Noriko's Dinner Table: Limited Edition – New Wave Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2005
Director: Sion Sono
Writer: Sion Sono
Cast: Kazue Fukiishi, Tsugumi, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Shirô Namiki, Sanae Miyata, Yôko Mitsuya, Tamae Andô, Ken Mitsuishi

Release Date: March 26th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 159 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR (Australia)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95 AUD (Australia)

"A companion piece to Sono’s cult classic Suicide Club, this film expands the story into an emotionally gripping exploration of identity, family, and the hidden loneliness of modern life. Following the journey of 17-year-old Noriko, who flees her small-town home for Tokyo, the film pulls viewers into the unsettling world of a “rental family” agency. More than just a “J-horror", Noriko’s Dinner Table is a chilling exploration of connection and alienation in the digital age. Combining intimate storytelling with Sono’s signature surreal flourishes, it is both heartbreaking and unforgettable." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The film was originally shot in using a lo-fi SD Panasonic AG-DVX100B digital camera (MiniDV). For post production and its original Japanese theatrical release, the material was transferred to 35mm film.

This Blu-ray features a new 4K remaster created from the original 35mm picture and sound negative, sourced from The Omega Project in Tokyo, Japan. The restoration and 4K scan were carried out by Piccolo Films in Sydney, Australia, under the supervision of New Wave Video.

The final transfer was approved by director Sion Sono."

Noriko's Dinner Table comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 39.1 GB

My only reference point is TLA’s 2007 DVD release, and this new release from New Wave Video is a marked improvement over that release. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, it's hard to imagine Noriko's Dinner Table looking better than this release.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a behind-the-scenes photo gallery with music from the film playing in the background (poster/stills), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an introduction by director Sion Sono (35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Sion Sono (14 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), 2006 Tokyo Premiere, featuring comments by Sion Sono, actresses Kazue Fukiishi, Tsugumi, and Yuriko Yoshitaka, and actor Ken Mitsuishi (22 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival making-of documentary (31 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Kazue Fukiishi (13 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Yuriko Yoshitaka (10 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Sion Sono titled Sono’s Dinner Table (14 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, a spot gloss slipcover, and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled Finding Yourself by Losing: Identity, Parental Neglect and the Loss of Innocence in Noriko's Dinner Table written by Dustin Putman, an essay titled ‘Are You Connected to Yourself?’: Identity and Alienation in Noriko's Dinner Table written by Celeste de la Cabra and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Sion Sono directed Noriko's Dinner Table. He’s known for Suicide Club, Strange Circus, Exte: Hair Extensions, Cold Fish, and Love Exposure.

Tetsuzo Shimabara is a reporter who loses sight of what is important in life. He fails to recognize his two daughters’ unhappiness before they run away. Heartbroken Tetsuzo quits his job as a reporter and uses his investigating skills to find his missing daughters. Tetsuzo’s wife, riddled with guilt over the loss of her children, commits suicide. With the clues his daughters left behind, Tetsuzo is able to piece together their last known moments before they disappeared. His investigations lead him to a woman named Kumiko.

After the success of Suicide Club, director Sion Sono wrote a novel inspired by the film. As he developed the project, the novel transformed into a new story that he loosely connected to Suicide Club. Upon completing the novel, titled Suicide Circle: The Complete Edition, he began working on a film adaptation called Noriko’s Dinner Table.

The narrative centers on four characters. The main character is a seventeen-year-old girl named Noriko, who feels confined in her current life. Using the username Mitsuko, she connects with another like-minded individual on a message board, who goes by the username Ueno Station 54. One evening, during a blackout, Noriko musters the courage to run away to Tokyo. Upon her arrival, she finally meets Ueno Station 54 in person, revealing that this individual is a young woman named Kumiko.

Kumiko has her bag, a reminder of her childhood when her mother abandoned her at the Ueno Train Station, leaving it in locker number 54. Since that time, she has collected discarded items and crafted memories to accompany them. In many ways, taking Noriko under her wing after her arrival in Tokyo allows Kumiko to shape a human being and their past in the same way she has shaped inanimate objects throughout her life. Kumiko has been using the internet to gather weak-minded individuals like Noriko. She even orchestrated the subway suicide of fifty-four girls. Kumiko also operates a family rental business, where she and the individuals she takes in portray deceased or missing family members. Through these jobs, she generates new memories. Additionally, she utilizes these roles to manipulate and brainwash girls like Noriko.

