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A perky high-schooler takes on the mob in Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, a one-of-a-kind genre-bender that riffs on the yakuza film, coming-of-age drama and 'idol movie', inventively adapted from Jiro Akagawa's popular novel by director Shinji Somai (Typhoon Club, Wait and See), a massively influential figure in Japanese cinema whose work has been little seen outside his homeland. Hoshi Izumi is a young innocent forced to grow up quickly when her father dies and she finds herself next in line as the boss of a moribund yakuza clan. Wrenched from the security of her classroom and thrust into the heart of the criminal underworld, she must come to terms with the fact that her actions hold the key to the life or death of the men under her command as they come under fire from rival gangs. Presented in both its Original Theatrical and longer Complete versions, and the first time one of Somai's films has been released on home video in the West, this landmark work from his early career was responsible for launching teen talent Hiroko Yakushimaru (Legend of the Eight Samurai; Detective Story) as the iconic face of a generation, with the catchy theme song she performs indelibly etched into the zeitgeist of early-1980s Japan.

Media

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Bonus Materials

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) 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
• Original uncompressed Japanese mono and 5.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun, an exclusive new 50-minute documentary
• Original Trailers and TV spots for both versions
• Image Gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Michael Lomon
• *FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Aaron Gerow and Alex Zahlten, and a discussion between the film's star Hiroko Yakushimaru and acclaimed director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who was an assistant on the film

Press Quotes

Manages to pull of something of a content hat trick by offering a coming of age story focusing on a girl proving to herself she has the "right stuff" that just happens to involve a hapless yakuza clan. Technical merits are generally solid, and as usual with Arrow releases, the supplements are engaging. Recommended.

     —Blu-ray.com

Manages to pull of something of a content hat trick by offering a coming of age story focusing on a girl proving to herself she has the "right stuff" that just happens to involve a hapless yakuza clan. Technical merits are generally solid, and as usual with Arrow releases, the supplements are engaging. Recommended.

     —Blu-ray.com

A mixture of gangster, teenage and coming-of-age tropes all mixed in a dazzling cinematic stew that is a refreshing change of pace from your average cinematic experience.

     —Reel Bob

Obviously intentionally provocative, but what's so winning about this film is how it manages to pull of something of a content hat trick by offering a coming of age story focusing on a girl proving to herself she has the "right stuff" that just happens to involve a hapless yakuza clan. Technical merits are solid, supplements are engaging. Recommended.

     —Blu-ray.com

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray presentation gets high marks all around, including the 50-minute documentary on the making of the film and its legacy, plus trailers, TV spots and newly commissioned artwork.

     —Movie Line Online

Solid genre entertainment that's suitably violent, but also finds the ironic side of things, and by adding a fish-out-of-water aspect to the formula it brings some much-needed freshness to the genre that by the 1980s has more or less run its course. But above everything, it's just a fun watch that has set out and succeeded to entertain its audience throughout.

     —Search My Trash

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is excellent at playing on tropes while doing its own thing and being a genuinely good movie. I really enjoyed it.

     —Screaming Toilet

This is a masterpiece of gangster cinema.

     —Inside Pulse

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun gets a strong release from Arrow Video that gives Sailor Suit and Machine Gun its best audio/video presentation to date and comes with an excellent making of documentary, recommended.

     —10K Bullets

director Shinji Sōmai delivers an enjoyable Yakuza flick with a great heroine in the one-of-a-kind Yakushimaru, and that makes Sailor Suit & Machine Gun well worth a watch!

     —Horror Fuel

A one-of-a-kind genre-bender that riffs on the yakuza film, coming-of-age drama and idol movie, responsible for launching teen talent Hiroko Yakushimaru as the iconic face of a generation

     —Film Crave

Much more than your run-of-the-mill Yakuza film, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun gets a strong release from Arrow Video that gives its best audio/video presentation to date and comes with an excellent making of documentary, recommended.

     —10K Bullets

Arrow Video does its best to make the purchase worth the investment of both time and money. In this case, it’s a double restoration of a film not officially available outside of Japan (its original and extended versions) and includes a good amount of written and visual bonus materials. If you’re already a fan of the film, this is likely an insta-purchase.

     —Elements Of Madness

(Director) Somai was a massively influential figure in Japanese cinema

     —Village Soup

The premise here is undeniable

     —Film School Rejects

A wild and crazy cartoony yakuza movie. It's very culty… quite cute - Lots of extras!

     —Wade Major, DigiGods

a pretty serious film with some seriously underrated, at least in the western hemisphere, crime moments. Like always, Arrow Video handled this release perfectly and I highly recommend snagging it for your collection.

     —Blacktooth, Horror Society

The transfer is solid and the movie is good

     —Zombies Don't Run

Arrow Video has proven since the label began to be one of the best distributors of niche Japanese cinema.

     —Jake Keet, Art House Cult

Sailor Suit & Machine Gun is a wonderfully odd entry into the Yakuza film pantheon thanks to its unique protagonist and the way it also functions as a coming-of-age tale. Whether you are already an established fan or a newcomer looking for something unique, this release is worth checking out.

     —Dillon Gonzales, Geek Vibes Nation