(Japan 1996-2002) 

Inc: Fudoh: The New Generation 極道戦国志 不動 - Agitator 荒ぶる魂たち - Deadly Outlaw: Rekka 実録・安藤昇侠道伝 烈火​

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Directed by Takashi Miike Starring: Shosuke Tanihara, Shuni Takano, Riki Takeuchi, Mickey Curtis, Masaya Kato, Naoto Takenaka, Takashi Miike, Hiroki Matsukata, Kenichi Endo, Sonny Chiba, Yuya Unchida, Joe Yamanaka Reviewing: Radiance Films UK Blu-ray Release Genres: Yakuza / Action / Crime

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Rating: 4.5 / 5

Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike. The late nineties and early 00s saw director Takashi Miike make the transition from his origins in direct-to-video ‘V-cinema’ to one of the most critically and commercially successful Japanese directors on the international stage. A multi-talented director who would come to work in almost every established genre, it was his often outrageous takes on the gangster genre that first brought him attention outside of Japan. Three of his most notable Yakuza films from this period are collected here, in a landmark new box set. FUDOH: THE NEW GENERATION - Riki Fudoh (Shosuke Tanihara) is a high school student juggling academic work with a secret life operating as an underworld boss. As the leader of a group of larger than life, school-age assassins, Fudoh is waging a campaign of violence against the entire criminal underworld, as part of a revenge plot against his own father (Toru Minegishi), a high-ranking Yakuza in his own right who was forced to murder Fudoh’s brother. Originally planned for release as a direct-to-video V-cinema title, Fudoh was granted a theatrical release after producers viewed the film, leading to it becoming a festival favourite around the world, and establishing Miike on the world stage as one of film’s great provocateurs and a key figure in ‘extreme’ cinema. AGITATOR - A yakuza (played by Miike himself in a cameo) is murdered after violently assaulting a hostess on rival turf, providing the catalyst for a gang war between a number of factions seeking a redistribution of power. In this densely-layered gangland drama , the backroom manoeuvring of the senior figures in the yakuza, overseen by Mr. Kaito (Hiroki Matsukata, Rapacious Jailbreaker), are juxtaposed against the actions of the street-level mobsters, as the two sides head towards an inevitable collision. Written by Graveyard of Honor scribe Shigenori Takechi, Miike directed Agitator in arguably the most productive year of his career in 2001, alongside Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, and The Happiness of the Katakuris. Epic in scope, the film is presented here in its original theatrical version, and in a two-part 200 minute extended version, until now only available on Japanese VHS. DEADLY OUTLAW: REKKA - Kunisada (played by V-cinema legend Riki Takeuchi) has his world turned upside down after learning of the death of his mentor Sanada (Yuya Uchida, founder of the Flower Travellin’ Band, who also provide the film’s hard-rocking psychedelic soundtrack). Pairing up with his best friend Shimatani (Kenichi Endo, Visitor Q), Kunisada embarks on a rampaging road trip to avenge his fallen father figure, leaving a trail of bullets, blood spatters, and bazooka fire in his wake. A  typically bizarre and extreme take on the Yakuza genre, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka is Miike at his most deliriously entertaining.

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Fudoh: The New Generation – A mob boss is forced to settle a business dispute by killing his eldest son. However, his youngest boy Riki, who witnessed the slaying by his father, makes a promise that he will avenge his brothers death. A few years later, the teenage Riki gathers a gang of killer-kids and teens to join him in his mission to rid Kyushu of crime lords and, at the same time, become the leading figure of the underworld as Yakuza boss Fudoh! Recently restored in 4K and released by Radiance Films as part of the Underworld Chronicles box set, Fudoh: The New Generation is classic Miike in many ways. Based on a manga, albeit with the directors own original twist – or twisted originality I should say – the film was originally made for the DTV market, but managed to gain a bigger release after producers and distributors were excited with the finished product. And you couldn't blame them...

