Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell – 88 Films (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1977
Director: Masaru Konuma
Writer: Akio Ido
Cast: Asami Ogawa, Yûko Asuka, Eimei Esumi, Moeko Ezawa, Tamaki Katsura, Ichirô Kijima, Masakazu Kuwayama, Noboru Mitani, Rei Okamoto

Release Date: March 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"Passions are inflamed in an elite school for girls in 1930s Japan in Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell, as two of its students find solace away from the crowd in each other’s company. But can their love flourish amongst the corrupting influence of their parents and the school’s sinister principal, whose actions transform their lives into a living hell on earth?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Blu-Ray (1080P) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio."

Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.5 GB

Feature: 25.5 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, black levels are strong, and image clarity and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Kei Chiba titled Planet Girl (8 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Ken Terawaki titled Life on Mars (14 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio Commentary with Anne McKnight and Jasper Sharp, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 12-page booklet with cast & crew information, and an essay titled Girls from Mars written by Caitlin Casiello.

Included is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray.

Summary:

Masaru Konuma directed Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell. He is also known for Flower and Snake '74, Wife to Be Sacrificed, Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession, Erotic Diary of an Office Lady, and Tattooed Flower Vase. Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell was adapted from Yumeno Kyusaku’s (Dogra Marga) novel Shoujo Jigoku (Girl Hell).

When their parents and a deviant principal stand in the way of their love, two girls who attend an all-girl religious school create hell on Earth.

Though Nikkatsu romantic pornography films are known for their sexual content, these films were actually diverse and covered a wide range of film genres. Case in point, Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell, a horror-themed film with fantasy elements. That said, Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell incorporates many elements characteristic of Nikkatsu’s romantic pornography films, such as nudity, deviant behavior, and sexually themed moments; as a result, it unfolds more like a conventional film than the typical offerings of this genre.

Masaru Konuma was one of the most prominent filmmakers making Nikkatsu romantic pornography films, and with Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell, he ventures away from his more familiar S&M-themed films. His direction is rock solid; Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell is a beautifully photographed film filled with visually arresting moments. The visuals are enhanced by an exemplary score that perfectly underscores the eerie tone of Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell.

When it comes to the performances, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Asami Ogawa (Erotic Diary of an Office Lady), who portrays Utae, and Yûko Asuka (Star of David: Beautiful Girl Hunter), who portrays Aiko. Their characters are outcasts who struggle to fit in, finding solace only in each other's company as they escape the harshness of reality. Another performance of note is Masakazu Kuwayama (A Story Written with Water), who portrays a rapist principal.

At 93 minutes in length, Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell runs significantly longer than the typical 70-minute duration that Nikkatsu romantic pornography films usually clock in at. Though there is more of a focus on exposition, that's not to say that Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell is lacking when it comes to elements that Nikkatsu romantic pornography films are known for. When it comes to pacing the narrative, it does a superb job building to a surreal ending that serves as a perfect coda. Ultimately, Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell is a film that delves deeper than most Nikkatsu romantic pornography films, which are only concerned about what's on the surface.

Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer