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

ADDITION: Arrow Blu-ray (June 2021): Arrow have transferred Yasuzô Masumura's Irezumi to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "from a new 4K scan". It looks excellent. Detail is strong, colors are deep and rich and contrast perfectly layered. There is no damage or even speckles - the source must have been in excellent condition and states in the opening; "Restored by KADOKAWA Corporation at TOKYO KOON Co., Ltd. and IMAGICA Lab.Inc. Special thanks to Masahiro Miyajima for his consultation." It is one of the best looking Japanese films of the 60's in 1080P.  

NOTE: We have added 62 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Arrow use a DTS-HD Master 1.0 channel mono track (24-bit) in the original Japanese language. There are few aggressive effects (mostly grunting or screams) but the violence is heightened by a dramatic score by composer Hikaru Hayashi (Death By Hanging, Voice Without a Shadow, Onibaba, Kuroneko, The Naked Island) sounding authentically flat but clear and audible. Arrow offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Arrow Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Japanese cinema scholar David Desser (author of Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema.) He discusses Irezumi as a deceptively elliptical piece of cinema, describes and explains some of the cultural tropes, motifs, symbols (water)... He tells us about the "Joro spider" or Jorōgumo as a type of Yōkai, a creature, ghost or goblin of Japanese folklore. It can shape shift into a beautiful woman. He mentions how Ayako Wakao's character Otsuya's moans and groans of pain are reminiscent of sexual ecstasy. He discusses the writer Kaneto Shindô and Jun'ichirô Tanizaki's novel, how Yasuzô Masumura is a woman's director like Kenji Mizoguchi referencing Gion no shimai (1936) ... aka Sisters of the Gion, he shows us a 'film noir moment and explains a 'maiko' - who is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto and Western Japan. He is excellent, professionally prepared and know his subject matter exceptionally well. There is also a newly filmed 9-minute introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns, a brand new, 13-minute, visual essay by Asian cinema scholar Daisuke Miyao entitled "Out of the Darkness" plus an original trailer and image gallery. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella and for the first pressing- an illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Thomas Lamarre and Daisuke Miyao. 

Yasuzô Masumura's Irezumi puts the 'fatale' in 'femme fatale'. It's an Edo period film but disimilar to Arrow's previous Blu-rays of 'Toei pinky violence' (Inferno of Torture, Orgies of Edo , Shogun's Joy of Torture or Horrors of Malformed Men, although I am really looking forward to their Blind Beast Blu-ray,) although there is less-obvious sexual assault and other, more pronounced, violence - occasionally against women. The premise is extremely appealing; "A seductive woman gets kidnapped into prostitution. After getting a spider tattoo made on her back, she grows vengeful, leaving several men in her path." Delicious. I would say it is very satisfying especially with the Desser commentary, Rayns introduction and Miyao visual essay. The Arrow Blu-ray a/v is at their exceptional level and it is filled with appreciated supplements. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze