Sailor Suit and Machine Gun – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1981
Director: Shinji Sômai
Writers: Jirô Akagawa, Yôzô Tanaka
Cast: Hiroko Yakushimaru, Tsunehiko Watase, Rentarô Mikuni, Yuki Kazamatsuri, Kazuo Kitamura, Akira Emoto, Masaaki Daimon, Makoto Satô, Minori Terada, Kamatari Fujiwara

Release Date: November 15th, 2021 (UK), November 16th, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 111 Minutes 45 Seconds (Original Theatrical Version), 130 Minutes 27 Seconds (Complete Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese, DTS-HD Mono Japanese (Original Theatrical Version), DTS-HD Mono Japanese (Complete Version)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK) / $39.95 (USA)

"Hoshi Izumi is a young innocent forced to grow up quickly when her father dies and she finds herself next in line as the boss of a moribund yakuza clan. Wrenched from the security of her classroom and thrust into the heart of the criminal underworld, she must come to terms with the fact that her actions hold the key to the life or death of the men under her command as they come under fire from rival gangs." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of the Original Theatrical Version and the 1982 Complete Version (kanpeki-ban) re-issue of the film, restored by Kadokawa Pictures from a 4K scan of the original negative."

More information about the transfers, “The High-Definition masters were produced and supplied by Kadokawa, with additional grading and restoration by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios. An instance of optical censorship occurs during the sex scene at the 61-minute mark. This is present in the original materials and is consistent with Japanese censorship practices from the period.”

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 14.5 GB (1982 Complete Version), 12.7 GB (Original Theatrical Version)

Though the source used for both versions is in great shape, There are a few areas where these transfers could have been better, like shadow detail and how the grain looks odd during some of the darker sequences. That said, color saturation is very good, details generally look crisp and black levels fare well.

Audio: 4.25/5

The original theatrical version comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese and a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese. The complete version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese. All of the audio mixes sound great, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and, range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Both versions come with removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include original press kit (6 images), image gallery (14 images), original theatrical trailer (2 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles),  complete version kanpeki-ban trailer (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), theatrical teaser (35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), TV spot (2 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a making of documentary titled Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun (51 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a PDF extra titled Sailor Suit and Machine Gun pamphlet, reversible cover, a limited-edition slipcover and a forty-four page booklet (first pressing only) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, or, Sômai and Hiroko written by Aaron Gerow, an essay titled Sailor Suit and Kadokawa written by Alex Zahlten, Hiroko Yakushimaru and Kiyoshi Kurosawa in Conversation and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Though the original promotional art for Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is a striking image.The original promotional art does not do a good job conveying what the film is ultimately about. Fortunately, what lies within a story that is much more than your run-of-the-mill Yakuza film.

At the heart of Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is a tale about a young girl whose life is turned upside down after her father's death. Now alone in the world, things become more complicated when a woman who claims to be a friend of her father moves in with her and a Yakuza clan convinces her to be their new boss. From there, the narrative explores her relationships with these characters as she goes on her journey to find herself.

The heart and soul of Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is Hiroko Yakushimaru’s (Legend of the Eight Samurai) sympathetic portrayal of Izumi Hoshi, who goes from school girl to Yakuza boss. Though there are a few scenes without her character, even in these moments, her character's presence can be felt. Another performance of note is Tsunehiko Watase (The Fall of Ako Castle) in the role of Izumi’s mentor/protector.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where the Sailor Suit and Machine Gun come up short. The quirky premise is well-executed and the narrative does a great job holding your attention. Another strength is how Shinji Sômai’s direction lets the performances take center stage. Ultimately, The Sailor Suit and the Machine Gun is an entertaining coming-of-age story.

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun gets a strong release from Arrow Video that gives Sailor Suit and Machine Gun its best audio/video presentation to date and comes with an excellent making of documentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer