Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments 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).

There's probably an undeniable feeling of diminishing returns with regard to both Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments and its immediate predecessor, with both entries repeating elements that have already been explored. Once again Shinkai is depicted in opening moments as having an unbridled libido and, later, acting as a quasi-Hustler in an ostensible game of chance. That vignette actually introduces what is arguably the film's most memorable character, a cunning female gambler named Ogin (Yuriko Mishima). The story revisits already seen "character arcs" where supposed combatants then team up to defeat a common enemy, but the banter between and almost The Sting like plot material featuring the pair is the highlight of this final entry.

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments 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.

This is another really appealing presentation that offers a vibrant and healthy palette even if some may feel flesh tones can occasionally skew toward browns. The production design, which at least relatively accurately reflects some profound Westernizing in Japanese culture at the supposed time, is beautifully rendered, and some of the almost baroquely patterned costumes feature precise fine detail. Warmer tones in the red to orange arena are especially notable throughout. Grain resolves without any issues.

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments features an LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. The track is just a little thin at the very beginning with what may be a bit of background noise (I frankly wasn't sure if it was an intentional part of the sound design). The film really doesn't offer an overly elaborate sound design, and even occasional outdoor moments don't offer a wealth of ambient environmental effects. There are occasional sync issues which I suspect are due to post looping, but even with those dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Wicked Priest 5: Blood on the Commandments 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 5: Blood on the Commandments Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Wicked Priest series goes out on a kind of listless note, though this film's enjoyable grifting duo does probably provide enough energy to sustain the narrative. The film's depiction of an increasingly Westernized Japan may be the most interesting, if subliminal, aspect of the production design. Technical merits are generally solid and the release's franchise spanning supplements are enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.