Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 3, 2021

Asian cultures in general may be perceived by outsiders (like us Westerners) as being pretty regimented and tending toward conformity, and in that regard, one of the supplements on this disc mentions how it's almost a "given" in Japan in particular that girls in either middle school (or junior high, depending on your verbiage) and high school are often consigned to wearing uniforms that are in fact "sailor suits". That almost built in understanding is what helped make the references in this film's title so provocative to Japanese audiences, even if something however minor may be lost in translation on this side of the pond. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun was based on a popular novel by Jirō Akagawa, and both the book and film caused such a ripple that two different Japanese television series were spawned from the premise as well. There's even been a "reboot" or quasi-sequel of sorts, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation, which as of the writing of this review seems like it's available on Blu-ray in either an out of print edition from Hong Kong or an in print edition (with soundtrack CD) from Japan. All of this is said to indicate that the "franchise" has had a relatively long shelf life in its native country, and considering the odd combo platter of slightly winking comedy and more visceral violence that informs this film, it's not hard to see why.

What's rather bracingly interesting about Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is how it traverses a rather wide gamut of tones and yet still manages to feel like an organic whole. There's an almost goofily comedic aspect to the opening which includes a harried drive in a torrential downpour, followed by a death watch for an elderly yakuza clan leader, where it turns out a buffoonish assistant trying to recruit a doctor to aid the situation has actually brought in a veterinarian. Scenes like this contrast with more intimate, almost "teenaged angst" character beats for schoolgirl Hoshi (Hiroko Yakushimaru) once, again through a perhaps slightly comedic chain of events (which includes the probably not funny death of her father), she becomes the new, improved boss lady. Later, especially in a freewheeling shootout that caps the film, there's almost more of a traditional gangster element at play.

In that last regard, while there is a kind of traditional drug subplot at play viz a viz the yakuza, what really makes Sailor Suit and Machine Gun more viscerally effective is not its utilization of "crime lord" tactics, but the clash between those arguably tired tropes and the fact that there's a young girl seeking to establish her own identity at the core of the piece. It's a really odd combo platter, but it's surprisingly effective, managing to be emotionally involving and at times kind of slyly funny, even as there are more dramatic underpinnings throughout the tale.

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.85:1. The back cover of this release states Kadokawa Pictures restored the film in 4K from the original negative. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfers:

Both versions of Sailor Suit and Machine Gun are presented in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with original mono audio, plus a remixed 5.1 soundtrack for the Theatrical Version. The High Definition masters were produced and supplied by Kadokowa, with additional grading and restoration by Arrow Films at R3Store Studios. An instance of optical censorship occurs during the sex scene at the 61 minute mark. This is present in the original materials and is consistent with Japanese censorship practices from the period.

The kind of odd comment about "optical censorship" I am assuming refers to a black box which overlays the bottom right corner of the image (see screenshot 21), which my players showed as being closer to the 57:17 minute mark in the Theatrical Version and around the 1:01:53 minute mark in the Extended Director's Cut. Ironically in that regard the sequence continues to show pretty much all of what was blocked as the camera moves over the two people involved in carnal activity. Aside from this relatively unusual situation, these transfers are generally very pleasing looking, especially with regard to an overall nicely saturated palette (some may feel it's just a tad too brown at times) and some good detail levels on things like fabrics and props. Grain is admittedly pretty gritty looking a lot of the time but resolves naturally. It does have a slightly clumpy look in many of the dark shots, some of which have been lit or graded toward yellow, which, when combined with a tendency of the grain itself to take on a yellowish tint, can give things a somewhat splotchy appearance, albeit in passing (see screenshot 7 in particular, and take a look at the grain covering the tablecloth for an idea of what I'm getting at). I didn't notice any real qualitative differences between the footage shared between the two versions, or in fact with regard to any huge variances in clarity, palette or grain resolution in the additional footage seen only in the Extended Director's Cut. There are a number of stylistic quirks on display which can materially affect fine detail levels in particular, including an intentionally hazy climax and another scene featuring a distorted fisheye perspective. My score is 4.25.

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track for both versions, as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the Theatrical Version. The 5.1 track nicely opens up both the music as well as some of the effects work, notably in the cataclysmic finale, but otherwise, the mono track provides perfectly fine, if obviously narrow, support for the film's dialogue, effects and score. I noticed no issues with regard to any age related wear and tear. Optional English subtitles are available.

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Original Theatrical Version (1080p; 1:51:45) and Extended Director's Cut (1080p; 2:10:27) are offered via the Main Menu.


• Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai and Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (HD; 51:13) features actor Akira Emoto, film scholar Chika Kinoshita, Somai biographer Tatsuya Kimura and assistant director Koji Enomoto discussing the film's legacy. In Japanese with English subtitles.


• Trailers and TV Spots

  Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:39)

  
  

  Complete Version (Kanpeki-Ban) Trailer (HD; 3:14)

  
  

  Theatrical Teaser (HD; 00:35)

  
  

  TV Spot (HD; 2:30)

• Image Gallery (HD)


• Original Press Kit (HD)

Additionally, Arrow provides its typically well appointed insert booklet with essays by Aaron Gerow and Alexander Zahlten, Hiroko Yakushimaru and Kiyoshi Kurosawa in Conversation, a Yasuzo Masumura Filmography and technical information, along with a few stills. Packaging features a rather nice slipcover which is on more of a cardstock material than can sometimes be the case.

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The premise of Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is obviously intentionally provocative, but what's so winning about this film is how it manages to pull of something of a content hat trick by offering a coming of age story focusing on a girl proving to herself she has the "right stuff" that just happens to involve a hapless yakuza clan. Technical merits are generally solid, and as usual with Arrow releases, the supplements are engaging. Recommended.