KIRENJI GIRLS COMBAT SCHOOL ON SALE TODAY

HOUSTON, February 9, 2010 – Section23 Films, a leading purveyor of the bizarre, is pleased to announce the North American debut of the Kirenji Girls Combat School DVD from Switchblade Pictures.
In a crowded field of half-naked, live-action hellcat academies, Kirenji Girls Combat School stands apart. Kicking ass and taking names is only the first part of a curriculum where the best and brightest are the biggest and baddest!

SYNOPSIS: Kirenji is so definitely NOT your typical Japanese girls’ school. For example, while the word “hot” might describe an attractive girl at other places of higher education, at Kirenji it’s more likely to mean “hot blooded,” “hot tempered” and “ready for red hot action” (as in physical combat, that is)! So when 17 year old Maki enrolls, thinking she’s the baddest bad girl of them all, she quickly learns the hard way that at Kirenji she’ll have to punch her way to the top of the pulchritudinous power pyramid… and it’s just too bad that the equally intimidating Natsumu is standing in her path!

Title: KIRENJI GIRLS COMBAT SCHOOL
Running Time: 125 min.
Age Rating: Unrated (includes Violence, Adult Situations, and Nudity)
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT: SWB-0154
UPC: 814131015402
Published by: Switchblade Pictures
Distributed by: Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date: 1/12/2010
Street Date: 2/9/2010
Format: DVD
SRP: $19.98

Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

What happens when you bring together bikini/lingerie models + Power Rangers?.  You get a much more kinkier sentai/tokusatsu film.  Featuring two films for the price one and this time, instead of focusing on the heroines, this set focuses on the bad girls!  Definitely for those who want a Japanese film with a little violence, kinkiness and danger!

© 2005, 2009 Zen Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril

DURATION: Female Combatants Battle School (Duration: 1:10:07) / Demonic Heroine in Peril (1:10:18)

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9 and 4:3, Dolby Digital, Japanese 2.0 with English Subtitles

RATED: UNRATED: Contains Violence and Nudity

COMPANY: Zen Pictures/Switchblade Pictures

RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2010

Female Combatants Battle School:

Directed and Coordinated by Motoharu Takauji

Screenplay by Sosuke Higashimura

Action Director: Shuya Yoshimoto

Female Combatants Battle School:

Directed by Kanzou Matsuura

Original Story & Screenplay by Kanzou Matsuura

Female Combatants Battle School (Cast):

Yuri Higashi as 841/Aoi Kono

Miyuki Saeki as 773 Chinami Fujisawa

Miki Makehashi as 625

Miya Nano as 445

Miro as 324

Tsugumi as Asterea

Shinya Nakamura as Leader

Demonic Heroine in Peril (Cast):

MISAKI as Saki (Outsider)

Takumi Tojo as Trio Red

Akira Fubuki as Trio Blue

Kosei Otsuka as Trio Yellow

Yohei Hirai as Pops

Ma-Kun ast Shota

Ryo Nakano as Gedo

Superheroes get all the glory… but supervillains have more fun!

Female Combatants Battle
We’ve all seen hundreds of stories about the origins of both superheros and supervillains, but what about the origins of the supervillain’s minions? At long last, the time has come to learn the secret story behind all those faceless, anonymous battle casualties! When a beautiful agent attempts to infiltrate the evil Dark Mist organization, she discovers just how hard (and frequently fatal) learning to be cannon fodder really is!

Demonic Heroine in Peril
A female assassin is sent out on her ultimate assignment: take out Trionger, a trio of semi-retired super-rangers in power armor (who may or may not have their own line of toys). Unfortunately, she doesn’t count on becoming friends with Trionger’s unbelievably weird kid sidekick, thereby setting up a confrontation with her own malevolent masters!

With the last sentai/tokusatsu release of of “Akiballion Battlemaids of Akihabara!”, Switchblade Pictures continues with more sentai goodness with the latest double feature “Female Combatants Battle School/Demonic Heroine in Peril”.  With the majority of Zen Pictures focusing on the heroines, this time this double feature focuses on the women who fight on the side of evil and showing that sometimes, being on the other side is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Female Combatants Battle School (グラドルバトル　女戦闘員バトル～闘いに散る少女達～)

“Female Combatants Battle School” is a 2009 film which manages to capture the sentai badgirls with tight black and red vinyl (and the usual enemy cooing) as these bad girls work for the Bad Mist organization.  Their biggest rival in their way of doing crime is the masked heroine known as Asterea (played by Tsugumi).

Bad Mist is a group that recruits troubled young women and brainwashes and trains them to fight against good and to make sure they can literally kick butt in battle.  The Under Cover Agency (UCA) knows that they need to bring this organization down, so they bring in their UCA agent Aoi Kono (played by Yuri Higashi) to infiltrate and pose as one of them.  She gets in and is given the name of 841.

But 841 is quickly going to learn that to gain the trust of the other soldiers, she’s going to have to start from the bottom and fight.  On her first day of initiation, she’s beaten and ridiculed by the other ladies.  They beat on her, they step on her and how much will this agent be able to take.  Can 841 manage to gain the trust of the women of the Black Mist?  Or will her cover be blown?  And what will she do when the masked heroine Asterea is captured by the Black Mist?

Demonic Heroine in Peril (悪のHEROINE危機一髪 !! アウトサイダー編)

For the second film “Demonic Heroine in Peril”, the 2005 film is about a group of aging men who are Triongers (yes, think of Power Rangers).  But these old, overweight men can secretly transform into their more athletic ranger counterpart with ease.

As Akira (Trio Blue) comes to visit his young friend named Shota.  Shota dreams about becoming a Trionger when he grows up and while the two run and play near the playground, Shota accidentally runs into a woman in tight leather clothing.  As she leaves, the other two Triongers come to visit but unbeknownst to them, an evil enemy lurks in the background with his minions waiting for a time to attack.

When Akira goes home, he is attacked by these minions and then suddenly turns into his ranger counterpart – Trio Blue.  He eventually beats the bad guys but all of a sudden, the woman he met earlier in the day, the woman in black leather comes to fight.  Donning her red, ninja like outfit…the woman turns out to be one of Go-ma’s Four Kings a.k.a. “Outsider” (played by gravure model MISAKI).