Another key player is Noriko’s younger sister Yuka, who follows her sister down the same path. They both come from a home that is almost devoid of joy. Their parents are oblivious to Noriko's and Yuka’s need for affection from them. The other main character is Tetsuzo, Noriko's and Yuka’s father. Out of all the characters, he undergoes the most significant transformation after his daughters run away and his wife, Taeko, takes her life. At the beginning of the story, he is an overbearing father who refuses to allow Noriko to attend college in Tokyo, citing the fact that two of her cousins became pregnant while studying there.

Loneliness and suicide are the two main themes that connect Noriko’s Dinner Table to its predecessor, Suicide Club. Some footage from Suicide Club is incorporated into Noriko’s Dinner Table. The tone of Noriko’s Dinner Table, while gut-wrenching and depressing, is as a whole not as graphic or violent as Suicide Club. It is appropriate that Noriko’s Dinner Table is a dialogue-heavy film since all the characters in the film are unable to express their feelings and communicate with each other. At just over two and a half hours, Noriko’s Dinner Table is an engrossing story that builds up to an unforgettable ending. The line from the film best sums it up. “The only way to figure out what we can be… is to lie openly and pursue emptiness.” Ultimately Noriko’s Dinner Table is Sion Sono’s most accomplished film to date.

If you are a fan of Sion Sono or this film, you should definitely consider owning this release. It is region-free, and the packaging does not include any ratings logos. That said, Noriko’s Dinner Table gets an exceptional release from New Wave Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This edition is limited to 1500 units.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Suicide Club - Umbrella Entertainment (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2001
Director: Sion Sono
Writer: Sion Sono
Cast: Ryō Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Akaji Maro, Saya Hagiwara, Yoko Kamon, Rolly Teranishi, Hideo Sako, Kimiko Yo, Mika Kikuchi, So Matsumoto, Takashi Nomura

Release Date: February 4th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 25 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: R (Australia)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95 AUD (Australia)

"A wave of unexplainable suicides sweeps across Tokyo after 54 smiling high school girls join hands and throw themselves from a subway platform into an oncoming train. Detective Kuroda (Ryo Ishibashi, Audition) and the rest of the police force are baffled as the bloodbath triggers a wave of further deaths across the city.

When a tip-off appears to be tracking the suicides before they happen, the question becomes, are they really suicides at all? " - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (4K UHD), 4/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "HDR presentation of the film."

Suicide Club comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.5 GB

Feature: 59.5 GB

The source is free of any source imperfections; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression. Unfortunately, the transfer is devoid of any organic appearance. That said, the digital noise reduction is not as pronounced on the Blu-ray disc.

Suicide Club comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.2 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the soundtrack are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film archivist and media professional Ariel Schudson.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with SFX guru Yoshihiro Nishimura titled Dismembered Limbs & Buckets of Blood: "Suicide Club" (8 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay with film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled Just Desserts: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Suicide Club (13 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Ariel Schudson.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Sion Sono directed Suicide Club. He’s known for Strange Circus, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Exte: Hair Extensions, Cold Fish, and Love Exposure. 

A detective looking into a series of linked suicides becomes personally involved when tragedy strikes his family.

Although Sion Sono had been making films for 17 years prior to the release of Suicide Club, his earlier, more experimental works do not hint at the direction he would ultimately take as a filmmaker. Suicide Club not only reshaped Sion Sono's trajectory as a filmmaker but also initiated what is arguably the most idiosyncratic and subversive series of films by a Japanese director. Suicide Club explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and the societal pressure to succeed. It examines the romanticization of suicide, a concept deeply rooted in Japanese culture, with historical ties to harakiri.

The opening moment of Suicide Club is one of cinema’s most jarring moments. People at a subway station are waiting for the next train to arrive while a mournful song plays over the soundtrack. Although the music foreshadows something tragic is about to happen, the mood of those congregating is upbeat. A group of girls joins hands as they approach the tracks. The arrival of the train prompts them to leap into its path, resulting in a horrifying scene of carnage as blood spills everywhere and body parts scatter.

