Overview: Following a painful breakup, macho biker Koh (Riki Takeuchi) skips town and hits the road on his beloved Kawasaki W3 650. On his countryside excursion, he encounters the free-spirited Miyo (Kiwako Harada, older sister of Obayashi favorite Tomoyo Harada) who quickly takes interest in both the leather-clad Koh and his motorbike.

Koh and Miyo fall in love even as Miyo’s prodigious biking talent and thrill-seeking tendencies heighten Koh’s fear that she may push it all too far.

A nostalgia-filled reminiscence, Obayashi’s monochromatic dream playfully worships the biker culture of yesteryear, delivering a sentimental and liberating take on young love.

Blu-ray Verdict: From the moment you set eyes on this movie you know it is going to be something special. If I had to explain this movie I would say it is a biker romance, but if I had to explain the feeling this movie gives I could not do it in a million years.

It is such a nice love story between two regular people that completely keeps your eyes and your heart glued to the screen. The characters are relatable and have their own rules in life and that makes them have to constantly fight between the person who they are and the person they truly want to be.

There is a defining Rebel Without A Cause backdrop to the film, which is no bad thing, and the highly melodramatic romance, complete with lots of little offbeat moments that the director is well known for, just makes the whole thing really entertaining.

The actors do their best with the little material they are given and thus kind of fill in the blanks are they go in an organic manner. Their scenes do feel true to form of people in their situation though, but for me personally it was the directorial touches that make this the visual gem that it most assuredly is.

You can instantly fall in love with the vibe of this movie and the whole biker feel. The feeling it gives you is overwhelming. A masterpiece, in my humble opinion. [B.C.]

Bonus Features:
High-definition Transfer
Audio Commentary by Samm Deighan
Becoming the Wind: His Motorbike, Her Island and the Biker Movie - Visual essay by Esther Rosenfield
Her Island: Onomichi Pt. 1 - Visual essay by Alex Pratt
Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview
Theatrical Trailers
New improved English subtitles
New Slipcase design by Sam Smith
Reversible sleeve with Japanese original poster art
First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet (pamphlet)

Official Purchase Link

www.cultepics.com