Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 11, 2025

Teruo Ishii's "Detonation: Violent Riders" (1975) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Ashley Darrow and Jonathan Greenway; new video essay by critic Nathan Stuart; and vintage promotional materials for the film. In Japanese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A/B "locked".

Iwaki's gang

Marlon Brando was a huge star in Japan. However, it was not Sayonara that made Brando popular there. The film that effectively legitimized Brando as a star, especially amongst young Japanese men and women, is The Wild One, which was released several years before Sayonara. As in America, The Wild One was also the film that popularized biker culture in Japan.

It is too obvious that Teruo Ishii’s Detonation: Violent Riders pays tribute to The Wild One. Nearly two-thirds of the material it works with can easily be described as variations on the drama from The Wild One. However, there is one crucial adjustment. While many of the bikers seen in Detonation: Violent Riders were also members of real gangs, their natural environment is very different. Indeed, unlike their American counterparts, they are all creatures of the big city, which, despite opposing their antics, has learned to tolerate them. Unsurprisingly, in addition to having a Japanese identity, Detonation: Violent Riders also has a distinct contemporary (for its time) vibe.

Interestingly, this contemporary vibe is also greatly influenced by American culture. In fact, various segments of Detonation: Violent Riders appear to have been intentionally shot to resemble extracts from a documentary feature that would appeal to domestic and foreign audiences. Also, the action and drama are routinely complemented by American music composed by a Japanese composer.

The narrative is broken into three parts, each dominated by the handsome biker Iwaki (Koichi Iwaki). In the first part, Iwaki makes ends meet as a mechanic and prefers to ride his bike alone. However, after shaming a popular biker from a big gang, Iwaki instantly develops a reputation, and several youngsters urge him to become their leader. During a wild party, Iwaki also defends the honor of Michiko (Tomoko Ai), who instantly falls in love with him. In the second part, after Iwaki and Michiko begin spending time together, the latter’s older brother, Tsugami (Sonny Chiba), appears and warns that he is ready to protect her from troublemakers like the bikers that have started terrorizing the city. As Iwaki’s popularity grows and he reluctantly becomes the leader of a new gang, Michiko is gangraped, and Tsugami reappears. When it is confirmed that Michiko’s attackers are members of the big gang whose star Iwaki had shamed earlier, a violent confrontation becomes inevitable. In the third part, Tsugami goes on the warpath, and despite trying to avoid violence, Iwaki and his followers are drawn into an all-out gang war.

Detonation: Violent Riders is the first of four thematically related biker films, gathered in the Bakuhatsu series, produced by the Japanese studio Toei. The remaining three films are Detonation: Violent Games (1976), The Runaway Season (1976), and Detonation: 750cc Tribe (1976). Iwaki returned for all of them. However, Ishii directed only Detonation: Violent Games and The Runaway Season and moved on to other projects. Yutaka Kohira directed the final film.

The value of Detonation: Violent Riders is in its unmistakable desire to emulate, yet develop an identity of its own, which makes it an intriguing artifact. In the 1960s and 1970s, Japanese directors shot many gangster films that initially copied various qualities that made the classic American gangster films, and especially the stylish film noirs, unique. However, as the popularity of these gangster films grew, Japanese directors became bolder and more creative, and the more they experimented, the more interesting their work became. Detonation: Violent Riders was part of this evolutionary process.

Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Detonation: Violent Riders arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

It is immediately obvious that the release is sourced from a recent master because the visuals it produces boast very solid and consistent density levels. There are quite a few areas where delineation, clarity, and depth fluctuate a bit, but the drop in quality is intentional. (In this case, the discrepancy is introduced by the raw footage with the bikers, which gives these areas a documentary quality). There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. I would say that color balance is convincing. However, in select areas, it feels like some visuals become a tad too cool. Regardless, I think that the entire film maintains a convincing period appearance. Image stability is excellent. I noticed a few flecks, but there are no large and distracting cuts, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A/B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A, Region-B, or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Japanese LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. (To turn off the English subtitles, you must use your remote control. There is no option on the disc to do it).

Detonation: Violent Riders has a very interesting soundtrack. For example, the soundtrack utilizes various jazzy harmonies to create a campy atmosphere of the kind that was popular in American exploitation films from the same period. However, there are a lot of organic sounds and noises that strengthen the film's documentary qualities. Unsurprisingly, many sequences have rather striking sudden spikes and drops in dynamic activity. All dialogue is clear and easy to follow. Also, and perhaps most importantly, the audio is free of age-related anomalies. The English translation is excellent. The size of the English subtitles is perfect, too.

Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Ashley Darrow and Jonathan Greenway of The Horror Vanguard Podcast. The majority of the observations focus on the stylistic appearance of Detonation: Violent Riders, the cultural trends the film was part of, and the careers of some of the people who made it.

• Gangs on the Run - this exclusive new video essay was created by critic Nathan Stuart. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered Japanese trailer for Detonation: Violent Riders. In Japanese, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• Stills Gallery - presented here is a collection of original promotional materials for Detonation: Violent Riders. With music. (3 min).

• Booklet - 16-page illustrated booklet featuring Michelle Kisner's essay "No One Will Cry For Me: Love in the Time of Bosozoku" and technical credits.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage Japanese poster art for Detonation: Violent Riders.

Detonation: Violent Riders Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Marlon Brando and The Wild One did not supercharge biker culture only in Japan. The two had a significant impact across Europe as well, and their tremendous influence continued well into the late '70s and early '80s. In Detonation: Violent Riders, most of the material can easily be described as variations on the drama from The Wild One. However, while many of the bikers seen in Detonation: Violent Riders were also members of real gangs, they came from a different environment. They were creatures of the city, leaving a different mark, which is essentially what transforms Detonation: Violent Riders into an interesting cinematic artifact. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.