Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1996 (Fudoh: The New Generation), Japan, 2001 (Agitator), Japan, 2002 (Deadly Outlaw: Rekka)
Director: Takashi Miike (All Films)
Cast: Shosuke Tanihara, Miho Nomoto, Tamaki Kenmochi, Marie Jinno, Shunji Takano, Tōru Minegishi, Riki Takeuchi, Satoshi Niizuma, Takeshi Caesar, Mickey Curtis (Fudoh: The New Generation), Taisaku Akino, Ken'ichi Endô, Hakuryû, Masatô Ibu, Renji Ishibashi, Masaya Katô, Hiroki Matsukata, Takashi Miike, Daisuke Ryû, Tenma Shibuya, Naoto Takenaka (Agitator), Riki Takeuchi, Ken'ichi Endō, Ryōsuke Miki, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Rikiya Yasuoka, Kazuya Nakayama, Joe Yamanaka, Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chib, Renji Ishibashi, Yuya Uchida, Tetsuro Tanba (Deadly Outlaw: Rekka) 

Release Date: March 23rd, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 46 Seconds (Fudoh: The New Generation), 150 Minutes 11 Seconds (Agitator - Theatrical Version), 95 Minutes 52 Seconds (Deadly Outlaw: Rekka)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 (Fudoh: The New Generation), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Agitator, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka), DTS-HD Mono Japanese (Fudoh: The New Generation)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free (Fudoh: The New Generation - 4K UHD), Region A (Agitator - Blu-ray), Region B (Fudoh: The New Generation - Blu-ray, Agitator - Blu-ray, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka - Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £43.33 (UK)

Fudoh: The New Generation: "Riki Fudoh (Shosuke Tanihara) is a high school student juggling academic work with a secret life operating as an underworld boss. As the leader of a group of larger than life, school-age assassins, Fudoh is waging a campaign of violence against the entire criminal underworld, as part of a revenge plot against his own father (Toru Minegishi), a high-ranking Yakuza in his own right who was forced to murder Fudoh’s brother." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Agitator: "A yakuza (played by Takashi Miike himself in a cameo) is murdered after violently assaulting a hostess on rival turf, providing the catalyst for a gang war between a number of factions seeking a redistribution of power.

In this densely layered gangland drama , the backroom maneuvering of the senior figures in the yakuza, overseen by Mr. Kaito (Hiroki Matsukata, The Rapacious Jailbreaker), is juxtaposed against the actions of the street-level mobsters as the two sides head towards an inevitable collision." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka: "Kunisada (played by V-cinema legend Riki Takeuchi) has his world turned upside down after learning of the death of his mentor Sanada (Yuya Uchida, founder of the Flower Travellin’ Band, who also provide the film’s hard-rocking psychedelic soundtrack). Pairing up with his best friend Shimatani (Kenichi Endo, Visitor Q), Kunisada embarks on a rampaging road trip to avenge his fallen father figure, leaving a trail of bullets, blood spatters, and bazooka fire in his wake." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Fudoh: The New Generation - 4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Fudoh: The New Generation - Blu-ray, Agitator - Theatrical Version), 4/5 (Deadly Outlaw: Rekka)

Here’s the information provided about Fudoh: The New Generation's transfer, "Fudoh: The New Generation was newly scanned from a composite of film elements, restored in 4K by Media Blasters, and supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file, additional restoration work was completed by Radiance Films in 2026."

Fudoh: The New Generation comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 61.5 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

Although the transfer uses the same source that Media Blasters used for their 2023 4K UHD release, Radiance Films has a stronger encode. Flesh tones look correct, colors look nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Fudoh: The New Generation comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.4 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB 

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Here’s the information provided about Agitator's transfer, "Agitator (Theatrical Version) is a high-definition digital transfer by the Kadokawa Corporation overseen by director of photography Kiyoshi Ito and supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file.

The extended version of Agitator exists only as a standard definition video master. It is presented here using the best available materials and in its complete original two-part form.”

Agitator comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 33.5 GB (Theatrical Version), 5.4 GB (Extended Version Part One), 5.1 GB (Extended Version Part Two)

The source for this transfer is the best this film has ever looked on home media. The film’s color palette is deliberately muted, with grays and browns being prominent colors. Image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Here’s the information provided about Deadly Outlaw: Rekka's transfer, "Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is a high-definition digital transfer by the Kadokawa Corporation supplied to Radiance Films as a high-definition digital file."

