Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 2, 2026

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the Wicked Priest Collection from Arrow Video.

Perhaps just a little sadly it may not seem as shocking to contemporary sensibilities to see "wicked" and "priest" combined in one title as it may have been when the films Arrow has aggregated for this collection were first released, but as a supplement featuring Matt Alt and Patrick Macias on one of the discs in Arrow's five film set of Wicked Priest offerings gets into, the original Japanese title may be a bit more nuanced, in that wicked doesn't necessarily mean "evil" or even "bad" in a traditional sense. That said, fans of this franchise might be prone to joke that you'd be hard pressed to really argue that focal monk Shinkai (Tomisaburō Wakayama) doesn't behave in ways that are not often associated with the quiet, celibate and reflective life of such an ostensible religious figure. But that said, according to the same supplement Japanese lore and legend is nonetheless evidently rife with descriptions of what might be called raucous and/or bawdy priests and/or monks. The Wicked Priest films appeared between 1968 and 1971, and were ostensibly set in an early 1920s Taishō period, even if that may or may not reflect the rise of Shinto and diminution of Buddhism during that era (as per the same aforementioned supplement). In that regard, a joke in the supplement kind of suggests it's more than obvious that the Wicked Priest films are not exactly models of a documentarian approach, but they are rowdy entertainments that helped cement the status of Wakayama, which would soon be confirmed with his breakthrough role in the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Fans of this era of Japanese cinema will probably already know that Wakayama's younger brother was Shintarō Katsu who actually beat his elder sibling to superstar status courtesy of the Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman franchise. For those unacquainted with this duo, there are some fascinating rabbit holes to explore, maybe as internet palette cleansers in between the films in this set (which may contain an "in joke" or two about the brothers and the roles they played).

In a very real way Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder plays like a test run of sorts for what would arguably become Wakayama's signature role in the aforementioned Lone Wolf and Cub series. It may be Shinkai this time around, but he's still a lone wolf of sorts and he in fact the appointed shepherd for a young boy whose father is attempting to break free of his yakuza ties and whose mother has died. Shinkai's "impossible mission" is to get the kid to his grandfather, a martial arts master who in fact doesn't seem to want his grandson. As is a recurrent motif throughout the Wicked Priest films, there are yakuza tentacles everywhere, including in the village where the grandfather resides and where Shinkai ends up, and our "wicked" monk has to deal with those elements as well. Unsurprisingly the evil Ryotatsu (Bunta Sugawara) returns for another "Final Boss" showdown.

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wicked Priest is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet lumps all of the films together on the page devoted to the presentations:

The films in this collection are presented in their original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with mono Japanese audio.

Wicked Priest was restored by Toei Company, Ltd.

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder, Wicked Priest 3: A Killer's Pilgrimage, WIcked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back, and Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments were restored by Arrow Films from 4K scans of the original camera negatives supplied by Toei Company, Ltd.

Restoration and color grading was completed by Heavenly Movie Company.

Audio restoration was completed by Bad Princess Productions.

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder has some interesting color timing choices which separate it at least a bit from some of its "siblings" (no Wakayama family pun intended). Instead of emphasizing warmer tones like reds, this often offers a production design and even grading choices that can skew things toward green. That may actually help to elevate the appearance of several outdoor scenes. Despite what seems to be an intentional choice, things look accurate throughout, and flesh tones are among the best in the five films. Once again some elaborately patterned costumes offer nicely rendered fine detail. Grain resolves naturally.

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder features an LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. Like others in this set, the initial takeoff is a little wobbly, but once the film starts, a rather nice orchestral cue and some girls frolicking (for a moment, anyway) offer secure fidelity. That said, this track has noticeable high end hiss throughout, which can perhaps add to a feeling of brightness overall. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged this release with two films each on Disc One and Disc Two, and with the fifth film and the following supplements on Disc Three:

• Composing the Gospel (HD; 20:56) is a new video essay about the venerable Isao Tomita by James Balmont.


• Taisho Troubles (HD; 20:26) is a new video essay by Jonathan Clements focusing on Wakayama and the historical context of the films.


• Offscreen Battles (HD; 31:32) is a new video essay with James Mudge offering an overview of 1960s Japanese cinema.


• Martial Arts and Super Mario Brothers (HD; 35:02) is the first of two pieces featuring Patrick Macias and Matt Alt. This one focuses on Wakayama.


• Priest or Monk (HD; 15:28) features Macias and Alt again moving on to plot points and historical context.


• Theatrical Trailers

Wicked Priest (HD; 3:13)




Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder (HD; 3:12)




Wicked Priest 3: A Killer's Pilgrimage (HD; 3:17)




Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back (HD; 3:11)




Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments (HD; 3:25)

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Not only is there not a so-called "sophomore slump" with this second outing, it arguably has some of the most secure emotional footing of the entire series, even if it now seems to decidedly presage Lone Wolf and Cub. Video looks great and audio is generally fine, and the release's franchise spanning supplements are enjoyable. Recommended.