When recession hits, loan shark Ginjiro Manda from Osaka comes to the aid of small business owners. But in doing so, he finds himself up against the yakuza, who are there to collect their debts.
The King of Minami was released in 1992, shortly after Japan's economic bubble burst, and its timeless story struck a chord. Middle-class men, who were hardest hit by the recession, were therefore the main target audience for V-Cinema. Thanks to them, the film was a success. The series that emerged from it became the V-Cinema series, with over 50 sequels, stage adaptations and an ongoing television series.
The King of Minami also served as a springboard for actor Takeuchi Riki, who, due to his handsome appearance, had mainly played supporting roles in mainstream films such as Gosha Hideo's Yakuza Wives and Obayashi Nobuhiko's His Motorbike, Her Island. His portrayal of Ginjiro Manda marked the beginning of a successful career as the star of countless straight-to-video productions (around twenty per year), earning him the nickname “King of V-Cinema”. He also appears in Crime Hunter and Miike Takashi's Fudoh: The New Generation in this programme.
