This was a very enjoyable movie to watch for its engaging visual style and suspenseful dramatic action. Mifune is a beast as always, portraying another smart-talking, sword-swinging badass who also has a heart of gold. A classic trope for him and for the genre, and it plays well within the confines of this small town gang war. The dark humor of the film also contributes to this quite well. The one gripe I have with the film is its pacing, which is a little slow to my liking. However the film picks up greatly in the second half, shifting both its tone and the plot to keep the audience guessing. My favorite moments of the film were the great framing shots taken inside buildings and whatnot, portraying the various happenings in the main town square. Not my favorite Kurosawa work, but definitely another one that I will hopefully be revisiting very soon.