 

Hilarious, violent, relentless, violent and wonderfully creative, Fudoh: The New Generation is fantastic fun and the perfect introduction to this wild-side of Takashi Miike. Made in 1996, this was one of the first real introductions of the famed film-maker for viewers in the west. Of course, soon after this, fans were then hit with waves of Miike titles with films like Full Metal Yakuza (1997), Audition (1999), City of Lost Souls (2000), Dead or Alive (1999) and it's sequels, and his highly regarded Yakuza trilogy Shinjuku Triad Society (1995), Rainy Dog (1997), and Ley Lines (1999) that helped secure his place in the hearts of many lovers of Asian cinema. Since then, Takashi has went onto deliver well over 100 films and television shows, gaining much critical acclaim for his work thanks to titles like Visitor Q (2001), Ichi the Killer (2001), The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), The Great Yokai War (2005), Sukiyaki Western Django (2007), 13 Assassins (2010), Blade of the Immortal (2017) and so much more. As the first film of this new Radiance Films' release, Fudoh: The New Generation is a great way to take you into the wild world of Takashi Miike, offering a wild selection of outrageous characters – from the handsome teenage Riki to the unstoppable long-haired giant, and the stripper that fires darts from her vagina to gun-toting kids that shoot like well-trained marksmen, this movie is as far removed from the typical Hollywood outing you may be used to. The action scenes alone look like they have been pulled straight from the pages of the manga, with excessive violence sending rivers of blood across the screen, heads rolling after they are removed by swords, ballistic gun-play, and people being smashed throw walls with no effort at all – and I love it!

 

Leading the way as Riki Fudoh is the handsome Shosuke Tanihara – star of films such as Boys Over Flowers (1995), Sky High (2002), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) and Memories of Matsuko (2006). In fact, this was only his second film at the time, but what a perfect choice to play the vengeful young yakuza. Although he delivers a serious dramatic performance throughout, Shosuke proves his worth in the action scenes and looks gorgeous while doing so – with his butt naked poses, complete with sword in hand, being particularly memorable. Of course, he would return as Riki Fudoh soon after in the sequels (this time under director Yoshiho Fukuoka). Guest starring alongside him is the much loved Riki Takeuchi, starring here as an opposing Yakuza boss who would also go on to return in the two sequels that followed. Of course, this much loved actor had been working a good decade before this in films such as Yakuza Ladies (1986) and it's sequels, Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage (1989), and The King of Minami series in 1992. After starring in Fudoh: The New Generation, Takeuchi would work with Takashi Miike again over the years in films like Dead or Alive (1999) and it's sequels, and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002) which is also in this set. Of course, over the years, fans would get to enjoy his performances in films such as Battle Royale 2: Requiem (2003), LoveDeath (2006), Yo-Yo Girl Cop (2006), the hilarious Big Man Japan (2007) and more. Both are joined by names such as Miki Nomoto, Toru Minegishi, Kenji Takano, Takeshi Ceasar, and Mickey Curtis who would return for Miike in Agitator just 5 years later.

 

In terms of bonus features, the 4K UHD disc gives us a 5 minute introduction from Miike himself, although this actually plays more like a short interview where he expresses much happiness in talking about the film and it's production. There's also the option of listening to a very fun and informative audio commentary (subtitled) with Takashi Miike and leading man Shosuke Tanihara, which I highly recommend. These same extras carry over onto the second Fudoh disc, a Blu-ray featuring the restored film, along with two archival interviews – the first, a 41 minute piece with Miike from the 2012 Japanese DVD release, and the second, a lively 16 minute interview with the gorgeous Tanihara from 2003. All in all, and looking the best it has ever looked, Fudoh: The New Generation is still as exciting today as it was upon it's release 30 years ago, and is a great start to the Underworld Chronicles collection from Radiance Films.

 

Agitator – Also known as The Outlaw Souls, Agitator is a powerful yakuza film from the legendary Takashi Miike and was only one of the six film projects he had directed in 2001, alongside hits like The Happiness of the Katakuris, Ichi the Killer, and Visitor Q. In a nutshell, Agitator is set in Japan's gritty gangster underworld, that delivers a tale about loyalty and betrayal as a Yakuza leader is pushed to the edge when two ambitious underling's attempt to overthrow him. At the same time, a rival boss makes a bid to take over their clans. This begins with an event at a crime family's nightclub, when a few gang members hound and abuse one of the clubs hostesses – this includes raping her with a bottle, which is done by director Takashi Miike himself who plays the titular agitator. As things go from bad-to-worse, betrayal is tested in the ranks as words are exchanged and plans are set-in-action. As with most Japanese gangster flicks, this leads to lot's of yelling, violent deaths, and plenty of discussions as each gang tries to rule in first place!

