A Yakuza epic that puts similar efforts by John Woo and Takeshi Kitano to shame... enough bullets, mafia machismo, and emotional instability to give Martin Scorsese a lifetime of wet dreams.

A cross-cultural mismatch of film genres and colorful characters make this not only one of Miike's most compelling works, but also one of his most confusing. Random and extreme violence intermingled with Yakuza subplots, ping-pong, and Matrix-inspired Cock-fighting.

Arterial spray is just one of the many signature Miike aspects of the film, it's also a lot deeper than most of his films. Hard to interpret, but worthwhile once you do. This movie is, quite simply put, amazing.

Is it a romantic comedy? A compelling drama about cultural identities and gender roles in a traditional society? Or is it unadulterated torture-porn? Or is it all three combined into one of the most unsettling films of the new millenium?

This horror, musical, comedy epic is one for the record books. Casual viewers steer clear. This film is exceptionally subversive, and comedically misanthropic. To quote another reviewer, "The Sound of Music meets Dawn of the Dead"... excellent.