In the vast plethora of exploitation films of the 60s and 70s that fostered a female vigilante as their protagonist, the “Red Peony Gambler” series was one of the most successful, resulting in eight episodes that screened from 1968 to 1972. Toei tried to build up on that success with a new series titled “Red Silk Gambler”, essentially copying the premises of the original work, since the only differences between the two characters is that the latter had a lily tattoo instead of a peony. Poor box office receipts (at a time when audiences in generally were vanishing) meant the film did not launch a new series after all, although neither the commercial failure nor the copying mean that the film is not of quality.

The story is based on a novel by Oniroku Dan, and revolves around a woman nicknamed Tiger Lily, who, as the film begins, visits a rich man’s house,...