Rainy Dog

Rainy Dog

Year: 1997

Runtime: 95 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Takashi Miike

DramaThrillerCrimeCrime drugs and gangstersViolent action guns and crime

A Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past delivers a son to him.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Rainy Dog (1997)

Trace every key event in Rainy Dog (1997) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Fired from the yakuza and becomes a pay-per-hit assassin

Yuuji is expelled from his yakuza syndicate and begins working for a new boss as a paid killer targeting members of rival groups. He embraces the violent new role as a means of survival and control in a ruthless underworld. This marks the start of a more dangerous, double life.

City
2

Ex-girlfriend drops off his son Ah-Chen

An ex-girlfriend drops Ah-Chen, who is mute, at Yuuji's doorstep, forcing him to confront fatherhood amid crime. Chen shadows his father and witnesses a brutal killing—a man lunching with his wife and infant son. The event seeds a complicated family dynamic that follows Yuuji into violence.

Yuuji's home
3

Chen follows Yuuji and witnesses a killing

Chen trails his father after the hit, watching from the street as the violence unfolds. He later waits outside a whorehouse, showing the child’s growing exposure to Yuuji's criminal world. The bond between father and son is strained by danger and secrecy.

Whorehouse area
4

Lili and the live-in relationship

Yuuji begins a live-in relationship with Lili, a prostitute, and they move in together, possibly under a contractual arrangement. Their bond pulls them deeper into danger as their personal ties become known. The arrangement changes the dynamics of their criminal life.

City apartment
5

The lawyer brother seeks revenge

The brother of Yuuji's latest victim, a lawyer, approaches a yakuza syndicate to demand a revenge attack on Yuuji. The request raises the stakes for Yuuji, Lili, and Chen as they scramble to evade both rival criminals and retribution from the law. The threat adds pressure and compounds the danger surrounding their fragile alliance.

Office
6

Fleeing to a beach

Circumstances surrounding one contract kill force the trio to flee and seek temporary refuge on a beach. The seaside pause provides a rare moment of calm amid escalating violence, allowing them to connect away from the immediate danger.

Beach
7

Chen learns to read on the beach

On the beach, Lili teaches Chen to read and write his name, giving him a small sense of normalcy amid chaos. The moment highlights a softer, protective side of their fugitive family.

Beach
8

Plans to leave town with a passport

As they prepare to leave town, Yuuji calls his new boss to request a passport, signaling plans to escape the life he's been trapped in. The move shows his desire to sever ties with the criminal world and start anew.

On the road
9

Betrayal revealed by the boss

The boss, aware of the reward posted on Lili's site, betrays them by alerting the lawyer. Yuuji immediately senses the betrayal in the boss's voice, and they flee to seek refuge at Sandy's apartment, a trans woman who is a friend of Lili.

Sandy's apartment
10

Reward discovery and suspicion about Sandy

Lili discovers the reward information on her website and informs Yuuji, making them suspect that Sandy may have turned them in. They decide to move with Chen toward safety and plan to reach a train station to escape further danger.

Sandy's apartment
11

Capture, Lili's death, and the lawyer showdown

Yuuji and his companions are captured by the lawyer; Lili is killed during the confrontation. Yuuji fights the lawyer, and Chen's distraction allows the lawyer to appear dead for a moment, before fate intervenes with a new threat.

Lawyer's location
12

Final twist and warning for Chen

A low-quality, comical hitman arrives and kills Yuuji, ending his arc. The lawyer then reawakens and delivers a stark warning to Chen: if he ever seeks revenge, the lawyer will be waiting. The film closes with the suggestion that the cycle of violence will continue.

Lawyer's location

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:31

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