"The Yakuza, Japan's answer to the Mafia, became the subject of films just as quickly as it was formed in the chaos of Post War Japan. It wasn't until 1957 that the Yakuza would get its own genre when Nikkatsu Studios produced the popular Film Noir inspired I Am Waiting, soon leading to a series of films that would be made until the 1980's.
Offering a mix of character study pieces, Action Thrillers, Moody Crime Dramas, and even the occasional tongue-n-cheek comedies, the Yakuza film offered a wide range of interest to fans and critics alike. The genre would hit a new standard in the mid seventies with heavy blood pack inspired violence that would keep it going for another several years. The Golden Age ended by the early 80's, but filmmakers like Takeshi Kitano and Takashi Miike keep the genre alive with their own interpretations of it."