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 33.5 GB

Although the transfer uses the same source that Shout! Factory used for their 2023 Blu-ray release, Radiance Films has a stronger encode. Flesh tones look correct, colors look nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5 (Fudoh: The New Generation - DTS-HD Mono Japanese, Agitator - LPCM Mono Japanese), 4.25/5 (Deadly Outlaw: Rekka - LPCM Mono Japanese)

Fudoh: The New Generation comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Agitator and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. All tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, things can sound limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for Fudoh: The New Generation include an archival interview with director Takashi Miike (40 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Shosuke Tanihara (15 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an introduction by Takashi Miike (5 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with Takashi Miike and Shosuke Tanihara in Japanese with removable English subtitles.

Extras for Agitator include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Takashi Miike (24 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Tom Mes, a standard definition transfer of 200-minute extended version of Agitator, presented in its original two-part form, Part One (102 minutes 58 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles) and Part Two (97 minutes 26 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), and reversible cover art.

Extras for Deadly Outlaw Rekka include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 21 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Takashi Miike (19 minutes 2 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival documentary titled Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!, featuring Kinji Fukasaku, Takeshi Kitano, Shinya Tsukamoto, Takashi Miike and others (56 minutes 43 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese and English and text in French with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Tom Mes.

Other extras include a rigid slip box, a removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information for each film, an archival writing titled This Gun for Hire written by Tony Rayns, an essay titled Video Saved the Yakuza Film written by Tom Mes, an essay titled High and Low: How Takashi Miike Went From the Video Store to the Red Carpet written by Tom Mes, an essay titled Shock and Panic as Schoolgirl Assassins Attack Toronto! written by Colin Geddes, an archival interview with Takashi Miike conducted by Tom Mes, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Takashi Miike directed Fudoh: The New Generation, Agitator, and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka. His filmography stretches over 45 years and encompasses over 120 entries, including notable films like The Bird People of China, Audition, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Gozu, and Lesson of the Evil.

Fudoh: The New Generation: Two rival factions of the Yakuza are on the brink of war. In an attempt to settle the conflict, Iwao Fudoh murders his teenage son, who was the catalyst for this turmoil. As a young boy, Riki Fudoh witnessed his father kill his older brother. Years later, as a teenager, Riki is still haunted by the incident. He has gathered a group of disillusioned youths whom he intends to train and enlist in his quest for vengeance against those responsible for his older brother's death.

Fudoh: The New Generation was adapted from a manga written by Hitoshi Tanimura. Takashi Miike’s filmmaking style of employing hyperrealized violence and subversion makes him a perfect choice for making live-action adaptations of manga. Takashi Miike’s connection to manga can be traced back to his third film. Human Madness: Love and Anger Ring. Notable films he updated from manga include The Happiness of the Katakuris, Ichi the Killer, and Gozu. Besides manga, the yakuza film is another constant throughout Takashi Miike’s filmography, as Fudoh: The New Generation is an exemplary fusion of manga and the yakuza film.

Fudoh: The New Generation prominently features themes of betrayal and revenge. The opening setup does a phenomenal job setting the stage for the events that unfold. A father chooses peace with a rival clan over the life of his eldest, and his youngest son Riki, who sees his father kill his brother, is scarred by the event. Years later, Riki, now a teenager, has assembled a clan and sets in motion revenge against those who killed his brother. When Riki’s killing spree causes a rift between his father and a rival clan, he finds himself in a scenario similar to his brother's fate.

Although Shosuke Tanihara (Sky High) is solid in the role of Riki, it is actually a secondary character, Daigen Nohma, who is portrayed by Riki Takeuchi, that steals every scene. Few actors are more recognizable than Riki Takeuchi when it comes to V-cinema and the yakuza films, and he delivers another delirious performance that veers into the over-the-top territory. That said, all around, the performances are excellent.

While elements that are synonymous with the yakuza film are prominent throughout, it is these things that are different where Fudoh: The New Generation shines brightest. Fudoh: The New Generation has a colorful cast of characters, like Riki’s youthful clan of assassins, which features backpack-wearing prepubescent boys who disarm their victims with their innocence; a monstrous oversized half-breed; and teenage schoolgirls, one of whom is capable of shooting lethal darts from her vagina. The carnage is excessive and, at times, cartoonish.

Although Takashi Miike made a few standout films early on in his career, notably Shinjuku Triad Society, Fudoh: The New Generation firmly established what would become known as a Takashi Miike film. There are three things that one can always expect from a Takashi Miike film: jarring moments, humor in scenarios that are not normally meant to be funny, and most importantly, they are always a lot of fun. That said, Fudoh: The New Generation delivers and then some when it comes to these three things. Ultimately, Fudoh: The New Generation is one of Takashi Miike’s best films, and it also serves as a superb introductory film for someone not familiar with his films.

