{"id":1845623,"date":"2026-03-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1845623"},"modified":"2026-03-25T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T05:00:00","slug":"who-is-takashi-miike-an-intro-to-japanese-cinemas-cult-provocateur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1845623","title":{"rendered":"Who is Takashi Miike? An intro to Japanese cinema\u2019s cult provocateur"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/212-0-1465-976\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442330.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/film-tv\/article\/69957\/1\/introduction-takashi-miike-japan-cinema-cult-provocateur\" data-article-id=\"69957\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img no-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fudoh_30\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442330.jpg\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-25T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"25 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"25\">25,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - film-tv\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\">Film &amp; TV<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/feature\">Feature<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Who is Takashi Miike? An intro to Japanese cinema\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">cult provocateur<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The filmmaker speaks to Dazed about the wild west of 90s video-making, the \u2018irreplaceable freedom\u2019 of low budgets, and his upcoming film with <span class=\"nowrap\">Charli xcx<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-25T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"25 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"25\">25,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-25T08:00:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"25 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"25\">25,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/jamesbalmont\">James Balmont<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Few names in contemporary Japanese cinema carry as loaded a reputation as<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/47956\/1\/the-relentless-cinema-of-takashi-miike-10-films-to-watch-after-first-love\"><span>Takashi Miike<\/span><\/a><span>. A rare cinema centurion with over 100 productions to his name, Miike has polarised global audiences with everything from brutal psychological horror classics (<\/span><em><span>Audition<\/span><\/em><span>) and Lynchian gangster parables (<\/span><em><span>Gozu<\/span><\/em><span>) to big-budget samurai epics (<\/span><em><span>13 Assassins<\/span><\/em><span>).<\/span><span>But in the mid-90s and early 00s, amidst the first murmurings of his international notoriety, Miike was still churning out violent and neurotic crime thrillers in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/59967\/1\/an-introduction-to-japanese-v-cinema-lady-battle-cop-direct-to-video\"><span>Japan\u2019s legendary straight-to-video market<\/span><\/a><span>, o<\/span><span>ften at a rate of six or seven features a year. So dominant was his presence in the gaudy field of this \u2018V-Cinema\u2019 that a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/letterboxd.com\/film\/takashi-miike-the-v-emperor\/\"><span>Belgian documentary<\/span><\/a><span>crowned him the \u2018V-Emperor\u2019 in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now, Radiance Films has packaged a lesser-seen trio of highlights from Miike\u2019s gruesome, video-focused early career for their first-ever HD editions in the West. <\/span><span>This includes his unhinged 1996 high school gangster drama <\/span><em><span>Fudoh: The New Generation, <\/span><\/em><span>a film that transformed Miike\u2019s career trajectory after it was unexpectedly screened in cinemas and at film festivals, as well as two video-rooted works from one of the director\u2019s most celebrated years: 2002\u2019s gangster epic <\/span><em><span>Agitator <\/span><\/em><span>and <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m delighted that the spotlight is being shone on these works,\u201d Miike tells Dazed during downtime on an unnamed new production. \u201cThey are like treasures to me.\u201d<\/span><span>With the director fresh from completing work on a thriller that nods back to those heady, low-budget days \u2013 <\/span><em><span>Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, <\/span><\/em><span>a loose sequel to Abel Ferrara\u2019s 1992 gritty neo-noir, hits <\/span><span>cinemas later this year<\/span><span>\u00a0\u2013 it feels a fitting moment to revisit his heyday in the trenches. Miike looks back on it all with tantalising enthusiasm.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Ar24hx9v5n8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ar24hx9v5n8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cThe freedom gained in exchange for working with a low budget is something irreplaceable to me,\u201d says Miike, pointing to the halcyon days of V-Cinema when he was churning out full features in two or three weeks for the same cost as a TV drama. \u201cEven if the films didn\u2019t reach wide audiences, being able to feel first-hand how I was able to bring shock and joy to the hearts of unconventional film fans has been a great asset.