Adapting a work properly requires a confluence of events. It’s more than just translating one media into another as you need someone who understands the context of the source, who gets what it means to be moved to a new one, and the vision to bring it to life without reducing one or the other. Making the transition from photographer to filmmaker, Mika Ninagawa would prove to understand all of this with her feature-film directorial debut, Sakuran (さくらん), an adaptation of Moyoco Anno’s seinen manga that ran from 2001-2003, which brings together several important aspects to craft a film that’s an equal match to its source while standing on its own. Twenty years after its original release, Sakuran is getting a brand-new HD edition complete with new soundtrack, audio commentary, an in-depth featurette, and more in a limited-edition package as part of 88 Films’s 88 Asia Collection.
In the entertainment district of Yoshiwara, Japan, during the Edo Period, Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya) deals with petty jealousies and lustful clients as she works her way up to the rank of oiran within the brothel with which she is consigned to work. Trained since she was young in the art of entertainment and consummated at 17, Kiyoha has virtually all she wants except the freedom she’s craved since the day she was brought to the doorstep of the brothel; however, freedom either comes at the cost of her life or being sold to someone who can afford it — neither of which are options the fiercely independent Kiyoha abides.
The following home release review is based on a retail copy of Sakuran provided by 88 Films via MVD Entertainment Group.
Before diving into the usual home release breakdown, let’s address a few things that may be less well-known. During the period of time in Japan in which sex work was legal, specifically when the story of Sakuran is set, going to a brothel wasn’t just to pick up a partner for sex, it was something that functioned a little differently in that customers could select someone, but the sex worker needed to also approve (even if pressured to by the house operators). Additionally, there was a three-day period before a customer could see the same sex worker. Within the brothel, like most businesses in which there is a hierarchy of amateur to professional levels (inexperienced to most-experienced), these houses had sex workers of various levels but only one would sit at the top with the title of oiran. That individual had greater value, greater access to things, more training, and more education. It was a position that afforded them more opportunities, as well. First presented through Anno’s manga and then adapted by Ninagawa (Helter Skelter; Diner), Sakuran follows Kiyoha in a somewhat non-chronological timeline as she ascends to the position of oiran in her house. Though this genre of manga, seinen, is aimed at young men, Ninagawa’s film serves the female gaze and the female perspective. This break from the source material centers Kiyoha and uplifts her far more than a tale aimed at men ever would, strengthening the adaptation as a whole.
Adapted by Yuki Tanada (One Million Yen Girl), the plot of Sakuran is fairly straight-forward in that the drama comes through observing how Kiyoha adapts to the thousand cuts of working in the brothel. First, it’s having her name changed to Kiyoha once under the employ of the house (and again once she reaches oiran status), then told how to dress and behave, who to seek out as a partner, and the like. Though those in Kiyoha’s orbit see her as either competition or as someone to look up to, partly due to her general approach of speaking her mind and doing as she pleases (even going so far as to initially turn down oiran status so that she could, as she says, ”continue to bitch” as she likes), the truth is that, despite the gilded nature of her lifestyle, she is little more than a caged creature given the illusion of control in a system that does nothing but commodify her. Her resistance to that system is what makes her an outsider as a young girl and even as an oiran. It’s not just the script that explores this perpetual defiance; it’s the performance from singer/actor Tsuchiya (Blazing Fists; Kamikaze Girls; Diner), who can send a shiver up your spine with a single look, whether it’s one of pleasure or concern depends entirely on context. Tsuchiya infuses Kiyoha with a modern energy supported by the occasional anachronistic score composition that makes the character someone who would fit within the modern 2006 (when it was originally released) mode of punk (or 1990s American bands Hole, Veruca Salt, L7) which espouse sexual equality and a woman’s right to punch you in the damn face. Despite the repeated attacks by society at large or individuals specifically, Kiyoha is almost always presented — either by Tsuchiya or through Takuro Ishizaka’s (Rental Family; Rurouni Kenshin series) pop art cinematography or Daisuke Iga (The Boy and the Beast; Exit 8) and Yuko Sugiyama (Kill Bill: Vol. 1)’s costume design — as someone apart from this world. Not necessarily above it or beneath it, but as someone who is biding their time until the proper opportunity arises. These calculations are a significant psychological factor that further support the character’s desire to remain as autonomous as possible despite being a literal cog in a cultural machine. Again, she knows that her entire existence hinges on whether or not someone finds her attractive, but she never gives up what little power she has, instead choosing to build herself up as much as possible and maintain it. It makes for a powerful watch.
