Rainy Dog (1997) Plot Summary Explained

After being expelled from the yakuza syndicate, Yuji had no means of survival in the criminal underworld. He chose to become a hired killer for another boss because it was the only skill he possessed in this world, killing. This work gave him a sense of control and purpose in a ruthlessly practical underworld where survival depended on staying useful to powerful figures.

• yuji
• assassin
• yakuza
• fired
• criminal underworld

Yuji's ex-girlfriend appeared at his door and left Ah-Chen there, forcing him to confront fatherhood unexpectedly. The exact motivation for her sudden departure is not fully explained in the film, she simply drops off the boy and disappears, leaving Yuji to deal with the reality of having a child he never knew existed. This forces Yuji into an uncomfortable dual role of criminal and father.

• ah-chen
• son
• ex-girlfriend
• mute child
• fatherhood

Lili, a prostitute, entered into a practical live-in relationship with Yuji, likely through a contractual arrangement with her procure. The relationship provided her with financial security and a stable place to live, which was preferable to continuing street work. Their bond grew into something more genuine over time, though it began as a business-like arrangement between two people trapped in desperate circumstances.

• lili
• prostitute
• relationship
• arrangement
• apartment

The lawyer was the brother of one of Yuji's contract killing victims. When his brother was murdered, shot while having lunch with his wife and infant son, the lawyer approached the yakuza syndicate demanding they exact revenge on Yuji. This personal vendetta set the events in motion that eventually led to the tragic climax of the film.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Chen witnesses Yuji kill a man dining with his wife and infant son, establishing the victim whose brother would later pursue revenge.

• lawyer
• revenge
• brother
• victim
• contract killing

When Yuji called his boss to request a passport for himself, Lili, and Ah-Chen to escape town, the boss revealed he knew about the reward posted for information about Lili. The boss had alerted the lawyer to their whereabouts in exchange for the reward money, effectively selling them out. This betrayal forced Yuji and Lili to flee to Sandy's apartment.

• boss
• betrayal
• passport
• reward
• lawyer

Sandy, a trans woman and friend of Lili, provided them shelter at her apartment. However, Lili discovered the reward posted on her website and realized Sandy had turned them in to collect the money. The betrayal highlights how desperation and greed could break even personal connections in their criminal world.

• sandy
• betrayal
• reward
• trans woman
• friend

Lili is killed during the confrontation at the lawyer's location. After Yuji sends her and Ah-Chen to a train station to escape, they are captured by the lawyer. Lili dies during this confrontation, becoming one of the two characters who provided Yuji with fleeting comfort before being taken from him. Her death underscores the film's bleak tone and the impossibility of escape.

• lili
• death
• lawyer
• capture
• confrontation

After the low-quality hitman kills Yuji, the lawyer regains consciousness and delivers a chilling message to the orphaned Ah-Chen: if he ever seeks revenge in the future, someone will be waiting. This warning suggests the cycle of violence is endless, that even a child cannot escape the consequences of the criminal world without becoming a target himself. The film closes on this grim note of cyclical revenge.

• lawyer
• chen
• warning
• revenge
• cycle of violence

The beach provides a temporary refuge where Yuji, Lili, and Ah-Chen escape the immediate danger. Most importantly, Lili teaches the mute boy to read and spell his name "Chen," giving him a sense of identity he never had. This peaceful intermission contrasts sharply with the violence that follows, making the eventual tragedy more devastating.

• beach
• chen
• read
• lili
• identity

Ah-Chen, who is mute, began shadowing his father Yuji after being dropped off. He trailed Yuji to a job and witnessed him shoot a man eating lunch with his wife and infant son, this brutal moment became the child's introduction to his father's world. Yuji's failure to protect Chen from witnessing such violence reflects his inability to separate his criminal life from his new role as a father.

• chen
• witnessing
• killing
• violence
• son