Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version) Blu-ray Region A
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YesAsia Editorial Description
High school student Hoshi Izumi (Yakushimaru Hiroko) is just a normal teenaged schoolgirl, except for the fact that her father is a yakuza boss. When her father suddenly dies, Izumi inherits his position as the clan head. Pulled into the wheeling, dealing, and fighting of the mob world, Izumi slowly comes into her own as she leads the gang in search of her father's murderer.
Technical Information
Product Title: | Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version) 水手服與機關鎗 (1981) (Blu-ray) (日本版) 水手服与机关枪 (1981) (Blu-ray) (日本版) セーラー服と機関銃 Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version) |
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Artist Name(s): | Yakushimaru Hiroko | Hoshi Katsu | Akagawa Jiro | Kazama Yuki | Yanagisawa Shingo | Watase Tsunehiko 藥師丸博子 | Hoshi Katsu | 赤川次郎 | Kazama Yuki | 柳澤慎吾 | 渡瀨恒彥 药师丸博子 | Hoshi Katsu | 赤川次郎 | Kazama Yuki | 柳泽慎吾 | 渡濑恒彦 薬師丸ひろ子 | 星勝 | 柳澤慎吾 | 赤川次郎/著 | 風祭ゆき | 柳沢慎吾 | 渡瀬恒彦 Yakushimaru Hiroko | Hoshi Katsu | Akagawa Jiro | Kazama Yuki | Yanagisawa Shingo | Watase Tsunehiko |
Director: | Somai Shinji 相米慎二 相米慎二 相米慎二 Somai Shinji |
Blu-ray Region Code: | A - Americas (North, Central and South except French Guiana), Korea, Japan, South East Asia (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) What is it? |
Release Date: | 2019-02-08 |
Publisher Product Code: | DAXA-91517 |
Language: | Japanese |
Place of Origin: | Japan |
Disc Format(s): | Blu-ray |
Shipment Unit: | 1 What is it? |
YesAsia Catalog No.: | 1070361064 |
Product Information
薬師丸ひろ子 / 渡瀬恒彦 / 風祭ゆき / 相米慎二 (監督) / 赤川次郎 (原作)
[特典情報]
封入特典:角川映画カード(ランダムで1枚)/映像特典収録
[テクニカル・インフォメーション]
本編112分
製作国 : 日本 (Japan)
[ストーリー]
父を亡くした女子高生・星泉はひょんなことから、組員4人の目高組の組長を襲名することになった。麻薬事件に巻き込まれた組を救うため、マシンガンを片手に戦いを挑む。父親殺しの犯人は?時価2億の麻薬の行方は?得体の知れない刑事・少年探偵団・女カメラマンなど怪しげな連中が入乱れ、奇想天外、意表をついたパニックが巻き起こる。
[解説]
ウッソォー! 私がやくざの組長!?
Other Versions of "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version)"
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Hong Kong Version
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
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Japan Version
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (4K Scanning Remastered Edition) (Japan Version) Blu-ray Region A
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- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (DVD) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
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- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (DVD) (Digitally Remastered Edition) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
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- Sailor fuku to kikanju (1981) (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
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- Sailor fuku to kikanju (Limited Edition) (Japan Version) DVD Region 2
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Taiwan Version
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (DVD) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3
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YumCha! Asian Entertainment Reviews and Features
Professional Review of "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version)"
This professional review refers to Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (Hong Kong Version)
Based upon the novel of the same name by prolific author Jiro Akagawa, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun tells the story of Hoshi Izumi (Hiroko Yakushimaru) - Koizumi to her friends - a young schoolgirl whose father has recently passed away. Soon after the death of Hoshi Takashi she receives a letter from him, stating that he'd like his mistress Mayumi (Yuki Kazamatsuri) to stay and befriend her. However, that's not the end of her troubles. It just so happens that her father was the boss of the Medaka gang and that she's the fourth-gen successor. But the gang isn't exactly hot right now as there are only four members: Sakuma (Tsunehiko Watase), Masa (Masaaki Daimon), Aki (Toshiya Sakai), and Hiko (Shinpei Hayashiya). Also they're in the midst of a turf war with the forty-strong Matsunoki gang who are also affiliated with the Hamaguchi gang. With Koizumi thrown in the deep end, it's up to Sakuma and company to teach her a little yakuza etiquette. There's no time to waste as battles of honour grow fiercer and the arrival of Mayumi sparks a hunt for missing heroine, with a detective named Kuroki (Akira Emoto) hot on the trail. Shinji Soumai had only made thirteen films before cancer took him in 2001 and his second feature Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is one of his most celebrated, not only for its satirical approach toward typical gangster films of the time and changes in society, but also for placing a then sixteen-year-old Hiroko Yakushimaru in an unusual central role, which on the basis of a single line uttered earned a massive response across Japan. She was the discovery of producer Haruki Kadokawa, who had placed her in a number of films throughout the eighties including Soumai's debut feature The Terrible Couple, Story of a Detective (also based on an Akagawa novel), W's Tragedy, and Legend of the Eight Samurai. Her popularity soared throughout the decade until she slowed down during the nineties and subsequently hit back hard with a series of popular J-dramas and movies. And it's easy to see what her appeal was back then; what it was that managed to win her so many idol awards. She's the perfect teen model for which to reflect society upon: sassy, playful, innocent, stubborn - all the things to contrast against the wide world around her, and a role that she effortlessly seemed to sink herself into. Nor is she a classically beautiful young women, which manages to aid the ordinary status of her character that Soumai eagerly seeks to capture. Soumai, a former Nikkatsu A.D. approaches his material quite carefully; Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is one of several films of his that notably features extended one-take shots. These almost become a study on nature as the director quite literally lingers over his material, not caring so much about forwarding the plot but capturing a single moment in time - whether it be glorious or not - and savouring it like a fruit pastel (and that's hard to do). His camera wavers, he employs unsteady hand-held tricks, and even pans across tightly closed rooms when ordinarily he shouldn't have to. While it never badly stalls, it has a tendency to jump cut from one important scene to the next: it briefly bonds characters with lengthy takes and then cruelly disbands them without hesitation, which is most disappointing if by that stage you've grown to like them. But that could also be Soumai's genius, taking away Koizumi's safety net to leave a sudden impact, as if to reiterate that this stuff happens all the time and we just have to deal with it. Certainly if he needed to prove that point, then the characters of Koizumi and Sakuma are perfect grounds to do so. Soumai infuses his film with an equal sharing of teen sentiments and grown up sensibilities; this isn't solely Koizumi's adventure in which she must learn to grow in an adult world, but a trial for its predominant male protagonists as well, who find that maybe the life they lead isn't so desirable after all. There's a sense that Soumai wishes to convey how important Koizumi is to her group and vice-versa, and it does indeed work very well. There's a charming chemistry shared between Yakushimaru and her co-stars who are each brought to life empathetically and retain their own unique personalities, despite being obvious pastiches of any number of characters from any number of classic yakuza film offerings, but especially the father figure of Sakuma is well drawn and excellently carried out by yakuza movie veteran Tsunehiko Watase. That in itself might prove to disappoint some looking for more in the way of heavy action, and at times Soumai's indulgence gets the better of him because we still feel that we should be seeing more than what we get. It should be noted that although the film's title suggests more in the way of exploitation and action, the truth of the matter is that this is more a war of words and about precise characterization. Soumai draws out the plight of each gang with lengthy bouts of dialogue and foreboding shots that take us to places we can already see coming. The title then would appear to refer to Koizumi's ultimate awakening; the moment when she feels truly powerful, as if nothing at that moment could ever stop her from unleashing hell. The build up, while indeed strategically placed is well worth the time spent. Koizumi hits back in a hail of bullets toward the end of the picture and lets out an orgasmic sigh - a sign perhaps that this is now her on a road to womanhood and self discovery, or even a cry of feminism in a changing society. And when we think about it, that makes perfect sense taking into consideration the amount of times she's been laughed at for being in charge of something belonging to a world she would ordinarily never understand. Throughout the feature, Soumai utilises some deft humour, not only in amusingly capturing some rather fun yakuza clichés to try and lighten the tone from time to time, but also in placing obvious pot shots toward male domination. Yet the film doesn't totally rely on being a satire and it never feels like it's trying too hard to be one. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun draws a neat line between comedy and drama; it's a lot of fun and can be disparaging, but the concept is quite unlike anything else doing the rounds at the time. DVD Unfortunately the version being presented here is the 112 minute international cut, which includes the (seemingly tame) blocking out of a sex scene that Koizumi walks in on. Shinji Soumai ended up doing a 131-minute director's cut, which doesn't look like it's ever appeared on home video. The fact that there is a director's cut somewhere out there might explain why Sailor Suit and Machine Gun feels a little jumpy in its current form. Audio/Visual Of the IVL Kadokawa collection titles that I've seen to date, I've found a fair amount of inconstancies. I'm guessing that the company isn't receiving the best materials in the world. The image here is soft, overly bright and contrasty; outdoor night shoots show barely any detail and blacks lack any depth, blending in to see each. Of course for a film this age and depending on its budget, it's entirely possible that it's supposed to look like this, but I'd rather see a Japanese master to know for sure. Colour appears to be naturally saturated though and Soumai does tinker with his camera from time to time, enhancing bloom and brightness in key areas. Low-level noise creeps in and is more noticeable on darker backdrops, while there's just a hint of dot crawl. Finally the transfer is non-progressive, showcasing combing and ghosting. The Japanese mono soundtrack is functional. While there's some hissing here and there and hollowness during portions of dialogue, it still very much has clarity and there's not a great deal to be done with an original track such as this. The film's score and environmental effects are equally suitable, all in all making for an undemanding but pleasant enough listen. There are also optional English subtitles, which are well done and don't contain any major grammatical errors. For extras we're given the original theatrical trailer. Overall by Kevin Gilvear - DVD Times |
Customer Review of "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981) (Blu-ray) (Japan Version)"
See all my reviews
November 25, 2015
This customer review refers to Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (DVD) (Digitally Remastered Edition) (Japan Version)
The film itself is wonderful. Hiroko is amazing. Omnipresent seventies star Tsunehiko Watase is as cool as always. Watch out for a young Akira Emoto in a strong supporting role. I found the cover a bit misleading because Hiroko holds the machine gun only for a few seconds in the film. It's not a wild and over-the-top movie at all. It's rather slow-paced, with interesting camerawork. Scenes go on for minutes without a cut. They wouldn't dare to film like this today (perhaps Shinji Aoyama would).
A word about the allegedly existing English subtitles: There are none. It features optional Japanese subtitles only. On the back cover the issue of subtitles (jimaku) isn't mentioned at all. Just to make that clear. However you can easily follow the film's plot without English subtitles. |
See all my reviews
March 8, 2007
This customer review refers to Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (Hong Kong Version)
Hilarious action comedy
"Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" is a hugely entertaining tale of how a high school girl becomes the boss of the world's most woeful Yakuza gang and leads it to glory. The film grabs your attention right from the chaotic opening frames and never lets go. The young actress who plays the lead role has the perfect combination of wide-eyed innocence, determination, and savvy to carry it off. Fans of Juzo Itami's films will love this one. Very highly recommended. |
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