After this initial setup, the narrative does a phenomenal job building upon each moment as it builds to its moment of truth. The narrative features two intertwining stories that ultimately converge as it approaches the finale. The first of these are a series of group suicides where seemingly happy individuals and, in many instances, strangers gather before leaping to their deaths. The other revolves around a police investigation into these deaths and, in particular, a detective whose family outwardly looks picture-perfect.

There are three noteworthy performances; the standout among them is Ryō Ishibashi (Audition) in the role of Koruda, the lead detective investigating the 'suicide club.' He delivers a remarkable portrayal of a man fixated on solving a mystery, ultimately leading to his destruction. Other notable performances include Saya Hagiwara as Mitsuko, a girl seeking answers following her friend's suicide, and Rolly Teranishi as Genisis, the flamboyant and charismatic leader of the suicide club cult.

While Suicide Club offers profound social commentary, it also inundates viewers with its vivid imagery steeped in Grand Guignol style. There are three moments that stand out the most. The first of these is the scene that introduces Genisis and his gang and their lair, a blowing alley with De Sade-like delights. The second of these is the scene where Koruda’s work and home lives collide. The third of these monets is the finale, which shows that the cycle has not been broken and will continue.

Media manipulation and pop culture are also central to the story that unfolds. In the case of the latter, there is an all-girl pop group called Dessert whose joyful music is present throughout and has its own hidden meanings. Most of the victims were listening to Dessert's music right before their deaths or at some point. Although Suicide Club offers a bleak view of the world where death is preferable to living, it is ultimately a film about remaining true to yourself, making deeper connections with others, and what happens to those connections when you die.

While the transfer is disappointing, Umbrella Entertainment has a collection of substantial extras, and Discotek Media’s release only comes with a trailer. That said, Suicide Club is an important film and I still recommend Umbrella Entertainment’s release because of its insightful extras.

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.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Strange Circus: Limited Edition – New Wave Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2005
Director: Sion Sono
Writer: Sion Sono
Cast: Masumi Miyazaki, Issei Ishida, Rie Kuwana, Seiko Iwaido, Fujiko, Madame Regine, Tomorowo Taguchi, Hiroshi Ôguchi

Release Date: November 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 18 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR (Australia)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95 AUD (Australia)

"Step into a world where reality and illusion intertwine in this haunting and surreal tale of identity, trauma, and hidden truths. When a mysterious writer named Taeko begins crafting a disturbing novel about a young girl named Mitsuko, who is subjected to unimaginable abuse by her father—a story that blurs the lines between author and character—the boundaries between truth and fiction begin to dissolve. As these two elements collide, a dark and suspenseful mystery unfolds, culminating in a shocking climax that lingers in the mind long after the curtains fall." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "A high-definition master was provided to New Wave Video by Sedic International."

Strange Circus comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.4 GB

Feature: 27.9 GB

My only reference point is TLA’s 2007 DVD release, and this new release from New Wave Video is a marked improvement over that release. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 55 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese, no subtitles), an archival making-of documentary (69 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Issei Ishida (22 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sion Sono titled Ero Guro Circus (19 minutes 31 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by Suzanne Boleyn titled Strange Circus—An Ero Guro Legacy (33 minutes 8 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, a UV/Spot Gloss slipcover, and a 26-page booklet with an essay titled The Strang Circus of the Mind: Identity as Performance Art written by Michelle Kisner, an essay titled Sion Sono: The Wizard of Oz written by Nikodem Karolak, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Sion Sono directed Strange Circus. He’s known for Suicide Club, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Exte: Hair Extensions, Cold Fish, and Love Exposure. 

A reclusive erotic novelist is forced to confront her past when her latest novel appears to be based more on fact than fiction.

“It’s almost like I was born on the execution stand, anyway. If not, I was born to my mother as she awaited execution. I’ve been standing in for her there ever since.” - Mitsuko Ozawa

“Many execution tools are hidden all over the house. As I grew up, I began to notice the traps everywhere. If you don’t figure them out, you’re dead.” - Mitsuko Ozawa

Sion Sono is a filmmaker who is constantly pushing boundaries by taking on dark subject matter that provokes and revolts while, at the same time, being thought-provoking. Strange Circus offers a stark exploration of physical and sexual abuse and its devastating impact on victims. Themes of pain, suffering, and identity are central to the narrative that unfolds.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Strange Circus is how Sion Sono twists fact and fiction. By the end, the narrative has totally eschewed one's sense of what really happened, leaving the story open for multiple interpretations. Was everything a figment of the author’s imagination or was the story autobiographical? Who is Mitsuko and what really happened to her? Like a complicated puzzle, the plot lays many traps along the way.

