Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 12, 2024

The original miniseries version of The Singing Detective was initially broadcast by the BBC in 1986, followed by the somewhat lackluster big screen The Singing Detective adaptation coming around nearly two decades later (!) in 2003, but both of those entries may have been eclipsed, at least temporally, by Yokohama BJ Blues, a film which posits Yūsaku Matsuda as the titular BJ, who is in fact, yep, a singing detective. In this particular case Matsuda, unlike, say, Michael Gambon or Robert Downey Jr., actually had a singing career, and so the music in this film is arguably more "authentic", and certainly isn't used for what might be called "pastiche commentary", though the fact that BJ, kind of like, um, a certain Lady , sings the blues may give some insight into a plot that sees BJ accused of a crime he didn't commit.

At least a bit similarly to Dennis Potter's acclaimed miniseries (and, later, somewhat less acclaimed film), Yokohama BJ Blues tends to combine a somewhat melancholic, maybe even elegiac, sensibility with dashes of sometimes dark comedy, though the feeling of this film is probably decidedly less "whimsical" (if that's an appropriate descriptor) than The Singing Detective. When a cop buddy of BJ gets killed, BJ is the prime suspect, which forces him to start investigating on his own, in a plot conceit that is, yes, more than hoary. But the film's use of its "other" titular character, namely Yokohama, is what gives the film its really distinctive flavor, and as is discussed in some of the supplements Radiance has assembled to accompany this release, the city is used repeatedly for scenes with characters just basically wandering to and fro, something that kind of establishes a slightly menacing, randomly bustling ambience to events. The film offers some appealing and occasionally disturbing supporting performances from both Kôji Tanaka as a young man whose interactions with BJ actually ultimately lead BJ into his investigation of the cop's killing, and Mari Henmi as the wife of the victim.

Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Yokohama BJ Blues is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Radiance's insert booklet provides only the following pretty minimal and generic information on the transfer:

Yokohama BJ Blues was transferred in high definition by Toei Company, Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a high definition digital file.

I've been on record repeatedly as stating I'm not always a fan of these "pre delivered masters" by Toei, and this is another presentation that has some noticeable issues, though I am assuming the omnipresent blue grading that can be pretty easily discerned in most of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review was part of the original theatrical experience and meant to subliminally (or maybe liminally considering how aggressive it is) reflect the color in the film's title. Unfortunately, though, the blue hue tends to combine with both pretty heavy grain and some minor but still noticeable age related wear and tear (noticeable from the get go on even the opening production masthead) to mask fine detail levels, at least in midrange and wide framings. The emphasis on dark, mysterious environments combined with the blue also can lead to a near depletion of shadow definition at times. Some midrange shots in a nightclub where BJ sings can offer BJ and the backup band as virtual blobs in the distance, to cite just one example. All of this said, there is still a healthy organic quality to the presentation, and in close ups detail levels can improve markedly. The prevalence of heavy grain and ubiquitous flecks and speckling at least argue that no severe digital scrubbing, or indeed probably any substantial restoration effort, was undertaken here.

Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Yokohama BJ Blues features an LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. While the repeated use of both diagetic cues and underscore might have benefitted from a stereo rendering, the mono track is really quite energetic and offers secure fidelity for all of the musical moments and the glut of urban ambient environmental effects that dot the soundtrack during the many outdoor scenes. As alluded to above, Yūsaku Matsuda does his own singing throughout, and sounds authoritative and gruff, kind of like the Japanese equivalent of, say, David Clayton-Thomas. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mari Hemmi (HD; 13:48) is a new interview with the actress. Subtitled in English.


• Shoichi Maruyama (HD; 22:13) is a new interview with the scenarist. Subtitled in English.


• Toru Sano (HD; 18:04) is a tour of locations guided by Sano. Subtitled in English.


• Trailer (HD; 2:09)

Additionally, Radiance provides another nicely appointed insert booklet with new writing by Dimitri Ianni and a reprint of an archival review from 1981. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve, and Radiance's trademark Obi strip is also included.

Yokohama BJ Blues Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While it's perhaps handled a bit discursively and won't be overtly spoiled here, there is some rather interesting subtext at play in Yokohama BJ Blues that offers Yūsaku Matsuda a kind of interesting opportunity to deconstruct his "traditional" on screen image. The story here is both kind of rote and bracingly innovative at the same time, and the "mystery", while not ultimately mind blowing, is compelling enough to propel the narrative forward. Technical merits are decent if improvable (video) to very good (audio), and the supplements are interesting and enjoyable. With caveats noted, Recommended.