 

While probably not as action packed, hyper-kinetic, or wild as some of Takashi's other works, Agitator still makes for a compelling watch and often comes-across like a low budget take on The Godfather at times – albeit in a more, subtle way. Of course, Miike's wicked sense of humour is strewn throughout, allowing the audience to breathe every-now-and-again, as they become focused on it's heavy narrative. As mentioned, this was an exciting year for fans of the director with Miike offering-up a mix of genres such as Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, and the insane musical-horror, The Happiness Of The Katakuris. But in amongst the madness of those aforementioned titles, Agitator almost seems like it was allowing Miike to catch his breath somewhat. And while it certainly isn't any less superior than the rest, I often feel like films like this (for Takashi), were faster and easier to produce – which is probably why we see more of this genre from him, than others. Although it has never been seen as one of his greatest, it's only fair to say that Agitator shows no signs of weakness; showing strength in it's 150 minute (theatrical/international version) running-time with strong performances and tight direction. This is backed by a great debut script from Shigenori Takechi, the same man behind Miike's remake of the classic Graveyard Of Honor (2002), Violent Fire aka Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002), and wonderfully violent, Izo (2004). Set in the gritty underworld of Japan's Yakuza gangsters, Agitator plays like a slow-burning epic for the most part, albeit with less action and violence than the directors other gangster-based movies. That said, when it comes about, Miike is sure to remind you who is behind it all with his usual trademarks that have made him such a talked-about, and revered, film-maker.

 

One of the main leads of the film is the handsome Masaya Kato, who plays Kunihiko. Born in Nara, Japan, this model-turned-actor first came to my attention when he played opposite the awesome Mark Dacascos in Steve Wang's incredible martial-arts action-comedy, Drive (1997). Prior to that, he also starred alongside Mark in the hugely underrated Crying Freeman (1995), although I've also enjoyed him in films such as Muscle Heat (2002), Aragami (2003), Fighter In The Wind (2004), and Shinjuku Incident (2009), as well as Gozu (2003) and Terraformers (2016) which were both directed by Takashi Miike. His boss is played by the wonderful and hugely prolific Naoto Takenaka who also starred alongside Kato in Kane Kosugi's fun Muscle Heat (2002) and Derek Yee's fantastic Shinjuku Incident (2009) with Jackie Chan. No matter whatever film I see him in, I have to admit that Naoto always leaves an impression. The earliest film I remember seeing him in was in Shinya Tsukamoto's fun Hiruko The Goblin (1991), followed by Tokyo Fist (1995), the wonderfully funny Waterboys and brilliant ninja flick Red Shadow, both from 2001, Ping Pong (2002) and 20th Century Boys: Chapter 1 (2008), as well as Takashi's own Ley Lines (1999), The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), and The Great Yokai War (2005). Although often cast in a comedy based role, Naoto proves to be an amazing dramatic actor, and impresses as mob-boss Higuchi. Both are joined by a fantastic cast with names such as Hiroki Matsukata, Masato Ibu, Mickey Curtis, Taisaku Akino, Renji Ishibashi, and Takashi Miike himself – as previously mentioned...

 

Although it may take a bit of focus, Agitator is a Takashi Miike film well-worth-watching. It's slow-burn pace helps bring a natural feel to the story, allowing it's characters to breathe and mope-about as things play out. And while flashbacks give us insights into some characters pasts, jumps in time let us see where they are going as Kunihiko stays determined to get revenge for the murder of his boss – no matter what the cost! After watching this new release by Radiance Films, it was great to Agitator hold up after all these years. Not only do we get a beautiful new print of the lengthy (widely seen) theatrical version, but fans now get the chance to see – for the first time outside of Japan – the original two-part extended (200 minute) version, albeit in a slightly lesser quality as Agitator was initially made as part of the V-Cinema collective which was DTV. It still looks good and makes for a fantastic bonus feature on this release. Japanese film expert Tom Mes does his best to entertain us with information on the film and everyone involved, via his in-depth audio commentary over the main feature – revealing that both versions were, in fact, director's cuts for different reasons. Fans will also love the new 24 minute interview with director Miike, where he discusses his time with the production, the cast involved, and Yakuza gangs in modern society. I remember a time when he was very low-key about doing interviews, so this was great to see. And finally, we get a low-quality trailer to finish things off – opening with the credit title of 'thank you and fuck you', but it certainly grabs your attention.

 

Deadly Outlaw: Rekka – After delivering a slate of great titles in 2001 – six in all – Takashi Miike topped that with a couple more the following year, shooting two features with Fudoh co-star Riki Takeuchi. The first was the awesome Dead or Alive: Final; the outrageous conclusion to his much loved trilogy that saw Jackie Chan regular and bodyguard, Ken Lo, make a guest appearance. The second was this, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka. Also known as Violent Fire, the film is another tale of crime family politics, betrayal, and vengeance that almost plays like a more manic version of Agitator (2001) while drip feeding us moments of violence and FX as seen in Fudoh: The New Generation (1996). Saying that, it's wonderful opening and insane final 20 minutes look they were extended moments from his aforementioned Dead or Alive series; and I mean that in the best possible way! Chewing the screen up like he had just stepped off the pages of some wild adult manga, the former wrestler-turned-actor delivers another entertaining role as the out-of-control crime boss, Arata Kunisada. Aside from a brief guest appearance by the legendary Sonny Chiba, Takeuchi is joined by stars such as Kenichi Endo, Rikiya Yasuoka, Kazuya Nakayama, Joe Yamanaka, and Renji Ishibashi, as well as Yuya Uchida, a popular singer-song writer who appeared in a number of films over the years and befriended John Lennon after opening for the Beatles during their 1966 tour of Japan. He later formed a band who eventually became known as Flower Travellin' Band – the very same ones whose music can be heard laced throughout the whole film. And it fits perfectly! From it's exciting and stylised opening that sees the introduction of Uchida himself, as the victim of an assassination attempt, to the insane grand finale that sees Takeuchi and Endo take down as many enemy yakuza as they can, complete with rocket launcher in hand, the soundtrack works wonderfully with the insanity on screen...

 

Accompanying the newly restored feature – the last of the Underworld Chronicles box set from Radiance Films – is an informative audio commentary from Tom Mes and a newly shot, 19 minute, interview with Takashi Miike on Deadly Outlaw: Rekka which was a joy to watch. As with many of his films, he talks with great pride and joy on the project. It was also nice to see him less 'mysterious' as he would often portray in interviews from 20 years ago. Electric Yakuza, Go To Hell is a 57 minute documentary on the celebrated film-maker, directed by Yves Montmayeur in 2004. It makes for a fantastic watch, blending interviews with Kinji Fukasaku, Takeshi Kitano, Shinya Tsukamoto and others, with clips from many of Miike's works. And finally, an 80 second trailer sees things out – the perfect edit to entice you into this wild, wild movie. For many viewers, watching a Miike film like this is like trying to spend 90 minutes with an autistic hyper child when you're not a parent, and saying to yourself about 10 minutes in, 'what the hell have I gotten myself into?!' However, as a long time fan of his work, I expect his films to shoot off the tracks every now and again – or at the very least, give them a rattle. Of course, that's not to say this should be expected for all of his films, but more often than not this is certainly the case. And a trademark of his that makes him one of my all-time favourite directors, without a doubt! As with many fans in the west, my attention was caught after watching films such as Audition (1999) and Ichi the Killer (2001), and I was pretty much hooked from there on in picking up any and all Takashi Miike movies that got within reach and – for the most part – I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

 

All in all, the Underworld Chronicles box set is a must for any true Takashi Miike fan and those interested in the V-Cinema days. Limited to 5000 copies, the release is presented in a rigid box and comes with an 80 page book featuring writings by Tom Mes, Colin Geddes, and Tony Rayns. Without a doubt, this is one release from Radiance Films that deserves to be on your shelf!

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Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration of Fudoh: The New Generation, Extended Version of Agitator Presented in it's Original Two Parts, Fudoh Introduction by Takashi Miike, Interview with Takashi Miike on Agitator and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, Audio Commentary on Agitator and Deadly Outlaw: Rekka by Tom Mes, Audio Commentary on Fudoh by Takashi Miike & Shosuke Tanihara, Electric Yakuza, Go to Hell!! Documentary on Takashi Miike, Archival Interviews with Takashi Miike & Shosuke Tanihara, Trailers

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