She easily beats Trio Blue and the minions go to finish him off… but for some reason, she tells them to stop.  But the evil antagonist comes and tells her that by orders, the rangers must die and thus he picks up Akira by his neck and squeezes it until he dies.  He laughs but she feels disgusted but yet Go-ma gives “Outsider” the credit, angering the evil man who had killed Akira.

The following day, she feels compassion for what happened to Akira, knowing that he was good friends with the boy Shota.  So, she goes to visit the boy Shota and learns that he wants to become a Trionger, not telling him that she works for the evil Go-Ma who is trying to kill them off.  But Takumi (Trionger Red) and Trionger Yellow shows up and the both of them take on the Outsider and begin to fight.  She easily beats them but lets them live.  Unknown to her that the evil guy is watching her every move and now knows that she has betrayed them by not killing the Triongers.

Because of her actions, Outsider has been branded as a spy, the woman who was once the evil enemy of the Triongers must now fight alongside with them and try to prevent Go-ma from using a viral weapon that he plans to unleash on Japan.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril” feature two different aspect ratios.  The first, “Female Combatants Battle School” is featured in 16:9 and shot digitally. “Demonic Heroine in Peril” is shot in 4:3 and also shot digitally.

Audio is in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and for the most part is front channel driven. If you have a home theater receiver capable of stereo on all channels, personally it was my preference for a more immersive soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril” comes with no special features but trailers from Switchblade Pictures.

In Japan, Zen Pictures has found a pretty good sized niche with the fans who are into sentai and tokusatsu shows but instead of focusing on the guys, taking bikini/lingerie models and outfitting them in these kinky Power Ranger-esque outfits (or sometimes an outfit that is barely covering much).  In the US, there are also a niche of fans who follow sentai and tokusatsu shows like they follow anime series and have been wanting these films here in the US.  And fortunately, Switchblade Pictures is bringing these films to the US.

With “Female Combatants Battle School/Demonic Heroine in Peril”, you’re getting two films for the price of one. With “Female Combatants Battle School”, this is more for those who want to see women fighting in very tight outfits, while “Demonic Heroine in Peril” features MISAKI barely wearing anything and in some way, very Mai Shiranui-like (for those familiar with the “King of Fighters” character and her slinky ninja outfit).

As for story, there is a story but it’s important to note that people don’t exactly watch these Zen Pictures films for the acting because frankly a lot of these women are known for their bodies and wearing hardly any clothing.  Acting is not their forte.  But for these two films and having seen several Zen Pictures films, these two are among the better ones that have been released in the US thus far.  Also, these are low budget independent films and so, you’ll see the occasional family far in the background watching the people fight.

My favorite film of the two would have to be “Demonic Heroine in Peril”.  It’s a more Power Rangers-like driven series and quite humorous as the Rangers themselves are old men and when they get into costume, they are slimmer and still can fight.  And the young boy in the film, is actually sporting a mask.  It’s hilarious in some way, whether or not it was intentional or not.

As for the rating of having nudity and violence, there is violence in the film as character are killed off.  As for the nudity, there really isn’t any.  I suppose that because there are a lot of crotch shots (with the women wearing clothing) and in “Demonic Heroine in Peril”, main actress/model MISAKI is barely wearing any clothes but by no means is she nude.

For those wanting to begin their Switchblade Pictures collection of Zen Pictures sentai/tokusatsu heroines/bad girls-style of films, “Female Combatants Battle School / Demonic Heroine in Peril” is a good place to start.

Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara! (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

What happens when you combine gravure bikini models with Power Rangers.  You get “Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!”.

© 2008 Zen Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Akibalion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!

DURATION: 5 Episodes (187 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Dolby Digital, Japanese 2.0 with English Subtitles

RATED: UNRATED: Contains Violence

COMPANY: Zen Pictures/Switchblade Pictures

RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2010

Directed by Motoharu Takauji

Executive Producer: Toru Iwakami, Robert Price

Producer: Shin Iizawa, Matt Greenfield

Starring:

Arisa Taki as Maki/Athena

Mai Yamaguchi as Moe/Artemis

Yuko Shoji as Ruka/Aphrodite

Asami Sugiura as Troll

Yuka Motohashi as Fairy Queen

We all know who protects Metropolis and Gotham, but when Akihabara, the geek nexus of Tokyo, is threatened by alien Cyber Fairies, it will take more than just an average  superhero to defend the world’s single largest concentration of anime fans, model kits and maid cafes…   Wait, there’s the answer!  Enter Akiballion:  maid café hostesses by day who don super-powered electro-brain battlesuits to combat the ultra-grotesque monsters sent forth by the villainous Fairie Queen!   Can these three lovely young ladies handle the stress, the fighting and the responsibility of being Japan’s last line of defense against alien invasion?  Hey, if they can handle the lecherous customers who frequent their own restaurant, giant troll monsters should be easy (shouldn’t it?)  Get ready for the strangest team of superheroes to ever serve both light refreshments and just desserts, as the Electro-Battlemaids clean up the streets and tabletops of Tokyo in AKIBALLION!

The Sexy Sentai cyber-maidens of Akihabara, defender of justice and dignity!

For fans of Japanese sentai/tokusatsu shows such as “Power Rangers” or the many Japanese superhero “ranger” based shows that have aired in Japan, Japan has begun exploring the concept of using gravure models donning these superhero uniforms.

In this case, “Akiballion Battlemaids of Akihabara!” was released in Japan back in 2008 as a DVD Pay-Per-View series from Zen Pictures (a company that specializes in bringing gravure bikini models and have them in Power Ranger-esque outfits or as some super heroine or anti-hero).   In Japan, this DVD/PPV was only available where Japanese consumers had to pay for a DVD and get the first episode for free (plus the making of the episode) and then pay about $5 extra to access one of the next four episodes and unlock the episode on the DVD for two weeks.  Fortunately, in the US, for those interested in the series can watch all episodes on a DVD courtesy of Switchblade Pictures.

“Akiballion Battlemaids of Akihabara!” takes Japan’s hottest gravure idols (bikini/lingeree models) and put them in a traditional sentai story with their battlemaid outfits, have them fight monsters and a little fan service (via upskirt pantie shots) for their fans.

