets the tone for the remainder of the film, so it is more than just a scene which depicts an unfair fight.

With a score which suits the energetic action and an abundance of poor dubbing, this is one martial arts offering that will have you reveling in its exploitative panache. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you best bet is to pop this in before you find yourself out cold by way of a high-flying kick.