Diamond

In the downtown area, the "Kitano-gumi" Yakuza organization has deep roots. With its old-school Yakuza spirit, it has been trusted by the local community. The organization’s baseball team, led by former professional baseball player and young boss Nishida (played by Yoshihiko Takahashi), is popular in the area, filled with former baseball players. However, the town is being swallowed by the redevelopment plans of the wealthy SFF Company. With no tourism resources, the downtown area has turned into a shuttered shopping district. One day, the chairman of the local merchants' association, who had been showing desperate resistance, mysteriously dies. The Kitano-gumi, suspicious of the police’s handling of the case as an accident, begins its own investigation. The organization uncovers a connection to SFF Company and a shadowy new group from Kansai, the Fujinami-gumi. This sets the stage for the conflict between the Kitano-gumi and the Fujinami-gumi...

Directed by Toshiyuki Honma, Diamond leans on a strong ensemble — Yoshihiko Takahashi, Keita Machida, Rika Adachi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2013.