The story of “Akiballion Battlemaids of Akihabara!” revolve around three young women who have been chosen by the Cyber God to take on monsters from the Cyber World.  The three are given power to become “Akiballion” and granted fighting powers and a sword to take on the Cyber Fairies.  Meanwhile, the Fairy Queen has her warrior known as Troll, look for creepy people to become Cyber Fairies and destroy Akiballion.

The main characters of the series are:

Maki/Red Battle Maid – Athena (played by Arisa Taki) – Maki works at Plumeria, a maid cafe.  Typically when the maids are accosted by bad otaku’s, Maki is the person who deals with them.  She is also the fighter of the group.

Ruka/Blue Battle Maid – Artemis (played by Yuko Shoji) – Ruka works as a bikini model and sometimes feels that she can do better than Maki/Athena.

Moe/Yellow Battle Maid – Aphrodite (played by Mai Yamaguchi) – Moe works as an nurse who hopes to one day have her manga published.

“Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” consists of five episodes on one DVD:

• EPISODE 1 – (41:42) A creepy otaku who hangs around the maid cafe sniffing maids is kicked out by Maki.  Troll uses his anger and turns him into a monster Cyber Fairie.  The only people who can stop this monster is Akiballion!
• EPISODE 2 – (35:39) The origin episode of how Maki, Ruka and Moe became Battlemaids.  Moe’s manga script has been turned down again and now she’s depressed.  Meanwhile, Marie (a co-worker of Mai) keeps staring at her for some reason.  Meanwhile a creepy guy starts following Moe around.
• EPISODE 3 – (31:09) Maki is sick in bed, while Moe tries to take care of her.  Meanwhile, Ruka is on a modeling assignment and waits for her photographer, not knowing that the creepy photographer is a Cyber Fairy.
• EPISODE 4 – (31:09) While Maki and Marie are enjoying time together as friends, the Cyber Fairies from the previous episodes all go after Maki.
• EPISODE 5 – (31:05) The final episode.  Akiballion versus Troll and the Cyber Fairies.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” is presented in 16:9 and shot via digital.  Because all five episodes are on one DVD, there is compression artifacts that can be seen.

Audio is in Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 and for the most part is front channel driven. If you have a home theater receiver capable of stereo on all channels, it makes for a better soundscape when watching these shows.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” comes with no special features but trailers from Switchblade Pictures.

“Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” is one of those titles that is strictly made for fans of Arisa Taki, Yuko Shoji and Mai Yamaguchi and I suppose, are hardcore fans of sentai/tokusatsu shows.

I grew up with the genre throughout the ’90s and watching all that came out from Japan and so, the concept of using gravure models was quite intriguing.  And the fact that Zen Pictures in Japan has been doing this for several years and the fact that they are cranking out these movies and have a loyal fanbase shows you how popular these videos are in Japan.  And knowing that there is a strong sentai/tokusatsu fanbase in America, is literally an untapped demographic who have been wanting these films to come over stateside.

But for those curious about “Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!”, do not expect a solid storyline, great fighting choreography or great acting.  In fact, it seems that in order to keep the length long, the editors didn’t trim certain scenes, so little things such as a character looking at another character, instead of quick cuts…you’ll see the actresses just pausing and staring at each other.  In fact, the opening theme is quite long at nearly four minutes.  Editing should have been tightened up but it looks like they tried to meet a certain time for episode length duration.

Acting is wooden at times but granted, these are gravure models, so I was not expecting anything significant.  I have to give credit to casting for finding creepy looking guys to play the otaku antagonists.  As for the fighting choreography, it is a bit sluggish but at least Arisa Taki can pull off some fighting moves.

A positive about this release is that Japanophiles who enjoy maid cafe’s and Akihabara will enjoy the otaku culture shown in the series.  Also, the episodes are shot in various locations around the city and it was really cool to see that featured in “Akiballion”.  Also, I found the costume design for the three heroines to be rather cool.

Overall, people who are interested in “Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” are more than likely interested in watching these five episodes because of the ladies.  May it be seeing Arisa Taki in a maid uniform or Yuko Shoji in her bikini or to seeing a sentai show with fan service, this is for their fans.

But you can definitely find this DVD for a good price and knowing that in Japan, this was a DVD-PPV release, at least no one in the US has to pay extra just to watch a single episode.  If you are into any of these three gravure models, then “Akiballion: Battlemaids of Akihabara!” may be for you.

NEO ANGELIQUE ABYSS ON SALE

HOUSTON, January 26, 2010– Section23 Films, America’s fastest-growing anime distributor, is pleased to announce two new anime DVDs from Sentai Filmworks, plus a special live-action double feature from J-horror leader Switchblade Pictures.   First up we have the new sci-fi anime Neo Angelique Abyss, followed by the second volume in the fantasy adventure series Tears to Tiara.  Finally there is the lo-fi live action thriller Birthday Mail / Kokurri-San double feature.  All three new releases go on sale today wherever finer DVDs are sold.

Neo Angelique Abyss Season One Collection presents the anime adaptation of the Angelique game series, the first season of which was broadcast on Japanese television Spring 2008.  The collection contains all 13 episodes from that first season plus a load of extras, including “Neo Angelique Abyss Theater.”

SYNOPSIS:      Once, Arcadia was a beautiful world.  Now it is a land under siege, and against the horrifying creatures known as Thanatos, there is only one known defense:  Purifiers, rare humans gifted with the ability to exterminate the life draining monsters.  But Purifiers are few and the Thanatos are multiplying, so when the mysterious Nyx discovers 16 year old Angelique, he becomes doubly committed to recruiting her for the team of Purifiers he is organizing.  For not only is Angelique a Purifier, she is the first female Purifier in recorded history; moreover, there is an ancient prophecy Nyx is aware of: one of a woman with special powers, the “Queen’s Egg,” whose future will be inextricably tied to the fate of Arcadia!   Science fiction, fantasy and romance intertwine in an epic story of fate and destiny:  NEO ANGELIQUE – ABYSS- SEASON ONE!

Title:                 NEO ANGELIQUE ABYSS SEASON 1 COLLECTION
Running Time:   325 min.
Age Rating:       TV PG (V)
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT:                 SF-NA100
UPC:                814131016102
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:   Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date:  12/29/2009
Street Date:       1/26/2010
Format:             DVD
SRP:                $39.98

Tears to Tiara Collection 2 brings together the last 13 episodes of the Celtic-flavored fantasy-adventure series in a single two-disc set.  This action-packed series became one of 2009’s big hits when it was first broadcast in Japan last April.  Now North American fans have a chance to get in on the fun!

SYNOPSIS:  Revelations, Retribution and Revenge… As Dragons Stalk The Earth!  Although the Demon Lord Arawn has thus far lead the Gaels well in the battle for Avalon, their tiny force has been battered by the near constant combat.  As Gaius is called to the High Court, Arawn attempts to lead Arthur and the Gaels to his own tomb, seeking treasure with which to continue funding their assault.  However, the imperial forces’ continuing advance instead prompts a desperate change of plans, forcing Arawn to use a divine spell with grave and unexpected consequences.  As an act of treachery again changes the course of the war, leaving the untested Riannon alone in command, Ogam makes a stunning revelation!   Ally turns on ally and the most ancient legends of lost Britain are reborn in the epic final half of TEARS TO TIARA!

Title:                 TEARS TO TIARA COLLECTION 2
Running Time:   325 min.
Age Rating:       TV PG (V)
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT:                 SF-TT200
UPC:                814131012906
Published by:    Sentai Filmworks
Distributed by:   Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date:  12/29/2009
Street Date:       1/26/2010
Format:             DVD
SRP:                $39.98

Birthday Mail / Kokurri-San Double Feature collects two lo-fi J-horror masterpieces on one diabolical disc, courtesy of the fiendish minds at Switchblade Pictures.

SYNOPSIS:  Ghosts, Ghouls, And Grisly Consequences Galore! Get ready for in a horror filled Switchblade Double feature that proves that communicating with the spirit world in something best left to trained professionals, (preferably on a different continent!)   First, a group of Japanese girls forget the number one rule for avoiding demonic possessions and foolishly use an Ouija board in a house where a murder was committed.  Now they’ve got the spirit and the spirit is definitely out to get them in KOKURRI-SAN!  Next, a nasty new e-mail is making the rounds. It’s not just a virus: open this message and you’ve got 10 days left to live!  How does this all connect to a girl who committed suicide 10 years ago and is there any way to break the deadly e-mail chain?  The latest recipients of the lethal love note have 10 days to unravel the answer before their time is up in BIRTHDAY MAIL!

Title:                 BIRTHDAY MAIL / KOKURRI-SAN DOUBLE FEATURE
Running Time:   126 min.
Age Rating:       Unrated – V
Language:         Japanese with English Subtitles
CAT:                 SWB-0153
UPC:                814131015303
Published by:    Switchblade Films
Distributed by:   Section23 Films
Pre-Book Date:  12/29/2009
Street Date:       1/26/2010
Format:             DVD
SRP:                $19.98

Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, and AEsir Holdings.  With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.

Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Definitely not one of the better low-budget Japanese indie horror films from GP Museum Soft but fans of AV star Chiharu Komatsu may be interested in seeing her playing the protagonist in “Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon”.

Image courtesy of © 2008 GP Museum Soft. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon: Unrated Limited Edition

DURATION: 77 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Japanese 2.0 Dolby Digital with English Subtitles

COMPANY: GP Museum Soft/Switchblade Pictures

RELEASED: 2009

Written and Directed by Yuichi Kanemaru

Produced by GP Museum Soft, Satelight, K’s Factory, Duckweed, Keita Tatsumi, Masataka Hayashida

Music: Moku

Starring:

Chiharu Komatsu as Kanako

Hiroyuki Ikeuchi

Shion Machida

Saya Ishikawa

Ayumi Kinoshita

Sayaka Yoshino

Masaki Nishina

Mitsuki Koga

Daisuke Nagakura

Keita Tatsumi

Goushu

Yosuke Saito

Tatsuo Yamada

Naho Toda

Tomoko Tabata

Mitsuru Sato

Ever since that fatal incident in college, Kanako has sensed them. A sound behind her… an object moving at the corner of her vision. Birds. Cooing, taunting birds… But are they real, or just in her head? As she struggles to perform her duties teaching marine biology, the images of pigeons slowly begin to drive her to the edge of insanity, until even drugs and alcohol no longer offer her protection. And what if they aren’t figments of her imagination? What if that strange rumor she heard at the crime scene was true? If it was, then the real nightmare is only beginning! Vengeance has wings and the sky is filled with terror in GUN-KYU!

“Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon”, The third film in the “Cursed Songs” saga by director Yuichi Kanemaru makes its way stateside courtesy of Switchblade Pictures.

When I first saw that the film was made by GP Museum Soft, you expect two things – B-level horror film and a good chance that the lead character in the film will be played by a Japanese porn star.  It’s important to note that these films are not porn films but are either soft-porn or a low-budget horror film.  And sure enough, this time around, “Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon” features Japanese AV star Chiharu Komatsu as the main protagonist Kanako.  I will say that compared to previous GP Museum Soft, this film doesn’t have the feel of being a naughty film and even Komatsu’s character is more academic than the typical warrior or action heroine as seen on previous films.

For “Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon”, the film kicks off a body inside a well.  The person is obviously trying to kick out but the person is drowned to death.  Authorities are not sure what is going on, especially since the person has no injuries at all.

Meanwhile, Kanako (who is a science professor/biologist) is shocked to hear a death has occurred at her university.  She and her boyfriend Daisuke think it’s murder but they figured the police will probably tell the public it was an accident.  As Kanako goes to work, she notices that pigeons have pooped all over her window which upsets her.  After teaching and doing her lab research, when returning to her car, her window is full of bird poop.

The following day, Kanako goes to the school and sees investigators questioning people.  She also sees an old man paying his respects at the well.  As she works on her lab research, she starts to hear these loud noises of birds and then sees a pigeon flying through her school hallway.  As she goes to investigate, she sees bird poop flying all over the halls and pigeons coming after her and attacking her.

When she meets with her boyfriend for lunch, she tells him about what happened but he thinks she was just tired.  All of a sudden, she starts experiencing some weird problems in her head and not sure what is happening.