Agitator: The death of a prominent yakuza ignites a turf war where various factions and their leaders vie for greater power.

Takashi Miike had been making films at a prolific pace for a decade by the time he arrived at Agitator, a film that was a turning point for him. While he had worked prominently in the yakuza genre, Agitator was a departure from his earlier forays into the yakuza genre. Where his earlier yakuza films relied heavily on their violent set pieces, Agitator is a dialogue-heavy film filled with richly crafted moments of exposition.

Although the narrative covers familiar yakuza themes like loyalty, betrayal, and power, in the hands of Takashi Miike, Agitator is never predictable. Where he went with hyperrealism in some of his earlier yakuza films, there is a grittiness to Agitator that’s reminiscent of Kinji Fukasaku’s 1970s yakuza films. That said, Agitator is populated by characters who are driven by their violent impulses, which they have trouble controlling.

Agitator has a lot of moving parts, and at 2 ½ hours in length, there are an abundance of characters' stories that intersect. It is truly an ensemble cast where everyone’s performance elevates each other. That said, the entire cast is outstanding. Even Takashi Miike makes an appearance in the film as Shinozaki, a sadistic yakuza who's killed for misbehaving in another clan's territory. His character has the most memorable moment; he’s sodomizing a nightclub hostess with a microphone when he’s confronted and killed by the yakuza clan whose turf he violated.

Despite Agitator’s lengthy running time, it is really a film that maximizes every moment. While there is a deliberateness to its pacing, there is never a moment that disrupts momentum or should have been discarded. Another area where the narrative excels is its ability to create and sustain tension. Ultimately, Agitator is an exceptional crime/drama that quickly grabs your attention and culminates with an exemplary finale.

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka: After the death of his father figure, Kunisada, with the help of his best friend, embarks on a surreal road trip in search of those who are responsible for killing their fallen leader. Kunisada’s temper frequently lands him in trouble with his Yakuza brothers. When he refuses to lay low, they feel compelled to eliminate him. Will Kunisada manage to fulfill his quest for vengeance before he is silenced forever?

Takashi Miike was at the height of his creativity when he made Deadly Outlaw: Rekka. In the years that followed Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, he would make the shift to more mainstream fare. During Takashi Miike’s peak period, 1996 to 2003, he would create a series of innovative films that often exceed their limited resources. One of his most intriguing experiments from that era was Deadly Outlaw: Rekka; he would take the progressive rock album Satori, recorded by the Flower Traveling Band and infuse it with the story that unfolds. Two members of the Flower Traveling Band, Joe Yamanaka and Yuya Ichida, appear in Deadly Outlaw: Rekka.

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is an exercise in rage that uses the Flower Traveling Band’s Satori as the catalyst that binds everything together. The opening moments are an escalation of violence in which Takashi Miike juxtaposes an incarcerated Kunisada while his mentor, Yoshikatsu Sanada, is viciously murdered by a rival yakuza clan. The opening setup does a phenomenal job of establishing the tone and laying the foundation for what follows. However, once the dust settles, Takashi Miike makes a 360-degree turn in tone, shifting the focus from visceral imagery to exposition-driven moments.

The performances are exceptional, particularly Riki Takeuchi's (Dead or Alive) portrayal of Kunisada, a half-Korean/half-Japanese yakuza with a notoriously short temper. His character is purely physical; he’s a man of few words, who kills first and rarely asks questions. Another cast member of note is Japanese action film icon Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter) in the role of Yasunori Hijikata, a prominent yakuza who's brought in to mediate the two clans at war.

The most visually striking moment is a scene where Kunisada walks and drives in the rain alongside his best friend and two girls they have just met, while the music of the Flower Traveling Band is used effectively in this sequence. Another significant moment unfolds when Kunisada uses a rocket launcher to exterminate his enemies. Two constants run throughout the film's arc: Kunisada's violent outbursts and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka's use of the progressive rock album Satori. When all is said and done, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka masterfully weaves the standard Yakuza themes of betrayal and revenge throughout. Ultimately, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is a highly entertaining film that has all of the hallmarks of Takashi Miike's unique cinematic style.

Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike is an exceptional release from Radiance Films, making it an essential purchase for fans of Takashi Miike and yakuza cinema. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

                       
                                                          Blu-ray Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer