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

This is the another Arrow Blu-ray release that is being simultaneously released in both region 'A' (US) and 'B' (UK). It is the exact same package on both sides of the pond beyond minor cosmetic differences on the disc labels and sleeve to do with differing copyright info and barcodes, and the US release doesn't have BBFC logos.

NOTE: We call this region FREE . although technically it is region 'A' + 'B'. I've yet to see a region 'C'-locked Blu-ray so most will consider this region FREE.

The Takashi Miike's Black Society Trilogy is a 2 Blu-ray disc package from Arrow. Both Shinjuku Triad Society and Rainy Dog are housed on the first BD, with trailers, and Ley Lines  is on the second disc with the video supplements. All films are 1080P, 1.85:1, have linear PCM audio, optional English subtitles and all three films include a Tom Mes (author of Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike) commentary.

The image quality seems at the mercy of the original sources. They improve as the films get younger but are all highly grainy, very thick, can be a bit green and dark scenes can be exceptionally dark at times. There are instances of optical censorship (see three samples below.) The image for each film is consistent and there is no egregious damage. I think the screen captures below should give you a fair idea on how they may look on your system - dense and film-like. In-motion they were fine - supported with high-ish bitrates. These are definitely not modern, glossy, tightly pristine visuals - as most might anticipate.

All three films have linear PCM transfers in the original Japanese (and other Asian languages), authentically flat and in 24-bit. It can sound bit erratic at times - occasionally scattered and I'm sure this is reflective of the condition of the sources. Effects carry, only, modest weight. The score for Shinjuku Triad Society is by Atorie Shira (his only film credit) and the other two, Rainy Dog, and Ley Lines, have scores by Kôji Endô (Audition, 13 Assassins, Gozu, The Bird People in China, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Three... Extremes, Sukiyaki Western Django, The City of Lost Souls ). They aren't especially balanced to the onscreen action - but this, again, is a factor of the productions. It sounds buoyant and impressive via the lossless - and there are optional English subtitles (for Shinjuku Triad Society and Ley Lines the non-Japanese languages are in square brackets to differentiate from the Japanese, but in Rainy Dogs, where the dialogue is primarily in Mandarin or Taiwanese so the Japanese has been exported in square brackets) on the region FREE Blu-ray discs.

Aside from educational audio commentaries for all three films by Miike biographer Tom Mes (author of Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike) - as already mentioned plus there is a new, 3/4 hour interview with director Takashi Miike exclusively for Arrow - shot in Montreal in 2016. In it Miike speaks about his early career and his work on Black Society Trilogy. There is also a new, 22-minute, interview with actor Show Aikawa shot by Arrow in Tokyo, May 2016. Aikawa talks about his extensive V-cinema career and his work on Rainy Dog and Ley Lines with Takashi Miike. There are original theatrical trailers for all three films and the package has reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon and for the first pressing, only, an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the films.

The Black Trilogy DVDs were over 12-years ago. Arrow just keeping being the go-to company for these Japanese film series Boxsets. Now, from them on Blu-ray: The Human Condition, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Kiju Yoshida: Love + Anarchism, Stray Cat Rock, Outlaw: Gangster VIP Collection, Lady Snowblood, Female Prisoner Scorpion: The Complete Collection, Nikkatsu Diamond Guys, Nikkatsu Diamond Guys 2... Their Black Society Trilogy Blu-ray deserves to be sitting on the same shelf. Absolutely recommended!   

Gary W. Tooze