Like with 88 Films’s titles past, Sakuran includes several supplemental materials to add in the exploration of the watch. They are minimal, but highly informative, and are a recommended place to begin if familiar with the film or as something to immediately explore after your first viewing. On-disc, this edition offers the ability to view the film with audio commentary by Josh Slater-Williams, in 5.1 surround with new English subtitles, or the original stereo audio with the new English subtitles. This being a new edition, I screened the 5.1 surround version and found it lovely, though not necessarily enveloping. The audio is clean and dialogue clear, the subtitles only slightly contradictory (provided different spellings of “oiran” initially); however, there’s never really a sense of needing the surround audio for this film. It’s not specifically an auditory experience, more of a visual one, so one is just as likely to enjoy this edition on either the 2.0 or 5.1 setting. There are trailers to be viewed (six in total) which provide a sense of the original visual look of the film versus the HD edition on the Blu-ray, as well as a two-minute autoplay image gallery that includes the end credits song playing over stills that grow larger in size before hard-cutting to a different one. What remains of the on-disc features is a fantastically in-depth 23-minute interview with Amber T titled “Beyond the Cherry Blossoms: Amber T on Sakuran.” Not only does Amber T provide a historical and cultural context for sex work in the Edo period, she examines the metaphors within the film (goldfish), the sexual politics, character engagements, the work of Tanaka, Anno as creator, Ninagawa’s career as a photographer before shifting to film direction, and a great deal more. Though 23 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time, what Amber T covers is incredibly in-depth and greatly shifts how one perceives the film — the desired outcome of any good piece of criticism. One interesting note is the time spent exploring the difference between the geisha and oiran within historical context and cinema, specifically citing Rob Marshall’s 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha, a film that had released only one year prior to Sakuran. Considering the awareness within American audiences for a geisha, spending the time to extrapolate the differences in professions, status, and representation in all the ways that audiences may perceive them incorrectly is exactly why features like this matter.
The only remaining piece of supplemental material is included in the booklet, offered only with the limited-edition (only 4,000 copies) version of Sakuran. This essay, written by Jasper Sharp (who also produced and interviewed Amber T), explores Sakuran through the lens of the historical significance and the cultural impact of the sex work within Yoshiwara from the timeline of legal sex work within Japan (1617 – 1958) to the ways in which artists and historians have depicted this era of Japan to the regimented control of who could come in, who could stay, and for how long, the illusion of sexual proclivity and salaciousness often traveling farther than the truth. Though the focus of the essay is on Yoshiwara as a whole with its larger published context, Sharp does do a bit of digging into Sakuran and the ways in which Ninagawa utilizes the expression of Neo-Japan to craft a tale set within the Edo period and what viewers can gain from this. Around the essay are the usual film stills, credit listings for cast and crew, but this may be the most beautiful booklet yet released by 88 Films given the visual flair of the film and the selected stills. Additionally, unlike other recent booklets, the last few pages are split with images of significant characters and the actors’ names printed upon them. In tone with the film, Tsuchiya’s Kiyoha is not only staring straight at us, she is also sticking her tongue out — the epitome of refinement and class (i.e., Totally punk rock.)
The visual style of the booklet extends to that of the packaging, as well. The cover is supersaturated with color in a brand-new design by graphic artist Luke Insect that features Kiyoha on the front and a collage of images on the back. The reverse of the liner features past-released art for the film with Kiyoha on the cover and four stills from the film on the back alongside the release information. As with other limited editions, this one includes a removeable and numbered OBI strip so that you can enjoy either version (front or reverse) of the cover art with or without the release information printed on both sides of the OBI. The case being clear plastic, one has the freedom to decide which version to view most while getting to enjoy both.
Sex work is work. It’s an old profession and typically operates via the subjugation of women and almost entirely for the pleasure of men. A film like Sakuran feels rebellious because of the way the script and direction center its protagonist and her needs over those of the voyeuristic audience (even when the film gets cheeky and challenges the audience directly through fourth wall-breaking eye contact). For a first-time directorial feature, it impresses all the more for the confidence on display in terms of intention and cohesive production that at once feels heightened and on a stage like a classic Japanese tale (The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost) while also entirely realized and modern in capturing the era of on-location productions (The Betrayal). This one is entirely an easy recommendation to make for viewer’s looking to expand what they know of both Japanese filmmaking and female filmmakers, especially because of its timeliness but also because the features truly enhance the experience.
Sakuran Special Features:
Limited edition features:
- Numbered Obi Strip [4000]
- *NEW* Original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Insect
- *NEW* Booklet with notes by Jasper Sharp
Special Features:
- High-Definition Blu-ray presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
- *NEW* Original 5.1 & Stereo audio with new English subtitles
- *NEW* Audio commentary by Josh Slater-Williams
- *NEW* Beyond the Cherry Blossoms: Amber T on Sakuran – Brand new filmed introduction by Amber T. (22:58)
- Stills Gallery (2:02)
- Six (6) Trailers and Teasers
Available on Blu-ray March 24th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official 88 Films Sakuran webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Sakuran webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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