While at work on the following day, she starts hearing noises once again in the hallway, which leads her to a janitor’s room. Seeing nothing inside the room, while she is about to leave, she is attacked by a group of pigeons that start pecking at her and eating our her eyeball.  She then starts seeing images in her head.  Bleeding profusely, you think Kanako is dead.  But we then see her boyfriend finding her and she is once again, fine.

Why is Kanako experiencing these visions of pigeons attacking her?  Are their pigeons haunting the university?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition” is featured in 16:9 and shot digitally.  I have to admit that of the GP Museum Soft films I have seen thus far, you can tell that the cinematographer was going for a more visual, artistic style with the way he shot the film in certain scenes.  From the sex scene shot behind the aquarium to Kanako at the bar and her holding her glass, there was an attempt to give a creative feel to certain scenes.  But for the most part, most of the film is shot inside an apartment and shot inside a lab room.  If there is one that comes out are reds during the more grotesque scenes and flashbacks.

The audio is featured in Dolby Digital Japanese 2.0.  The film is front channel driven and consists of mostly dialogue.  For those who own a modern, home theater receiver, one may want to set the audio setting for stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack but for the most part, there is not a whole lot of action in this film but mainly dialogue.  If there was sound effects, it’s primarily the sounds of the pigeons flapping their wings or their loud chirping.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition” contains no special features.

“Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition” is so far one of the better low budget horror films made by GP Museum Soft.  With their previous films being quite campy or more towards soft porn, “Gun-Kyu” is much different where the heroine (although played by a porn star) seems like a normal individual and the horror scenes, the pecked eyeballs and eyes out of the sockets is pretty gross looking.

But part of the problem the film was is its screenplay.  First, let’s get away from the use of pigeons as a horror device.  Sure, Alfred Hitchcock used it in great effect for “Birds” but in “Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon” we don’t know why Kanako is being targeted.  To make things even more unusual are the male characters shown.  We have no idea why the camera even gives the men screentime, may it be a guy at the university to a guy at the bar, why were they shown?  A plot device to create tension and suspect that these men are involved?  It just doesn’t work.  Why even have story elements with Kanako and her students when these students never appear again in the film?  These sort of scenes don’t make sense and makes you wonder if director Yuichi Kanemaru cut a lot of scenes from the final cut.

Now, a big question for those wondering why Japanese AV star Chiharu Komatsu is in this film.   There is a scene where Kanako and Daisuke are having sex.  Camera is shot primarily behind a fish aquarium, so you see barely, two people making love.  Then you get a few seconds without the aquarium and see a bit of Kanako nude and that is it.  It’s a pretty tame film and as mentioned, Chiharu Komatsu plays a role of a professor.  A normal role but as a protagonist who has visions of herself being killed by pigeons.

For those expecting a film with a lot of horror or a lot of nudity, they may be a bit disappointed.  Even for previous GP Museum Soft films, what made those horror films enjoyable was that they were quite campy and hilarious.  Granted, pigeon attacks may sound quite campy but “Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition” is much better cinematography-wise and even the gruesome scenes are much better than the company’s previous horror zombie films but there is none of that campy humor in the film.  The film tries to be serious but with the pacing a bit off, especially as it features a lot of characters which amount to really nothing important to the film, it makes you wonder if  Yuichi Kanemaru had more things planned in his screenplay that just didn’t make it into the final cut of the film.

“Gun-Kyu: War Pigeon – Unrated Limited Edition” is not one of the better GP Museum Soft horror films but if you enjoy the genre, especially low budget Japanese indie horror films or you are a big fan of AV star Chiharu Komatsu, then this film may be for you.

Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

Have you always wished an anime series was a live-action film? Do you enjoy fan service and gravure models?  Then “Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra” is definitely for you!  Two action-based films on one DVD and yes, plenty of fan service.

Image courtesy of © 2007 Zen Pictures.  All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra

DURATION: Makiriko – 60 minutes/Battler Sienna Matra – 67 minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Japanese 2.0 with English Subtitles

COMPANY: Zen Pictures/Switchblade Pictures

RATED: UNRATED – Contains Violence and nudity

RELEASED: December 1, 2009

Ma-kiri-ko

Directed by Hiroshi Nagai

Screenplay by Hiroki Yasue

Directors of Photography: Yuzuru Gomi and Yutaka Nagai

Battler Sienna Matra

Directed by Motoharu Takuji

Producer: Shin Iizawa

Screenplay by Hiroki Yasue

Stage Fighting Director: Masaru Okada

“Makiriko” Starring:

Kyoko Sato as Setsuna

Megu Fujiura as Sayaka Komaki

Ryoma Baba as Satoshi Shindo

Hirokazu Iijima as the Rotten Man

Hajime Tanimoto as Iwamura

Norikazu Azuma as Kima

Yukio Ohta as Professor Kajimoto

“Battler Sienna Matra” Starring:

Mari Sakurai as Matra

Asami Sugiura as Kisara

Akira Ideguchi as Hanzo

Morimasa Tanno as Grauzas

Ono Sword Association as the Ninjas

The monsters, maidens and mayhem are out of control as Switchblade Pictures dishes out a double helping of double-breasted demon hunting goodness! First up: MAKIRIKO, which transposes the perennial anime premise of high-school heroine with a giant sword into live action reality! When sailor-suited warrior Makiriko shows up at a new school, there are two immediate clues that trouble is brewing: 1) the soul sucking demons taking over the student bodies; and 2) the talking green demon thing sitting on her shoulder that tells her trouble is brewing! Then get ready for babes, blades and bare-chested battles galore as a nubile ninjette in training must confront her treacherous sister student, a possessed demon hand and the even more monstrous monster master to which the hand belongs. Why she thinks a tiny leather bikini is the appropriate garb for this is anyone’s guess, but that’s why she’s BATTLER SIENNA MATRA! Two totally twisted fantasy thrillers on one great Switchblade DVD… because we know you like things that come in pairs!

You have to give Switchblade Pictures some props for bringing out films that will appeal to anime fans, especially gravure idol fans.  Many fans of these films have wanted these live action films that star these women (known for not wearing all that much) to make it to the US and here is another release featuring two films on DVD.  What we get with this double feature presentation is “Makiriko” and “Battler Sienna Matra”, two films at around 60+ minutes and for the most part, are very different types of films.

