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

ADDITION: Eureka Classics Blu-ray (February 2024): Eureka Classics have transferred Ryûichi Takamori's "Yakuza Wolf I + II" to Blu-ray. They are cited as being "from new restorations of the original film elements by Toei". Typical of the era of Japanese films and the style of the genre - the image is thick with no gloss. The 1080P is consistent and clean. Many close-ups tighten up with pleasing detail showing skin pores and textures are heavy. Colors look impressive. These are on separate Blu-rays with max'ed out bitrates in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratios. I suspect these looks about as good as they can on this format.

NOTE: We have added 98 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-rays, Eureka Classics use linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. Both films are stacked with lengthy scenes of violence - mostly hand-to-hand with sharp effects but some gunfire. It comes through with surprising intensity in th uncompressed. The score for Yakuza Wolf was by Toshiaki Tsushima (Yakuza Graveyard, Big Time Gambling Boss, Street Mobster, The Green Slime, The War in Space, Three Outlaw Samurai, Sword of the Beast, Battles Without Honor and Humanity) and for Yakuza Wolf II by Taiichirô Kosugi (Bloody Spear at Mt. Fuji, Smashing the 0-Line) sounding clean supporting the films action sequneces. Eureka Classics offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-rays.

The Eureka Classics Blu-ray offers a new commentaries for both films by  'Action Film' historians Mike Leeder (editor of 100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion) and Arne Venema. They have fun with talking about the sexy opening - very unlike a 'Jackie Chan' film - in fact the entire first films has plenty of sex and violence following the Yakuza representation (more extortion than drug running.) These guys are super-experts on the genre and have a lot to export about Chiba, his shift in the films he starred in (like Charles Bronson-type in the first entry,) writer Ryûzô Nakanishi (Godzilla 1985, The War in Space,) - plenty on Toei studios, similarities to Pasta westerns, locations, directors Ryûichi Takamori and Buichi Saitô, tangential Japanese martial arts films from the era and beyond, the cast and much more. They are both entertaining and informative. There is also a new 24-minute featurette by Howard Hughes looking at the Spaghetti Western influences on Yakuza Wolf, and the broader influence Japanese cinema had on the Western genre, original theatrical trailers for both films and the package has a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Tom Mes and Howard Hughes and is housed in a LE O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon.

Not to be confused with Hideo Gosha's Samurai Wolf I + II, Ryûichi Takamori and Buichi Saitô's "Yakuza Wolf I + II" are filled with the actor's martial arts skills and defining presence. We lost Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba in 2021 at 82-years of age. Chiba starred in more than 125 films for Toei Studios. As many know, the Quentin Tarantino-penned True Romance had Christian Slater's character of Clarence Worley go to the theatre to see a Sonny Chiba triple feature; "The Streetfighter," "Return of the Streetfighter," and "Sister Streetfighter." Chiba had bit parts in Kill Bill: Volume 1, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The two films, "Yakuza Wolf I + II", are quite different in tone. The first is an intense revenge flic (shown by the alt title "I Perform Murder") with Chiba as Gosuke Himuro seeking out his sister (Yayoi Watanabe) and finding a Yakuza sex trafficking ring. The first film is rife with exploitive naked women / graphic sex (Gosuke's lover played by Tomoko Mayama) and Sonny remorselessly dispatches the baddies without compunction. Spaghetti western motifs abound. Yakuza Wolf II has Sonny as 'Ibuki', not reprising the role of 'terminator' Gosuke. He teams up with a gangster tough-guy (ex-boxer) who meet serving time in prison. Others join the gang to take on the Yakuza's turf with a 'unified buddy' vibe and occasional humor. Ibuki tries to save his lost love Mari (Reiko Ike - Terrifying Girls' High School.) The intense machismo style is very appealing in both films. The Eureka Classics Blu-ray package has new commentaries, a new, revealing, featurette, a booklet, great cover and authentic a/v. Fans of Sonny and the genre should strongly consider indulging in this keepsake. Certainly recommended.

Gary Tooze