After he came back from suspension and released the fine films featuring women filled with emotions of a shitamachi (traditional working-class neighborhood), 'Kaminingyo haru no sasayaki' (A Paper Doll's Whisper of Spring) and 'Kyoren no onna shisho' (The Love-Mad Tutoress) in 1926, Mizoguchi further developed his unique sense of expression in portraying women and gained a good reputation for his movies such as 'Tojin Okichi' (Mistress of a Foreigner) of 1930.
復帰後の15年に下町の情緒を下敷きにした女性劇の佳作「紙人形春の囁き」「狂恋の女師匠」を発表してからは女性を描く独特の感性にさらに磨きをかけ、昭和5年「唐人お吉」などが好評を博した。