For the first film “Makiriko”, the film plays off like a love story mixed with horror and action.    We see the opening shots of a student with his basketball walking through the lone hallway at his high school and next thing you know, his body is snatched and you hear screams.  Monster?

We are then greeted with an an unusual girl named Setsuna who is actually a demon hunter who must pretend to be a student in order to catch demons who are taking over bodies of students.  Meanwhile, we are treated to a storyline of a teenager named Komaki who seems to be your smart high school girl in love with a basketball jock.  But something is quite off about her.  What could it be?

Setsuna is your dangerous school girl/demon hunter that carries a sword (that eats monsters) but has this green demon that sits on her shoulder, giving her advice.

“Makiriko” plays off like a Japanese anime with the school girl demon warrior taking on the demons at a high school.    In this case, a monster who’s face and body is made of chains.

“Battler Sienna Matra” is quite the opposite of “Makiriko” in which the film stars busty gravure (a term for models in Japan who specialize in lingerie or bikini type of videos or photo books)  model Mari Sakurai in a film where she literally fights nude.

The film revolves around apprentice fighter Matra who has done well in her training and wants to learn the secret final technique from her martial arts master named Hanzo.  Of course, he will teach her the final move only if she can beat him.  But despite being advanced in her training, she’s still not up to defeating her master quite yet.

Meanwhile, as Matra is disappointed that she is unable to learn the final move from her master and leaves the area, her sister Kisara reappears to her former master and tells him that she has joined up with his evil nemesis Grauzas (who the master thought he killed long ago).

So, now Kisara has kidnapped the master in order to force him to teach her the secret final technique.  Will Matra be able to save him in time and defeat her sister?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Both “Makiriko” and “Battler Sienna Matra” are filmed in digital video and are presented in 16:9.  So, it has that digital video style of appearance.  Outdoor scenes are colorful but it all comes down to how the films are in terms of costume design.

“Makiriko” goes for a more horror type of feel, almost similar to a “Blood the Last Vampire” style with the protagonist in her sailor uniform carrying a sword fighting in the corridors of a dark high school.

While “Battler Sienna Matra” is different and features plenty of outdoor scenes but the camera tends to aim on Matra’s boobs and butt.  As for costume design, the antagonist Grauzas looks like a nemesis from a tokusatsu show (think “Kamen Rider”), while the main protagonist Matra doesn’t wear much at all and thus, the film is fan service driven.

As for audio, audio is presented in Japanese 2.0.  Both films are front channel driven but I preferred to watch the film with stereo on all channels set on my receiver.  Audio is clear and understandable but for the most part, for those who don’t speak or understand Japanese can watch the film with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra” comes with only trailers for upcoming films from Switchblade Pictures.

Have you ever watched an anime and thought…”I wish this anime was live-action”?  Well, with “Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra”, those fans have gotten their wish.  Sure, these two are not based off of an actual manga or anime series but they very much carry those thematic elements of fantasy, fan service and crazy antagonists.

“Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra” is an interesting double feature.  “Makiriko” is a pretty tame film (even the Switchblade trailers are wilder than this film) and more of a horror/love/action story.  But I have no doubt that those who will pick up this double feature DVD is to see gravure model Mari Sakurai in an action-driven film in which the model fights in scantily clad outfits and even features her in an entire fighting scene topless.  To tell you the truth, the whole film was more like a fan service tease until the nudity came into play in the second half of the film and I was not expecting it.

Personally, “Battler Sienna Matra” is more of a sexy, action-based film and you can tell they actually put in some time for actress Asami Sugiura (who plays Kisara) to learn how to take advantage of those fight scenes.  And as for Matra, the camera tends to be fixated on the T&A but I don’t think guys especially Mari Sakurai fans are going to do any complaining.

Overall, the two films are quite campy but then again, these films are not exactly the type of films where one should expect an award winning screenplay or wonderful acting.  If anything, “Makiriko” is all about the story and costume design, “Battler Sienna Matra” is about the titillating  fan service and action. Two different types of Japanese films on one DVD.

If you are a fan of campy but sexy Japanese films, definitely give “Makiriko/Battler Sienna Matra” a try!

Zombie Self Defense Force (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“A Japanese zombie film focused on making you laugh, ‘Zombie Self Defense Force’ is campy, hilarious but for the most part, fun to watch.  A low-budget indie film, you’ll find yourself laughing to some of the characters especially the red killer zombie baby.  Want a zombie film that will make you laugh, give this film a try!”

Image courtesy of © 2009 Switchblade Pictures/2005 GP Museum Soft.  All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Zombie Self Defense Force (Zonbie Jietai)

DURATION: 76 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Japanese 2.0 with English Subtitles

COMPANY: GP Museum Soft/Switchblade Pictures

RATED: UNRATED – Contains Violence

RELEASED: October 13, 2009

Directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu

Screenplay by Chisato Ogawara

Music by Masami Nakakoji (Wood’s Artists)

Executive Producer: Hitoshi Nakajima

Producers: Kenjiro Nishi, Masami Teranishi

STARRING:

Miyu Watase

Hisakatu Oya

Jun Yamazaki

Shun Saeki

Yusuke Miura

Shiji Suzuki

Kaoru Nagato

Sakae Yamazaki

Hiroshi Hayatama

Isshin Watanabe

Kiyo Yoshizawa

Mihiro

They thought it would be a routine training mission for the Japanese Self Defense Force; instead it became a blood-soaked battle for survival against the living dead! As the handful of survivors end up trapped inside the inevitable secluded hotel, the paths of fashion models, gangsters and the heroic JSDF team collide in combat against the cannibalistic hordes of hell!

Zombie films in Japan has definitely have been quite interesting.  Especially the releases from Switchblade Pictures.  With “Attack Girls’ Swim Team vs. the Undead”, we had a zombie film that was more soft porn with zombie elements and then with “Zombie Hunter Rika”, we had a film with more higher production values and a little nudity.

Now we have “Zombie Self Defense Force” (aka “Zonbie Jietai”) which was released back in 2006. So, how does it compare to the two previous Japanese zombie films?

The film kicks off with an anti-war message and how the United States gets involved in such matters and how Japan hangs on to the coattails of the USA.  The film then shows a few things happening at a nearby village.   A group of high school students on a field trip, two kids walking on the road, a teen pop idol having her photo shoot, a man and a woman inside a home, a group of yakuza working on a deal and soldiers of the Self Defense Force discovering a corpse of a woman that is hung up on a forest.

Next thing you know, a UFO starts floating in the air and everyone sees it flying around and then crashing down in the forest area.  Next thing you know, the crash somehow triggers a green cloud of radiation throughout the village.

All of a sudden, a man that the yakuza killed comes back to life, as does the woman who was found dead and hanging on the tree.  All dead people buried, start rising from the dead and then attacking people around the village and becoming zombies.

Immediately, one of the yakuza members, the teen pop idol and a few members of the Self Defense Force manage to make it alive and survive the first initial attacks from the zombies.  The female soldier starts to have headaches and memories of some type of surgery.

They then go to the home where a man and a woman was seen.  We learn that the man is a corporate employee who is having an affair with a woman who happens to be pregnant.  He immediately wants to kill her (and hide the pregnancy from his wife) while the woman wants to blackmail him into dumping his wife and staying with her.  As she jokes about it, she accidentally slips and falls on her head and ends up dying.

Meanwhile, the group who are running from the zombies spot the home and try to use that as a temporary headquarters and try to get outside help.  That is until the dead pregnant woman comes back to life as a zombie, while her baby comes out of her body and we see a demon zombie baby now trying to attack the group and manages to take a bite of the young yakuza member and the man inside the home.  With zombies now trying to get into the house from the outside, the group must now have to deal with their own inside the house who may now turn into zombies.

Will the survivors escape the home and the village or will the zombies overcome them?  And what is the meaning to the headaches that the female soldier is experiencing?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Zombie Self Defense Force” is a film shot digitally and is presented in 16:9.  For the most part, the film is low-budget with most of the shots taking place in a forest and a nice home.  For the most part, the execution of violence is laughable with fake CG blood, aliens, cyborg parts and more.

In fact, there is one scene with a decapitation and of course, the head looks like a doll.   But bare in mind, this is an earlier zombie film and compared to “Zombie Hunter Rika”, there is much improvement within the Japanese zombie horror genre within the past two years after this film was released.

As for audio, audio is presented in Japanese 2.0.  Film is front channel driven but I preferred to watch the film with stereo on all channels set on my receiver.  Audio is clear and understandable but for the most part, for those who don’t speak or understand Japanese can watch the film with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Zombie Self Defense Force” comes with only trailers for upcoming films from Switchblade Pictures.

“Zombie Self Defense Force” is quite interesting.  For the most part, the film although is a zombie horror film, actually behaves more like a comedy.  Some of the characters and their actions are quite laughable, a lot of scenes are campy and hilarious and for the most part, it’s really hard to get scared when there are too many comedic horror scenes.

This is not a film that will scare you, it’s actually a film that makes you wonder how crazy and campy it can get?  For example, when you start seeing this killer demon, zombie baby starting to attack.  It’s hard not to laugh… as you see this red ugly growling baby with its umbilical cord still attached, flying through the air and trying to take a chomp at any of the humans.

Also, to see the pop idol girl who is such a tease and such a dunce and trying to get her way with one of the soldiers while making the young yakuza member jealous.    Such a funny sight and these are just among the few funny/campy moments from the film.

But how does this film compare to previous Japanese zombie films released from Switchblade Pictures?  Well, for one…”Zombie Self Defense Force” does not contain any nudity.  In fact, all you get are fan service pantie shots courtesy of the pop idol.  As mentioned, the film is pretty much low budget-fare as it is only shot in a forest area, the roadside and a home.   In terms of zombies, you see probably less than two dozen of them throughout the film and the horror segments are not at all scary at all.

But I have to admit, I enjoyed this film for its humor more than anything.  I couldn’t help but laugh.  Where “Attack Girls’ Swim Team Versus The Undead” seemed like a film that was focused on arousing the viewer than scaring them and “Zombie Hunter Rika” showcasing better scene locations and horror segments, “Zombie Self Defense Force” is pedestrian zombie horror and humor mixed in one.

If you’re looking for a serious, scary zombie film… “Zombie Self Defense Force” is clearly not for you.  But if you are looking for Japanese style humor and Japanese zombie low-budget indie film, then definitely give this film a chance.

Zombie Hunter Rika: Unrated Limited Edition (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“Featuring higher production and better execution than the previous Nihonbi film (‘Attack Girls’ Swim Team Versus the Undead’), ‘Zombie Hunter Rika’ definitely has more of a plot and relies less on the sexual nature of the characters and more on its cast trying to avoid and survive the zombie attacks.  For the most part, not scary at all but definitely good amount of blood, gore and of course, that Japanese humor that ‘Nihonbi’ is known for.”

Image courtesy of © 2009 Switchblade Pictures/2008 GP Museum Soft.  All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Zombie Hunter Rika (aka Nihonbi 3) DURATION: 86 Minutes DVD INFORMATION: 16:9, Japanese 2.0 with English Subtitles COMPANY: GP Museum Soft/Switchblade Pictures RATED: UNRATED – Contains Violence and Nudity RELEASED: September 15, 2009

Directed by Kenichi Fujiwara

Screenplay by Takeyuiki Morikaku, Kenichi Fujiwara

Executive Produced by Masato Kobayashi

Produced by Kenjiro Nishi, Masami Teranishi

Music by Hideto Takematsu

Line Producer: Tomoyoshi Izumi

Director of Photography: Takehiki Tamiya

Action Director: Taku Sakaguchi

Visual Effects Director: Yoshihiro Shiki

Special Make Up: Kyoko Soya

STARRING:

Risa Kudo

Takeshi Yamamoto

Keisuke

Mai Minami

Tsugumi Nagasawa

Eichi Kikuchi

Yuya Matsuura

Kotaro Kamijo

Ryounosuke Kawai

When typical Japanese high school student Rika skips school to visit her grandfather, she fails to take into account the fact that his remote village is infested with the living dead. What happens next isn’t pretty, but fortunately, Grandpa Ryuhei just happens to be the greatest surgeon ever! Picking up what’s left of Rika, he dusts her off and rebuilds her, better than she was, into the ultimate zombie fighter! Now, together with her friends Takashi and Yuji, Rika must take on the monstrous master of carnivorous cadavers: the grand-high lowest of the low, Zombie Boss Glorian! All hell breaks loose as one SERIOUSLY ticked off Japanese schoolgirl takes on the undead in the insane follow up to ATTACK GIRLS’ SWIM TEAM VERSUS THE UNDEAD – ZOMBIE HUNTER RIKA!!!

