Hooray! Japonica: Hibotan Bakuto Series / Who is Lady Snowblood?

Some of you may think Hibotan Bakuto series is the same kind as Lady Snowblood.

Yes, in some ways the two movie series are quite similar.

1. A heroine fights against her enemies for vengeance. (Both had their fathers being murdered)
2. Stories take place in the late 19th / early 20th century.

3. She can gamble as a professional dicer and/or card player.

4. She hides her weapon in a handy equipment i.e. flute bag and umbrella

Lady Snowblood / 1973

However Hibotan Bakuto and Lady Snowblood are completely different in some essential ways. A definite fact is that O-Yuki (means snow) is not Yakuza whereas O-Ryu of Hibotan lives her life tenaciously following the rules of Yakuza society. Even though O-Ryu eventually punishes the baddies at the end of each story, she waits patiently for the last moment before she finally takes her sword to keep the order of the society. On the other hand, O-Yuki lives solely for vengeance, to kill the enemies who murdered her father and destroyed her so-to-be happy family. O-Yuki does not follow any rules of any society but her own.

Another difference is the two women's upbringings. O-Ryu of Hibotan was born as a daughter of Yakuza boss but nurtured as a modest girl with intelligence happily only until her father got killed and the Yakuza family scattered. O-Yuki was born as a child of her mother and one of the men who killed her father. Having been raped by the man, O-Yuki's mother kills him and goes to the jail where she gives birth to O-Yuki. After the delivery, she leaves a curse to kill all the men and woman who murdered her husband on O-Yuki and dies in prison. So from the day she was born, O-Yuki's is totally controlled by the lifelong purpose; vengeance. She is then raised and trained by her mentor who completes his job to transform the young girl into a killing machine. Each day training session in her early days is almost hilarious.

Although I personally prefer Hibotan Bakuto mainly because of O-Ryu's good manners as Yakuza woman, I am still fascinated by the almost perfect beauty of the actress Meiko Kaji who played the role of O-Yuki in Snowblood.

This is the lady who mesmerized Quentin Tarantino and had him make Kill Bill!

What about take a brief look at the Kimono fashion in Lady Snowlood;
O-Yuki is not living in Yakuza world therefore her Kimono style is different from Hibotan O-Ryu.

Sometimes in stripes...

And in white with butterfly patterns

Hairdo can be more feminine like this

Another striped Kimono

Watch out! Snowblood has a blade hidden in her umbrella.

And feminine purple Kimono...

Readers who have gone through my last topic about Hakata Obi belt and different ways of Obi tie may notice that O-Yuki shares a very similar taste with O-Ryu as to the Obi belt style.

Red and black Hakata Obi belts with Dokko patterns

In Koken Musubi or Koken tie style

Actually, Hakata Obi belt is designed for casual scenes. And not like other silk Obi belts, Hakata can be worn all year round. Well, some Kimono items are very strict for when to be worn according to each month. Hakata Obi belt represents casually fashionable Kimono way very well just like denim garments.

Hibotan O-Ryu always stays calm and somehow elegant.
Her Kimono fashion is simpler and more stylish than O-Yuki who is rather sexy and feminine.

It is the most attractive element of the Hibotan Bakuto series that this beautiful, lady-like young woman who strictly follows the rules of her society eventually takes her weapon and fights in major Yakuza raids to straighten things.

Once her vengeance on the murderer who killed her father accomplished in the first film of the series, O-Ryu's lifelong purpose now is shifted to reestablish her own Yakuza family. She inherited it from her father. She is much more privileged than O-Yuki the Snowblood.

After all, Hibotan Bakuto is Ninkyo Eiga or chivalrous Yakuza gamblers films whereas Lady Snowblood is all about bloody vengeance just like Tarantino's Kill Bill!

Lucky Manekineko made Intro Movie called Kill Ebi (Kill the shrimp)