After a decade away from acting, Masumi Miyazaki would return and take on three roles—Sayuri, Mitsuko, and Taeko—in Strange Circus. She creates three different personas that are all utterly believable, delivering what is arguably her best performance. Rie Kuwana and Seiko Iwaido are both excellent in the role of young Mitsuko, delivering performances beyond their years. By far the most disturbing performance is Hiroshi Ôguchi, who portrays Gôzô Ozawa, Sayuri’s perverse husband and Mitsuko’s abusive father.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Strange Circus does not excel. The production design is exemplary, and visually the striking use of colors greatly heightens the mood. Another area where the visuals excel is how they perfectly lend themselves to the underlying themes of deception and betrayal. The most visually striking moments occur when the camera transitions between Mitsuko and her Sayuri, highlighting their duality. Ultimately, Strange Circus is an extraordinary film that warrants multiple viewings to fully grasp the complexities beneath the surface.

If you are a fan of Sion Sono or this film, you should definitely consider owning this release. It is region-free, and the packaging does not include any ratings logos. That said, Strange Circus gets an exceptional release from New Wave Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This edition is limited to 1000 units.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Tag – Eureka Video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2015
Director: Sion Sono
Writer: Sion Sono
Cast: Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai, Aki Hiraoka, Ami Tomite

Release Date: November 20th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray), Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: OOP

"Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is the sole survivor of a bizarre paranormal incident that kills all of her classmates. Running for her life, Mitsuko seemingly slips into an alternate reality, but death and chaos seem to follow her everywhere. As Mitsuko finds herself in increasingly surreal and violent situations, the true horror behind her nightmare is revealed." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "1080p High Definition Presentation."

Tag comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 24 GB

Feature: 23.3 GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a theatrical trailer (1 minute 8 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles).

This release includes a DVD that contains the same content as the Blu-Ray in this combo package.

Summary:

Sion Sono directed Tag. He’s known for Suicide Club, Noriko’s Dinner Table, Strange Circus, Cold Fish, and Love Exposure. Tag is an adaptation of Yûsuke Yamada’s novel Real Tag, which had already had one film and one television adaptation. Although the other adaptation films and TV series were based on the same source material that serves as a launching point for Sion Sono’s Tag, he makes a substantial change by switching the protagonist from a family to female high school students.

A tragic event causes a young woman’s life to spiral out of control. In the aftermath of that tragic event, she begins to question what is real and what is merely a figment of her imagination.

In its truest form, cinema is at its best when it surprises you. Unfortunately, modern cinema has become overly sterilized, with too much emphasis placed on manufacturing products solely for maximum profit. Fortunately, all is not lost and there are filmmakers like Sion Sono (Love Exposure, Cold Fish), who falls firmly into the former category.

When it comes to shocking moments, this is one area where Sion Sono always delivers and then some. And nowhere is this more evident than in Tag’s opening sequence that features two school buses and various other young women, who are decapitated or chopped in half by an unseen entity. This scene perfectly sets the tone for the events about to unfold.

All around, the cast are excellent; it is not difficult to get caught up in their enthusiastic performances. Reina Triendl is cast in the role of the protagonist, Mitsuko, and she delivers an exceptional performance that anchors Tag. Misdirection is rampant throughout, and it is never clear what’s real or imagined, and her performance does a superb job reinforcing this disorientation. Another performance of note is Yuki Sakurai in the role of Aki; it is her character that tries to help Mitsuko make sense of what is happening to her.

Tag’s loosely constructed narrative greatly aids the nightmarish imagery, and there is an ample amount of carnage. Notable moments of bloodletting include the opening sequences where two buses filled with schoolgirls are sliced in half by an unseen force, a scene where teachers fully loaded with weaponry systematically launch an assault on all of the schoolgirls, and a wedding sequence where the groom has a pig head. The narrative progresses at a frenetic pace, leaving viewers with no opportunity to catch their breath. Ultimately, Tag stands out as a highly entertaining horror/fantasy film filled with subversive humor and abundant carnage.

Tag gets a solid audio/video presentation from Eureka Video; recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer