Play It Cool: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1970
Director: Yasuzô Masumura
Writers: Yoshihiro Ishimatsu, Yasuzô Masumura, Masayuki Tôyama
Cast: Mari Atsumi, Yûsuke Kawazu, Akemi Negishi, Kô Nishimura, Ryôichi Tamagawa, Sanae Nakahara, Tomo'o Nagai, Reiko Kasahara, Tomoko Mayama, Sei Hiraizumi

Release Date: March 3rd, 2025 (UK), March 4th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Yumi (Mari Atsumi) is a pretty fashion student who shares a cramped home with her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi, The Saga of Anatahan) and good-for-nothing stepfather Ryoichi. Tomi works at a local hostess bar and hopes for a better fate for Yumi. When Ryoichi violently forces himself upon her blossoming daughter, Tomi is not afraid to take action to protect her, an act which lands her in jail. Left to fend for herself, Yumi is taken in by her mother's former place of employment, where she finds herself fighting off the unwanted attentions of the men who swarm around her. Then one day, a rescue by handsome former lawyer Nozawa (Yusuke Kawazu, Cruel Story of Youth) from a vicious gangster seems to offer an escape into an altogether glitzier world, albeit one that turns out fraught with similar dangers." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The high definition master was provided by Kadokawa."

Play It Cool comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.6 GB

Feature: 26.6 GB

Though the source looks clean, free of debris, it looks dated. Colors look very good, image clarity is strong, black levels look grayish, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Though limited range-wise, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (7 images - posters/stills), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts titled Too Cool for School, he discusses Play it Cool and the career of writer-director Yasuzō Masumura (46 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp and professor and Japanese literature specialist Anne McKnight, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Yasuzō Masumura’s Femme Vitale written by Earl Jackson, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Yasuzô Masumura is one of the most gifted and diverse filmmakers that Japan has ever produced. He worked in just about every genre imaginable and along the way he made films that defied all genre conventions. His notable films include, Red Angel, Manji, Giants and Toys, Afraid to Die and Vixen. With his masterpiece Blind Beast, a film that flawlessly sums up all that’s great about Yasuzô Masumura as a filmmaker.

A young woman who was born to a teenage mother who wanted a better life for her daughter becomes an escort.

Though Play It Cool has elements that are associated with Pinku eiga, it is not the first film by Yasuzô Masumura to deal with sexuality in such a direct way. Earlier examples of this type of film from Yasuzô Masumura are Manji, Irezumi, and Blind Beast. That said, despite there being flesh on display, Play It Cool is restrained when compared to other similarly themed Japanese films from this era.

No matter what genre Yasuzô Masumura worked in, most of his films relied on melodrama. And when it comes to crafting arresting moments of melodrama, few filmmakers are on par with Yasuzô Masumura. Though there are many such moments, none are more potent than a scene where the protagonist's stepfather rapes her, and when her mother finds out, she kills him.

The protagonist Yumi goes from a naive young woman to someone who quickly learns how to manipulate others for personal gain. She follows in her mother's footsteps, despite going against her wishes. She becomes attached to a man she works with, despite being focused on being an escort. Because of this relationship and her success, she becomes the target of the other women she works with.

All around, the cast is great in their roles, especially Mari Atsumi (Bodyguard Kiba), who portrays Yumi. She delivers an utterly convincing performance that perfectly captures Yumi’s transformation. Play It Cool was the first of two films she made with Yasuzô Masumura, the other being The Hot Little Girl. The other performance of note is Akemi Negishi (Lady Snowblood), who portrays Yumi’s mother. Though her character has limited screen time, her presence looms large.

Through all of Yumi’s ups and downs, the one constant in her life is a bond with her mother. Once again, Yasuzô Masumura’s direction is superlative; he crafts a well-executed narrative that does a phenomenal job holding your attention. Ultimately, Play It Cool is a bittersweet melodrama of a broken soul jaded by her experiences.

Play It Cool gets a first-rate release from Arrow Video that comes with a serviceable audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Red Angel – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1966
Director: Yasuzo Masumura
Writers: Yoriyoshi Arima, Ryôzô Kasahara
Cast: Ayako Wakao, Shinsuke Ashida, Yusuke Kawazu, Ranko Akagi, Jotaro Senba, Daihachi Kita, Jun Osanai, Daigo Inoue, Takashi Nakamura, Kenichi Tani, Kisao Tobita, Naomasa Kawashima, Ayako Ikegami, Kyousuke Shiho, Shin Minatsu, Ken Nakahara, Shinji Sahara

Release Date: January 17th, 2022 (UK), January 18th, 2022 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 49 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"When Sakura Nishi is dispatched in 1939 to a ramshackle field hospital in Tientsin, the frontline of Japan’s war with China, she and her colleagues find themselves fighting a losing battle tending to the war-wounded and emotionally shellshocked soldiers while assisting head surgeon Dr Okabe conduct an unending series of amputations. As the Chinese troops close in, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Okabe who, impotent to stall the mounting piles of cadavers, has retreated into his own private hell of morphine addiction." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The High Definition master was produced and supplied by Kadokawa, with additional grading by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London."

Red Angel comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.2 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB

Any source-related debris is minimal. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels look strong throughout. Though the grain is intact, it looks thicker in some scenes.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (8 images-stills/posters), theatrical trailer #1 (1 minute 18 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #2 (2 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a  visual essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum titled Not All Angels Have Wings (13 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns (11 minutes 59 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary by Japanese cinema scholar David Desser, reversible cover art and twenty-eight page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled In a Mad World, Only the Mad Are Sane written by Irene González-López, Yasuzô Masumura filmography and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Red Angel is a very bleak story about a woman named Sakura whose guilt and sexual desires break her soul. The narrative starts off with Sakura being raped by a soldier she is taking care of at a hospital. She reports the man who raped her, and he is sent off to fight on the front lines of Japan's war against China. Sometime later, they crossed over again. The solider, now gravely wounded, is in need of a blood transfusion. Not wanting the solider to feel she was allowing him to die for what he had done to her, She begs a doctor to help save the man, and when the soldier dies, it sets forth an inner turmoil that consumes her. This is just the first of a series of events that culminate over the course of the film, leading up to a mesmerizing finale.

Visually, Red Angel is a brutal and unflinching look at the atrocities that are committed during war. This film would have so much of its visual power if it was in color. To director Yasuzo Masumura’s credit, the film's striking black and white photography heightens the performances and mood of the film. Some of the film's more memorable moments include Sakura allowing an armless patient to rub his big toe in her crotch, and during one of the operating scenes, there is a shot where the camera shows a bucket full of amputated body parts. Some of these operating scenes get very gruesome, with body parts being sawed off with little if any care, and the patients are often not given anesthesia. Yasuzo Masumura once again tackles controversial subject matter head-on.

In the lead role of a nurse named Sakura Nishi, is an actress named Ayako Wakao, who frequently worked with Yasuzo Masumura. Performance is both heartbreaking and poetic in this setting. Shinsuke Ashida is cast in the role of Sakura’s lover, Dr. Okabe. His performance does an admirable job of complimenting Ayako Wakao’s performance. The acting is very good all around, with no performances missing the mark or lacking potency. Ultimately, Red Angel is Yasuzo Masumura's most haunting and powerful film.

Arrow Video gives Red Angel a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Blind Beast – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1969
Director: Yasuzô Masumura
Writers: Yoshio Shirasaka, Rampo Edogawa (story)
Cast: Eiji Funakoshi, Mako Midori, Noriko Sengoku

Release Date: August 23rd, 2021 (UK), August 24th, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 84 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Blind Beast is a grotesque portrait of the bizarre relationship between a blind sculptor and his captive muse, adapted from a short story from Japan's foremost master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, The Black Lizard, Caterpillar). An artist's model, Aki (Mako Midori), is abducted, and awakens in a dark warehouse studio whose walls are decorated with outsized women's body parts - eyes, lips, legs and breasts - and dominated by two recumbent giant statues of male and female nudes. Her kidnapper introduces himself as Michio (Eiji Funakoshi), a blind sculptor whom she had witnessed previously at an exhibition in which she featured intently caressing a statue of her naked torso. Michio announces his intention of using her to sculpt the perfect female form. At first defiant, she eventually succumbs to his intense fixation on her body and finds herself drawn into his sightless world, in which touch is everything." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The High Definition masters were provided by Kadokawa. Additional picture restoration was completed by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London."

Blind Beast comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.2 GB

Feature: 24.7 GB

The source used for this transfer is in very good shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, black levels fare well and the image generally looks crisp.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, an image gallery, a trailer for Blind Beast (2 minutes 25 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with English subtitles), a visual essay by Japanese literature and visual studies scholar Seth Jacobowitz titled Blind Beast: Masumura the Supersensualist (10 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns (18 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson and a twenty-eight page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Blind Beast: A Perverse Cinema of the Body written by Virginie Sélavy, Yasuzô Masumura filmography and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Though Blind Beast, like most of Yasuzo Masumura’s films, is dialog driven. That’s not to say that there are not many visually arresting moments in Yasuzo Masumura’s films. And with Blind Beast Yasuzo Masumura he delivers what is arguably his most exquisite film visually.

In its opening moments, Yasuzo Masumura makes an interesting choice stylistically by using black and white photographs before shifting into color for the rest of the film. Also, throughout Blind Beast Yasuzo Masumura masterfully uses light and shadow, which heightens the actors’ expressions.

Though Blind Beast has many elements that have become synonymous with Pinku eiga. Most notable elements in Blind Beast that's meant to arouse viewers like sadomasochism and a room that’s covered on its walls with various body parts and a large woman’s torso that lays in the middle of the room. That said, the result is a film that transcends Pinku eiga cinema.

Performance wise the three leads are all very good in their respective roles, especially Eiji Funakoshi in the role of a blind artist named Michio and Mako Midori in the role of Aki, his unwilling muse. Reportedly Eiji Funakoshi visited a school for the blind and the result is a performance that has you believing he is really blind. Also, Mako Midori is equally impressive as Aki as she effortlessly goes from victim to seductress.

Without a doubt, one of the most riveting aspects of Blind Beast is the dynamic between the three characters. Before Aki the only woman in Michio’s life was his overbearing mother. After Aki’s arrival tension builds when Michio’s mother becomes jealous of her son's affection for Aki, which only further pushes Michio away from his mother. Also, it's ironic that Michio's strongest sense, touch, is what betrays him in the end. Ultimately, Blind Beast is an amazing film and Yasuzo Masumura’s greatest achievement as a filmmaker.

Arrow Video gives Blind Beast a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Black Test Car/The Black Report – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1962 (Black Test Car), Japan, 1963 (The Black Report)
Director: Yasuzô Masumura (Both Films)
Cast: Jirô Tamiya, Junko Kanô, Eiji Funakoshi, Hideo Takamatsu, Ichirô Sugai, Kichijirô Ueda (Black Test Car), Ken Utsui, Junko Kanô, Hideo Takamatsu, Shigeru Kôyama, Eitarô Ozawa (The Black Report)

Release Date: August 24th, 2020 (UK), August 25th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate running times: 94 Minutes 35 Seconds (Black Test Car), 92 Minutes 14 Seconds (The Black Report)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed “Black” films.

In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest “Pioneer” car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, The Last Emperor) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato’s spy, and find out what they can about the competitor's familiar-looking new model." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (Black Test Car, The Black Report)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The High Definition masters were provided by Kadokawa. Additional picture restoration was completed by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios, London."

Black Test Car and The Black Report comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 22 GB (Black Test Car), 21.5 GB (The Black Report)

The sources used for both transfers are in great shape and any print debris is minimal. The image looks crisp, contrast and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 3.75/5 (Black Test Car, The Black Report)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and both films come with removable English subtitles. Both audio mixes sound, clean, clear and balanced throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a reversible cover art for The Black Report, trailers for Black Test Car (2 minutes 42 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with English subtitles) and The Black Report (3 minutes 1 second, LPCM mono Japanese with English subtitles), image galleries for Black Test Car and The Black Report, a critical appreciation by film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum titled What Masumura Does With Our Madness (17 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and a twenty-four page booklet with cast & crew information for Black Test Car and The Black Report, an essay titled A Longitudinal View of Daiei’s Black Series written by Mark Downing Roberts and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Yasuzô Masumura is one of the most gifted and diverse filmmakers that Japan has ever produced. He worked in just about every genre imaginable and along the way he made films that defied all genre conventions. His notable films include, Red Angel, Manji, Giants and Toys, Afraid to Die and Vixen. With his masterpiece Blind Beast, a film that flawlessly sums up all that’s great about Yasuzô Masumura as a filmmaker.

Double crosses, blackmail and greed are at the heart of Black Test Car. Though Yasuzô Masumura had earlier with Giants and Toys explored the business world. Giants and Toys was a satirical film that had a lighthearted tone, while Black Test Car takes on a darker tone by creating an environment of paranoia, where no one is safe.

Performance wise the cast are all very good in their respective roles. With Black Test Car’s standout performance being Hideo Takamatsu (A Wife Confesses) in the role of Toru Onoda, a ruthless divisional manager who’s in charge of an industrial espionage unit. Another performance of note is Jirô Tamiya in the role of Toru Onoda protegé with a conscience.

Those familiar with the cinema of Yasuzô Masumura should have a good idea of what to expect from Black Test Car, a film that has all the style and mood that his films are known for. And for those who have yet too be exposed to the cinema of Yasuzô Masumura. Black Test Car is one of his more accessible films for someone who’s wanting to test the waters of Yasuzô Masumura’s cinema for the first time.

The Black Report's only connection to Black Test Car are their titles. Both films are part of eleven film series produced by Daiei where all the films have the word black in their titles.

Content wise, where it’s predecessor Black Test Car explored corporate espionage, The Black Report is a whodunit that features a rogues gallery of suspicious characters. That said, The Black Report is equal parts police procedural and courtroom drama.

The Black Report’s plot revolves around Akira Kido, an up and coming prosecutor who’s on the verge of being promoted to Tokyo. He’s given one last case before his transfer. And though he’s a thorough prosecutor who’s collected more than enough evidence for a conviction. Even best laid plans go awry, when he goes head to head with an unscrupulous defense attorney.

Performance wise the cast are all very good in their respective roles, especially Ken Utsui (Sûpâ jaiantsu ‘Super Giant’) in the role of Akira Kido. He delivers a solid performance that does a great job capturing his character’s determination. Another performance of note is Junko Kanô in the role of Ayako Kataoka, the murdered man’s secretary/mistress.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where The Black Report does not deliver. The premise is well-executed and the narrative has an ample amount of twists and turns, which reinforce the mounting tension. Ultimately, The Black Report is a well-made suspense film that has a very satisfying conclusion that perfectly ties together the events that have just unfolded.

Black Test Car and The Black Report is a solid double feature release from Arrow Academy that comes with strong audio/video presentations and an informative extra about the films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Irezumi – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1966
Director: Yasuzô Masumura
Writers: Kaneto Shindô, Jun'ichirô Tanizaki
Cast: Ayako Wakao, Akio Hasegawa, Gaku Yamamoto, Kei Satô, Fujio Suga, Reiko Fujiwara, Asao Uchida, Kikue Môri

Release Date: June 21st, 2021 (UK), June 22nd, 2021 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, who is tempted by her lover, Shinsuke, a lowly employee of her father's, to elope. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality transforms under its influence." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The film was restored in 4K from the original 35mm negative by Kadokawa, with additional work by Arrow Films and R3Store Studios, London."

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

Disc Size: 29.5 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Colors look robust, flesh tones look correct, contrast, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout. That said, this is the best looking transfer that Arrow Video has released to date for a 1960’s Japanese film.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds fantastic, dialog comes clearly, everything sounds balanced and range wise, ambient sounds/the score sound appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, an image gallery, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with English subtitles), an introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns (9 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a visual essay by Asian cinema scholar Daisuke Miyao who discusses cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa titled Out of the Darkness, an audio commentary with Japanese cinema scholar David Desser and a thirty-six page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled In Praise of Uncanny Attunement: Masumura and Tanizaki written by Thomas Lamarre, an essay titled Red, White, and Black: Kazuo Miyagaw’s cinematography in Irezumi written by Daisuke Miyao, Yasuzô Masumura filmography and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Irezumi was adapted from Jun'ichirô Tanizaki's short story titled Shisei (The Tattooer). Other films adapted from Jun'ichirô Tanizaki's stories/novels include Manji (directed by Yasuzô Masumura), The Makioka Sisters (directed by Kon Ichikawa) and The Key (directed by Tinto Brass).

By the time that Yasuzô Masumura directed Irezumi, he had directed thirty-two feature films and contributed segments to two anthology films. Over the course of his four decade career he proved that he was a versatile filmmaker who could excel in any genre he worked in. That said, no matter what genre he worked in, there are themes that he would return to time and again, most notably obsession.

At the heart of Irezumi is a tale about obsession and how it leads to one's downfall. The plot revolves around a young-woman named Otsuyu who has run away with her lover, a young-man named Shinsuke. Though they’re very much in love and plan on getting married. Along the way they cross paths with treacherous people who become obsessed with Otsuyu’s beauty. They kidnap her, a tattoo artist draws a menacing spider on her back and they force her to become a courtesan. Without giving away too much more about the plot, let's just say that everyone who becomes enthralled by her beauty has an untimely demise.

Beside obsession another theme explored in Irezumi is art and the toll that an artist’s creation has on them. With the artist who gave Otsuyu the spider tattoo declaring he can no longer create because of her tattoo, his masterpiece has drained him of his creativity. Also, Irezumi features many elements that have become synonymous with revenge themed films.

Performance wise as good as the entire cast are, ultimately every performance pales when compared to Ayako Wakao’s portrayal of Otsuyu. She delivers an utterly terrifying performance that perfectly captures the state of mind of a character consumed by blood lust.

From a production standpoint, one would be hard pressed to find any area where Irezumi does not excel. The exquisite premise is superbly realized and the well-crafted narrative does a great job balancing the peaks and valleys. Not too be overlooked are the striking visuals, they are bursting with vivid colors and the carefully crafted compositions look like paintings that have come alive. That said, Arrow Video gives Irezumi a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer