NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (November 2021): Arrow have transferred Shinji Sômai's Sailor Suit and Machine Gun to Blu-ray. It offers, seamlessly-branched, "presentations of the Original Theatrical Version and the 1982 Complete Version (kanpeki-ban) re-issue of the film, restored by Kadokawa Pictures from a 4K scan of the original negative". It's on a dual-layered disc with a middling bitrate and looks good, not great, with nice film grain textures. It does seem accurate to the film's original production without embellishment. The film cinematography can appear rather rudimentary - quite possibly intentionally - but again a realistic replication. There is no significant difference with the added, longer-cut, scenes. Colors are true and I only saw one sequences that appeared a shade compromised. This and the brief censored segment (see sample below) are most likely authentic to the original(s). Like most of Arrow's work - this is probably as good as it will get in this 1080P format.

NOTE: We have added 40 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow offer a DTS-HD Master 1.0 channel mono track or 5.1 surround bump (both 24-bit) in the original Japanese language. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun has aggressive - not a preponderance - with gunplay and suggested violence with minor separations. The score is by Katsu Hoshi (his second of a handful of feature film composures), sounding clean and authentically flat in the lossless transfer. Arrow offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Arrow Blu-ray offers an exclusive new 50-minute documentary, Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun, featuring actor Akira Emoto, film scholar Chika Kinoshita, Somai biographer Tatsuya Kimura and Sailor Suit assistant director Koji Enokido discussing the making of the film, its director and its legacy. Much praise is lauded to director Shinji Sômai and I'd like to see more of his films. There are also original trailers and TV spots for both versions, a short image gallery and the package has a reversible sleeve (see below) featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Michael Lomon.

Shinji Sômai's Sailor Suit and Machine Gun has equal doses of early 80's Japanese pop culture, humor, innocence and crime - it inspired two TV series. The title may be misleading to some. It has strong themes of familial relationships connecting despairingly with the Yakuza underworld structure. It's a unique film with some sly intelligence - playful but emotional and I appreciated seeing it as well as being exposed to the work of the director. The Arrow Blu-ray is at their usual high standard offering both cuts and a revealing documentary supplement. Those interested should indulge - you may be very pleasantly surprised by Sailor Suit and Machine Gun.

Gary Tooze