Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie Review

Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is an exciting pinky violence film offering the best in Japanese exploitation cinema. Produced by Keizo Mimura (Three Yakuza, Kobe Kokusai Gang) and Naoyuki Sugimura, Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is a must-see gem with gritty and provocative action. Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates features performance by Reiko Ike, Rie Saotome, Akemi Kasuga, and Natsuko Yashiro.  Fans of violent pinky films with plenty of sleaze will consider it essential.

The students have arrived for school: Aki Kazahana (Reiko Ike), Masami Araki (Rie Saotome), Masae Asou (Akemi Kasuga), Kazue Kobayakawa (Natsuko Yashiro), and the other students of the school discover new sides of themselves at the Seiwa Academy for Girls. These girls aren’t as sweet and innocent as one might assume at first glance. The girls all have a dark side and the school has an infamous reputation for juvenile delinquents. The girls might be part of a prestigious program but considering the class warfare, all bets are off – the girls find themselves tossed into a series of sleaze with the Black Roses Society taking control of their warfare left-and-right.

Which girls can survive the onslaught of sleaze and corruption to pass their exams? Can any of the girls get good grades or will the student body be left to fend for themselves without graduation papers? Only Kazue tries to do things the “right way” and prioritize her grades. The rest of the girls might be fencing swords or stripping off clothes. School’s not out for the summer but it might be getting a bit hot inside the classroom – and the clothes start to drop.

The performances are more provocative and compelling than one might expect to find given the genre of the film. The pinky violence genre is a great one with some essentials of Japanese cinema and the Terrifying Girls High School series certainly benefits from the casting. Reiko Ike is the central star, showcasing her sexiness and charisma in spades. The performance is a fun one and she has an undeniable charm that adds to the seductiveness of the filmmaking.

The production has compelling art direction by Jirô Tomita (Hijirimen bakuto, Sangyo supai). Tomita is a good art director and there is a lot of great design elements on display in the film. Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is a pinky violence film and yet it feels like the work of an arthouse gem. Granted, the pinky violence films are known for their impressive production aesthetics – these cult Japanese gems are far better than what one would likely find with a Western equivalent. The film is artistic and has great aesthetic values while the clothes keep coming off – dress after dress.

The cinematography by Umeo Masuda (Bôdô Shimane keimusho, Nihon no jingi) is one of the best things going for Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates. Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is visually sumptuous and the style of cinematography is a great showcase for the production. The visuals are atmospheric and gritty with a style that feels both raw and vital. A compelling cinematographic approach and one that is a perfect match for the filmmaking.

Edited by Tadao Kanda (Female Yakuza Tale, A Savage Beast Goes Mad), Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is a well-paced example of extremities. The film is full of excess and the editor manages to showcase that excess in all of its glory. Fans of grindhouse cinema will love seeing everything unfold.

The score composed by Hajime Kaburagi (Tokyo Drifter, Red Pier) is energetic fun and the energy of the score adds a lot to the experience. The music is better than one might expect for the genre and this is something that makes the viewing experience all the more compelling and memorable. Composer Kaburagi is a great Japanese composer and the music is enormously satisfying as part of the film.

Written by Masahiro Kakefuda (Female Yakuza Tale, Sex & Fury) and Nobuaki Nakajima (Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, Violent Streets), Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is over-the-top with a script that is full of excess. The script isn’t particularly sophisticated and the dialogue isn’t quite the selling point. Regardless, the script knows what audiences want – excess – and it delivers that in spades.

Directed by Masahiro Shimura (Kyofu joshikôkô: Furyo monzetsu guruupu), Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is an entertaining slice of sleaze. Fans of grindhouse cinema who want to see a fun Japanese pinky violence film with plenty of over-the-top violence, extreme and graphic sex, and an abundance of nudity, will find that Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates delivers what audiences have come for in spades. Sleaze, sleaze, and more sleaze, and the best kind. A fun and compelling watch through-and-through.

Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Discotek Media, Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The presentation on the release is excellent and there is a lot to appreciate about the presentation. The transfer has impressive color reproduction and the visuals of the cinematography are well reproduced. Detail is noteworthy on the release and the print looks great.

There are some occasional specks on the print but nothing too gratuitous in the grand scheme of things. The scan looks naturally filmic and has plenty to offer. Discotek Media provides an excellent video presentation with quality encoding. The Blu-ray format continues to reward audiences with superior video encoding compared to streaming video services. Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut with this quality release and it is one that is sure to please cineastes.

Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio encoding sounds crisp and engaging on the release. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand on the release. The soundtrack is impressive sounding and the detail of the soundstage sounds great. An incredibly robust soundstage for a classic Japanese pinky violence film and it certainly has some noteworthy aspects. The subtitles are of a good quality as well and are free from any significant spelling or grammatical errors. The release does not include an English dubbed option – which is fine by me, as a purist at heart (especially in regards to live-action features). The lossless encoding offers a better audio option compared to streaming video services, which offer lossy (compressed) audio compared to the lossless audio encoding provided on Blu-ray disc.

Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover is elegantly designed and adds some nice value to the package as a collectible. The artwork underneath the slipcover features uncensored art, highlighting the nude women on the front of the case. A nice change of pace from the clothed art version highlighted on the slipcover and a nice design touch. The inside of the case showcases interior artwork on the reverse side of the sleeve. Discotek continues to reward with a compelling case design.

The one area of the release that is underwhelming is the supplemental package. The release could have used some more extensive supplemental features. The Blu-ray might have benefited from getting an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes documentary, making-of featurettes, cast and crew interviews, and other in-depth supplementals. Unfortunately, the release is close to barebones and there isn't much on-disc bonus content. (the package design is arguably the main draw as a 'bonus' for the release).

On disc supplements include:

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3:11)

Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Terrifying Girls High School – Animal Classmates is the best kind of sleaze – a grindhouse gem of Japanese pinky violence films with plenty of extreme violence, nudity, and gratuitous sex. The production features all one could want and more. The film is a fun and over-the-top thrill ride. Audiences looking for something a little naughty and extreme with a suave atmosphere will be entertained through-and- through. A must-see gem of Japanese pinky violence cinema. The Blu-ray presentation features excellent video quality and lossless audio. The release marks the worldwide disc debut on the format. Fans of Japanese erotic cinema will find this release to be a must-own. Highly recommended.