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Sex and Fury / Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1973 (Sex and Fury, Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)
Directors: Norifumi Suzuki (Sex and Fury), Teruo Ishii (Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)
Cast: Reiko Ike, Christina Lindberg, Akemi Negishi, Jun Midorikawa (Sex and Fury), Reiko Ike, Makoto Aikawa, Arumi Kuri, Meika Seri, Jun Midorikawa, Emi Jô (Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)

Release Date: July 5th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 33 Seconds (Sex and Fury), 85 Minutes 52 Seconds (Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Following their genre-defining "female delinquent" classic Girl Boss Guerrilla, director Norifumi Suzuki and action star Reiko Ike would join forces once again for the shocking Sex & Fury. Pulpy and bathed in lurid violence of the highest order, the film would beget the sequel, Female Yakuza Tale, directed by none other than the king of ero-guro, Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men).

In Sex & Fury, deadly swordswoman Ocho Inoshika (Ike) is looking for the men who killed her father and finds herself infiltrating a sordid den of sexually deviant yakuza, involving a British secret agent (Christina Lindberg, Thriller: A Cruel Picture) and a twisted international scheme that could alter the fate of Japan. The sequel sees Ocho captured by devious yakuza who use Chinese women as drug mules, forcing her to use her sharp wits and blade to fight her way out.

Unparalleled levels of sleaze and violence combine in a haze of psychedelia with this deadly duo of Japanese exploitation, representing the high watermark of 1970s Toei yakuza madness." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Sex and Fury), 3.75/5 (Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The restored high-definition masters were provided by Toei Company LTD.”

Sex and Fury and Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 21 GB (Sex and Fury), 20.3 GB (Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture)

Arrow Video uses the same source that Discotek Media used for their 2022 Blu-ray releases. Sex and Fury’s source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, image clarity, color saturation, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. Though Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture’s source looks similar in most areas, black levels are not as convincing as they should be.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Both tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Sex and Fury (3 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture (3 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito titled Naked Vengeance (20 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Japanese cinema expert Chris D. for Sex and Fury, an archival audio commentary with Chris D. for Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information for both films, an essay titled Pinky Violence: Tales of Sex and Fury written by Camille Zaurin, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Sex and Fury: Norifumi Suzuki directed Sex and Fury. He’s known for The Lustful Shogun and His 21 Concubines, School of the Holy Beast, The Killing Machine, Star of David: Hunting for Beautiful Girls, and Roaring Fire. He also directed several films in the Girl Boss and Terrifying Girls' High School film series.

As a child, the traumatic event of watching her police officer father murdered turned Ochô Inoshika towards a life of crime. Years later, she searches gambling houses looking for her father's killers; her only clues are three cards that hold the key to uncovering their identities. Along the way, she gets involved in a card game that will determine the fate of a young woman who she promised to free from the world of prostitution.

Sex & Fury is the first film in a series of two, followed by Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture. Both films star Reiko Ike (Graveyard of Honor) in the role of Ochô Inoshika, a gambler who's also deadly with the sword. Furthermore, Sex & Fury and Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture had different directors, content-wise and stylistically; there is not much separation between these two films.

Sex & Fury dives right in with an excellent pre-credits sequence that lays the groundwork for why the protagonist has devoted her life to revenge. From there, the narrative does a phenomenal job of balancing exposition and action, as pacing is never an issue. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it builds momentum towards a sensational finale that perfectly brings Ochô Inoshika’s journey to a climax.

The main attraction is Reiko Ike’s portrayal of Ochô Inoshika; she delivers a scene-stealing performance that is arguably the best of her career. Though Ochô Inoshika bears all the traits that one has come to expect from Japanese female assassins, the result is a character that actually stands apart from the rest of the pact. Not only does Ochô Inoshika ooze sexuality, but she is also a force who can go toe to toe with any man.

Not to be overlooked is Christina Lindberg’s (Thriller: A Cruel Picture) portrayal of a British spy named Christina. Despite her limited range as an actress, she still delivers a charismatic performance that relies heavily on her physical presence. That said, the rest of the cast are very good in their roles.

Without a doubt, one of Sex & Fury’s most durable assets is Norifumi Suzuki’s stylized visuals, which heighten the mood. A few standout moments include a scene where a bathing Ochô Inoshika is forced to fight assassins in the nude and Christina’s death is one of the most beautiful deaths ever filmed. That said, the scene that stands out more than any other is an elegant ballroom sequence that introduces Christina.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Sex and Fury does not excel, and then some. There is never a shortage of nudity, depravity, or carnage, with some dark humor thrown in for good measure. The fight scenes are spectacular, especially when it comes to the strategic placement during the nude sword fighting. Another strength is composer Ichirô Araki’s exemplary score, which does an exceptional job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Sex & Fury is one of Toei’s high-watermark films of the 1970s and a must-see if you're a fan of Pinky Violence cinema.

Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture: Teruo Ishii directed A Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture. He was a versatile filmmaker who worked in just about every film genre. No matter the quality of the source material, he always somehow manages to craft something that is above and beyond an amazing thrill ride. The Man from Abashiri Prison, Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Woman's Curse, The Executioner, The Executioner II: Karate Inferno, and the Joy of Torture series are notable films directed by Teruo Ishii.

A Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture picks up right where its predecessor, Sex & Fury, left off as we see the prototagnoist Ochô surrounded by a group of assassins with their samurai swords drawn as she spins her umbrella. A tongue-in-cheek opening credits sequence showcases not only Ochô’s impressive fighting skills but her other ample assets as well.

Teruo Ishii’s direction is inspired; he keeps things moving along at a brisk pace. The highlight of his direction is a jaw-dropping finale in which numerous naked women use swords and other weapons against their male counterparts. When it comes to more exploitative elements, which are overflowing throughout In A Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture, Teruo Ishii does not miss a beat.

As good as the cast is in their roles, everyone is obscured by Reiko Ike’s (Graveyard of Honor) mesmerizing performance in the role of Ochô Inoshika, a gambler who is also a deadly assassin. She delivers a solid performance that expands on her role from Sex & Fury. Although she is portraying the same character, her portrayal of Ochô Inoshika is slightly different for each film.

Ryohei Uchida (Bodyguard Kiba), who made a career portraying offbeat characters, portrays Jôji, who has a score to settle with the same people Ochô Inoshika is going after. Although his screen time is limited, when he does appear on screen, he tends to dominate that scene. His character's most memorable moment is a scene where he throws bullets like throwing stars as they pierce his eyes and forehead.

Teruo Ishii goes for a more realistic look at the carnage in Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture than in Sex & Fury. The fighting scenes are beautifully photographed and executed. That said, one area where A Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture comes up short is the obvious lack of budget. Most noticeable is the overuse of framing compositions at an angle or tight close-ups that obscure the background. Increasing the level of violence when compared to its predecessor, Sex & Fury, this film takes disrobing to another level.

Another distinct difference is that Sex & Fury was a period film that took place in the past, whereas Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture looks and feels modern. Besides increasing the level of violence when compared to its predecessor, Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture takes disrobing to another level. Ultimately, Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture is a very satisfying sequel that stands well on its own.

Sex and Fury and Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture are given their best home media release to date. Highly recommended.