The whole is not without flaws and eventually falls prey to the “this was really an origin story” bid for sequels, but it is enjoyable.

A review by Jared Mobarak for /reviews/publisher:

Variety

While it generally lacks dramatic oomph and the story is confusing at times, Yakuza Princess delivers plenty of visual excitement.

A review by Richard Kuipers for Variety on 2021-08-31

It’s been compiled with enthusiasm, flashes of skill, and a certain devil-may-care cheek – an infusion of newish blood for a Brazilian film industry that’s been badly drained in recent years.

A review by Mike McCahill for /reviews/publisher:

Original-Cin

Yakuza Princess is a passable actioner with a few memorable scenes, the highlight of which is a fight in a karaoke bar (yes, MASUMI gets the chance to sing). But it’s unable to get beyond a level of mediocrity, and MASUMI’s performance fails to resonate with the sufficient conviction required of her role.

A review by Thom Ernst for Original-Cin on 2021-09-02

The A.V. Club

At 112 minutes, this film is way too long for the amount of story contained within—which, again, would be a forgivable offense, had Amorim filled the extra time with something entertaining. Instead, all we get is inertia, as we wait with the main character for her fate to reveal itself.

A review by Katie Rife for The A.V. Club on 2021-09-02

Austin Chronicle

The further director Vicente Amorim pulls out, the more exciting the film becomes; but he never really takes advantage of the supernatural overtones that swim around the edges, or the unique cultural background of Brazil's massive Japanese diaspora.

A review by Richard Whittaker for Austin Chronicle on 2021-09-02

Sure, you had me at Yakuza Princess. But was there ever a more ponderous gangland saga set in the Japanese mafia than this?

A review by Roger Moore for /reviews/publisher:

The New York Times

The cynical pro forma luridness Yakuza Princess grinds out suggests that sensationalist cinema, or at least its most ostensibly mainstream iteration, is currently depleted of resources.

A review by Glenn Kenny for The New York Times on 2021-09-02

Slant Magazine

This grimly self-serious tale of violent destiny is consistently drowned out by Vicente Amorim’s overreaching visual style.

A review by Keith Watson for Slant Magazine on 2021-08-31

As an intellectually empty piece of genre cinema, “Yakuza Princess” can’t even sit alongside movies that offer similarly obtuse ideas but that gain some favor through impressive spectacle.

A review by Carlos Aguilar for /reviews/publisher:

There’s a lot of walking and talking, but this thing never really moves fast enough, not even during its action scenes.

A review by Simon Abrams for /reviews/publisher: