[1] The film is believed by some to be the earliest known film sequel whose title is simply the original title followed by a number, predating the likes of Quatermass II (1957) by several years,[2] although possibly mistaken as the added kanji 續 (Zoku) is not a numeral but simply means "Continuation" or "Sequel" sort of in the style of Another Thin Man or The Invisible Man Returns.

Eventually, he learns enough to demonstrate his skill in a boxing match between American and Japanese fighters at the end of the movie.

In the original film, "fighting is but a vehicle for a larger spiritual quest" whereas the sequel "promotes Japanese judo's superiority to Western boxing", setting a different tone.

Like Ford, Kurosawa would emphasize the place of landscape in his films, often pairing his characters' emotional turmoil with the Elements.

The rain in One Wonderful Sunday, Rashomon, or Seven Samurai, the beating sun in Stray Dog, the sinkhole in Drunken Angel, the snowfall in The Idiot, the wind in Dersu Uzala, and the crashing waves of Kagemusha would express some emotional anguish of the characters and, as a kind of cinematic synecdoche, society as a whole.