When it comes to Japanese approach to zombies, many people can think towards video games such as “Resident Evil” (Biohazard) or even creepy monster like video games such as “Silent Hill”.

When it comes to the films, where Western films tend to want to feature more gore, humor but retain that creepiness and eeriness, sometimes that Japanese direction of zombie films tend to want to titillate the viewer. With the release of “Attack Girls’ Swim Team versus the Undead” (aka “Nihonbi 2″), the film utilized porno actresses and thus the film seemed very softcore despite being a zombie film. And not exactly scary or eery but more comic and sexual in nature.

Now we have the followup titled “Zombie Hunter Rika: Unrated Limited Edition” (aka “Nihonbi 3″) from Switchblade Pictures. This time, minus the porn stars and higher production, we get bikini model Risa Kudo as Zombie Hunter Rika. The film revolves around a scientific program gone haywire.

While the emergency sounds are blaring in the background, the main scientist seemed to have slept after having an erotic dream after looking at a porn magazine. When he wakes up, he finds out that his colleagues are now zombies and instead of running away, he looks at his comrades in the eye and ends up being bit by one and thus becoming a zombie. We then see the exploits of a European wandering zombie hunter via a streaming video clip that a guy is watching on his computer.

But somehow in this film, the main protagonist is defeated by a huge zombie monster which ends with the hero’s arm being cutoff (and evidently, the hero is killed).

We then see the monster take the cut off arm (which is still holding the sword) and throwing it towards the forest. It appears that this was not a fake movie but a real clip that had happened. Enter Rika and her high school classmate and BFF Nami as they ride in the subway and talk about Rika’s grandfather who is a skilled surgeon who moved away and Rika still missing him. The two suddenly have an idea to run away and visit her grandfather Ryuhei at his summerhouse. We then see the grandfather who seems to be an invalid and just sits down with hardly any movement.

A woman named Sayaka is seen taking care of him and happy that her brother is to be coming to visit. While at this village, we see Rika and her friend at the village and come face to face with a zombie. The town seems to be filled with zombies and now Rika and Nami try to run away and encounter some gangster guy named Tomoya. The three are then chased by zombies and end up escaping together and go to the summer home where Rika’s grandfather is at.

Meanwhile at the village in which zombies are growing and growing, three guys (who are like the comedy support of the film) try to find a way to escape the village. The three managed to make it to the village and we learn that Sayaka is the wife of Rika’s grandfather and Tomoya is her brother (fake). Sayaka explains to her that her grandfather has Alzheimer’s and Dementia but in truth, it was a plot by Sayaka and her boyfriend Tomoya to get money from Rika’s grandfather and plans to kill him off in order to get the insurance money.

But not all is good at the summer home of Rika’s grandfather as the zombies have made their way into the residence and all of a sudden we learn that Rika’s grandfather is well and pretending he was sick.

While everyone tries to fight off the zombies, Rika is bitten in the arm. For Rika’s grandfather, being the master surgeon that he is, knowing that a zombies bite can turn a person to a zombie, the only way to save her is to chop off her arm and replace her arm with… the original zombie hunter’s arm. Also, arriving to the residence is the original scientist who was responsible in everyone turning to a zombie.

Supposedly, despite now being a zombie, he has resisted his zombie urges and wants to help Rika and everyone. Now, everyone tries to fight off the zombies and find the one major zombie monster (the one who killed the original zombie killer) and supposedly, if they kill him…everyone will return back to normal. Meanwhile, American forces are set to drop a nuclear bomb on the zombie infested village.
Can Rika and friends defeat the zombie monster in time?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Zombie Hunter Rika” is presented in 16:9 and for the most part, similar to “Attack Girls’ Swim Team Versus the Undead”, you can tell the video is shot digitally.  But the main difference between both films is that there is higher production value with this film compared to the other.  This time, there are a lot of zombies and you see them walking through the cities of a village.  More zombies visually eating human body parts but most of all, more scene locations and shots in various areas.  Where the last film was confined to a school, we see the talent in the film in a variety of locations. As for audio, audio is still in Japan 2.0 stereo.  So, front channel driven but I preferred to have my receiver set with stereo on all channels but for the most part, the film is dialogue driven. Subtitles are in English. SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Zombie Hunter Rika: Unrated Limited Edition” comes with only trailers.

When it comes to Japanese zombie films, I suppose it depends on the viewer what they want to see more. More sex or more gore? If there was one thing that “Zombie Hunter Rika” needed, was better and higher production and for the most part, you do get that.

Personally, I felt “Zombie Hunter Rika” was much better than “Attack Girls’ Swim Team versus the Undead” because there is actually a plot and there are more scene locations and more zombies. Granted, this film is nowhere near the production value of a Hollywood zombie film but still, there is a good amount of humor, sex and of course gore to make “Zombie Hunter Rika” enjoyable in some ways.

For those who are familiar with the anime or manga series “Blackjack” (a story about a doctor who has the ability to save anyone, even through bizarre surgery), it’s interesting to see that character in Grandpa Ryuhei and the fact that he also happens to be a kick butt samurai.

But of course seeing the original zombie hunter arm on Rika looks pretty much fake, the film does have its share of disgusting moments and as for the sex scenes, unlike “Attack Girls’ Swim Team versus the Undead” which utilized porn stars to make the sex scenes much more realistic (although not much is shown), the most you will get in this film are three maids who want to show off who has the biggest breasts and one of the supporting characters topless. The film relies less on sex and more on fighting or getting eaten by zombies.

So, overall “Zombie Hunter Rika” still manages to be laughable and humorous in some parts but you also get a good amount of gore (again, I emphasize that this film is not that scary at all but some parts are a bit creepy) and maintains that Japanese zombie humor as well.

Definitely not a dark and twisted film but much better in execution and higher budget in production but less sex than the previous film. If you are a fan of Japanese zombie films, then definitely give “Zombie Hunter Rika” a chance.