Movies like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown (1999)
The best movies like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown (1999) are Yojimbo (1961), Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988). If Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedYojimbo (1961)8.1/10 from 1,791 votes
- NewestLion Fist (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseYojimbo (1961)Also in Japanese
Yojimbo (1961)
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989)
In order to wish for immortality and avenge his father, Garlic Jr. collects the dragon balls, kidnapping Goku's son Gohan in the process. Goku, Kami, Piccolo, and Krillin unite to rescue Gohan and save the world from being sucked into a dead zone.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988)
Master Roshi has succeeded at the one mission he valued most: to train Goku and Krillin to become ultimate fighters. So, he arranges for them to test their mettle at a competition hosted by Emperor Chiaotzu. Not everyone's playing by the rules, however, as a member of the ruler's household schemes to use the Dragonballs to extort money and power from the royal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Twilight (1957)
Two sisters learn about the existence of their long-lost biological mother, but the younger is unable to accept the fact that she was abandoned as a child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Protector (1985)
Billy Wong is a New York City cop whose partner is gunned down during a robbery. Billy and his new partner, Danny Garoni, are working security at a fashion show when a wealthy man's daughter, Laura Shapiro, is kidnapped. The Federal authorities suspect that Laura's father is involved with Mr. Ko, a Hong Kong drug kingpin, so the NYC police commissioner sends the two cops to Hong Kong to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisChihayafuru: Part I (2016)
When Chihaya Ayase was in the 6th grade of elementary school, she met Arata Wataya. Arata Wataya transferred from Fukui Prefecture. Taichi Mashima was Chihaya Ayase's friend since they were little. Arata got close to Chihaya and Taichi from the card game karuta. Four years later, Chihaya is a high school student. Chihaya learns that Arata, who went back to Fukui Prefecture, doesn't play karuta anymore. Believing they will meet Arata again, Chihaya and Taichi starts a karuta club at their high school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBuffalo Boys (2018)
Betrayed by the Dutch colonial forces, Arana manages to escape along with his nephews Jamar and Suwo, the newborn sons of Hamza, one of the last Indonesian sultans fighting against foreign tyranny. In 1860, after wandering for years on the plains of the American Wild West, Arana and the two brothers return to Indonesia to avenge their dead loved ones and punish the evil man who caused their misfortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Fist (1995)
A businessman, Tsuda, runs into a childhood friend, Kojima, on the subway. Kojima is working as a semiprofessional boxer. Tsuda soon begins to suspect that Kojima might be having an affair with his fiancée Hizuru. After an altercation, Tsuda begins training rigorously himself, leading to an extremely bloody, violent confrontation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)
A naive traveler in Laredo gets involved in a poker game between the richest men in the area, jeopardizing all the money he has saved for the purpose of settling with his wife and child in San Antonio.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLion Fist (2026)
Martial arts fighter Joe goes to prison for four years and takes his wife's blame for a drug bust. After his release, he learns that his son needs expensive surgery because of a life-threatening tumor. Joe's only chance to save him: a brutal all-styles tournament with a $100,000 prize.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Debt Collector (2018)
A classically-trained martial artist goes to work as a debt collector for the mob. The job seems easy enough, until one “client” pulls him into a situation deeper than could ever be expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Karate Kid Part II (1986)
Summoned by his dying father, Miyagi returns to his homeland of Okinawa, with Daniel, after a 40-year exile. There he must confront Yukie, the love of his youth, and Sato, his former best friend turned vengeful rival. Sato is bent on a fight to the death, even if it means the destruction of their village. Daniel finds his own love in Yukia's niece, Kumiko, and his own enemy in Sato's nephew, the vicious Chozen. Now, far away from the tournaments, cheering crowds and safety of home, Daniel will face his greatest challenge ever when the cost of honor is life itself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlood and Bone (2009)
In Los Angeles, an ex-con takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfill a promise to a dead friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFatal Fury 2: The New Battle (1993)
Terry is fighting abroad when a boy named Tony, who wants to be Terry's student, follows him despite his mother and Terry's wishes. When Terry Bogard is defeated by a foe more powerful than he's ever seen before, Terry falls into depression and turns to the bottle. While his friends go after this new foe, Tony must restore Terry's faith... and once he realizes that only he can defeat this ruthless fiend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this47 Ronin (2013)
Kai—an outcast—joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBOYS OVER FLOWERS the movie (2008)
Four years have passed since that emotional marriage proposal at Tsukushi Makino's high-school prom, and Tsukasa Dōmyōji announced his engagement to Tsukushi to the entire world. At an engagement dinner between their families, Dōmyōji's mother, who has been strongly against their relationship before, presents Tsukushi a tiara, which is estimated to be worth roughly 10 billion yen, as a token of their engagement. But that night, the tiara is stolen by somebody! Then, Dōmyōji and Tsukushi travel around the globe to Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and even a deserted island to get the tiara back—the legendary tiara that has been believed to "bring eternal love." In the meantime, where and what are the "F4" fellows, who have just gone separate ways, doing now?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBatman Begins (2005)
Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld - The Batman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPing Pong (2002)
As children, the introverted Smile was being bullied by a gang of kids until the brash Peco comes by and chases all of them them away. Peco then takes Smile under his wings and teaches him how to play the game of ping pong. From there a life long best friend relationship comes into existence between these two polar opposite kids.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhere Hope Grows (2014)
Calvin Campbell is a former professional baseball player sent to an early retirement due to his panic attacks at the plate. Even though he had all the talent for the big leagues, he struggles with the curveballs life has thrown him. Today, he mindlessly sleepwalks through his days and the challenge of raising his teenager daughter. His life is in a slow downward spiral when it is suddenly awakened and invigorated by the most unlikely person – Produce, a young-man with Down syndrome who works at the local grocery store.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMind Games - The Experiment (2023)
Can exercise sharpen the brightest minds? In this ground-breaking experiment, four world-class gamers, competing in eSports, Chess, Mahjong and Memory Games, put this to the test.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Shin Mahjong Demon 5: Shinjuku Mahjong Showdown (2000)
He who conquers Kabukicho conquers the nation! This thrilling mahjong film faithfully recreates the atmosphere of a mahjong tournament held in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district during the 1970s, known as the golden age of mahjong. Who will be able to stop the legendary mahjong master, Shoichi Sakurai, from achieving a third consecutive victory...? The curtain rises on a fierce battle for pride between these men!
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Strip Mahjong: Midnight Clinical Test (2014)
Mizuki, a female doctor working at a certain hospital, is immersed in the treatment of Aimi, a high school girl infected with SDX (Viral and Sexually Sensitive Disease). During the treatment, Mizuki realizes that SDX is artificially made. However, at that moment, Dr. Nakamatsu appears and begins a desperate game of survival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Strip Mahjong: Academy Z (2013)
Year 201X. Japan has achieved economic revitalization due to the legalization of betting authorized by the government due to the enforcement of the betting regulations. A gambling vocational school (commonly known as Tobasen) was established to train specialists so that they can compete with other countries even in gambling. Only the gambling arm can climb. Meanwhile, Mizuho and four female students are gathered in the classroom. They were some of the most problematic children in Tobasen. Then, the teacher tells me the startling test contents. If he wins, he will graduate as a gambling specialist. However, if he lost, he was stripped of all his clothes, and he was a mahjong undressing, breaking the rules that death sanctions were waiting.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Luck My Life (2026)
Born with a silver spoon, an arrogant mahjong player loses all his luck. Now, he has to re-learn the game and will soon discover the joy and principles of life over the mahjong table. The final match will be his one shot to turn his life around.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Mahjong Madness : 10 Years Early! (1993)
Idol vehicle Mahjong flick
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Yellow Sea (2010)
A Korean man in China takes an assassination job in South Korea to make money and find his missing wife. But when the job is botched, he is forced to go on the run from the police and the gangsters who paid him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMukoubuchi 4: High Stakes Mahjong Legend – Mahjong Parlor Killer (2025)
A pair of Kansai-region underground mahjong hustlers begin storming Tokyo’s local mahjong parlors, scamming unsuspecting players with clever cheating techniques. One of their victims, Yasunaga Ban (played by pro-wrestler Takada Nobuhiko), is the owner of a mahjong parlor. Seeking revenge, he challenges them to a high-stakes match—but loses. As he's about to give up, a mysterious and feared man known only as “The Outsider” (Mukoubuchi), KAI (played by Yoshihiko Hakamada), enters the scene. Kai immediately sees through the Kansai duo's tricks and defeats them without mercy. However, a larger threat looms when a powerful figure from Kansai, Katsuta, comes to Tokyo, escalating the conflict to a new level of tension.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Akagi the Gambler (1995)
After a death-defying game of chicken one evening in 1958, Akagi nonchalantly enters a Yakuza Mahjong parlor to shake the cops' trail. Even unfamiliar with the rules of Mahjong, his gambling intuition is enough to save a small time gambler, Nangou, and grant him a seat at the gambling table. As the night progresses, the stakes are raised both within the game and for Akagi, who is under the suspicion of local police. However, Akagi overcomes the situation with his tactics, defiant of both life and chance. When he leaves the gambling house, no one present is in doubt of his genius.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Akagi the Gambler II (1997)
Akagi appears again one year after the night where he first played mahjong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown?
The closest matches to Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown are Yojimbo (1961), Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown?
Start with Yojimbo (1961), the closest match to Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown.
What is the highest-rated movie like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown?
Yojimbo (1961), rated 8.1/10 by 1,791 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown?
Lion Fist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown?
Yes: Yojimbo (1961), Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) and Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988).
How are movies similar to Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Shin Mahjong Demon 3: East-West Mahjong Showdown, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.