\u201d<\/span><span>Few films embody that sentiment as much as <\/span><em><span>Fudoh: The New Generation,<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0a wildly entertaining, violent 1996 manga adaptation that remains one of the director\u2019s personal favourite works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>follows a motley crew of school-aged delinquents who juggle homework with the management of a major <\/span><em><span>yakuza<\/span><\/em><span> operation, and it opens with one of the most OTT gangland killing montages ever put to film. Shotgun pellets plough through toilet cubicle doors. Pre-pubescent kids commit parking lot whackings. A severed head turns up in a box of dry ice. And a mob lord is reduced to a geyser of blood after being poisoned with a chalice of instant coffee. The protagonists include a giant, musclebound exchange student with a \u201chuge eggplant dick\u201d, and a hermaphrodite stripper who conceals a dartgun between her legs. And the cast features an ex-rock star and two champion kickboxers, among others.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cIt was anything goes,\u201d the director told Radiance Films in a new interview for the release. \u201cThere were no limits. And no sense of wondering if something was OK or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You might question the sanity of a filmmaker who shoots scenes of literal children playing football with a decapitated head, but if it hadn\u2019t been for such balls-to-the-wall absurdity, <\/span><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>might have never escaped the video market it was originally destined for. \u201cThese films were made for men living outside Tokyo who would pick something from a video store rental shelf,\u201d Miike told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newwavevideo.myshopify.com\/\"><span>New Wave Video<\/span><\/a><span> in 2026. (The Australian label release 2001 chamber drama <\/span><em><span>Visitor Q <\/span><\/em><span>in 2026; further Miike titles are expected to follow.) \u201cBut when we assembled the first cut, the producer said \u2018this should be in theatres\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cThe freedom gained in exchange for working with a low budget is something irreplaceable to me\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Toronto [Film Festival\u2019s] programmers discovered the film thereafter and invited the director over for what was one of his first-ever international festival appearances. \u201cI had almost no promotional materials. I had to go alone. And I couldn\u2019t speak the language,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut when the film played in a huge theatre with the volume blasted, the audience erupted. And that experience meant a lot to me.\u201d In subsequent years, Miike productions of a similar ilk would reach the big screen with increasing frequency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Like <em>Fudoh,<\/em> 2002\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka <\/span><\/em><span>also received a small cinema release in Japan, and screened at Rotterdam International Film Festival in Europe. <\/span><span>The movie announces itself with the image of a man struggling to remove a pair of severed hands from his neck, and builds towards a finale involving a giant rocket launcher, with almost the entire journey set to the <\/span><em><span>Black Sabbath<\/span><\/em><span>-esque guitar riffs of legendary Japanese heavy rock group <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anothermag.com\/design-living\/14448\/b-s-zoku-the-rebellious-film-legacy-of-japan-s-unruly-biker-gangs\"><em><span>Flower Travellin\u2019 Band<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>. At its centre is an excess of heavy sneering and grimacing from the cartoonishly enjoyable Riki Takeuchi, a man widely considered \u201cthe king of V-Cinema\u201d at the time, returning after his mullet-haired appearance in <\/span><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>and in Miike\u2019s extroverted <\/span><em><span>Dead or Alive <\/span><\/em><span>trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWhen the young Riki Takeuchi first aspired to become an actor, he was discovered by a major talent agency [and given] his debut in a romantic television drama,\u201d Miike recalls of the maverick performer. \u201cHis role was that of a handsome and wealthy young man who played the violin. But as soon as the drama ended, he left the agency, declaring, \u2018I didn\u2019t come all the way to Tokyo to play some flashy guy messing with a fiddle!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He set up his own agency and produced straight-to-video <\/span><em><span>yakuza<\/span><\/em><span> films thereafter, declaring, \u2018I want to be a real man\u2019s man!\u2019, says Miike. Since then, Takeuchi has almost exclusively taken roles portraying violent outlaws of \u201cindomitable spirit\u201d. He isn\u2019t merely acting, the director concludes. \u201cThis is a way of life for Riki Takeuchi.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"a9e6c59b-31d2-47a6-af9c-b41700bc6f83\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1920\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442331.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Agitator 16\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442331.jpg\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Agitator<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Film Still) <span class=\"nowrap\">Radiance Films<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The writer of <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka <\/span><\/em><span>is similarly fascinating. According to a new Miike interview on the Radiance Films disc, Shigenori Takechi was a real-life former yakuza boss who wrote the script while jailed and in solitary confinement.<\/span><span>\u201cHe was a scary guy,\u201d Miike says. \u201c[But] he was full of energy and passion.\u201d The director worked with him on films like the time-travelling vampire samurai movie <\/span><em><span>Izo <\/span><\/em><span>in 2004, as well as <\/span><em><span>Agitator,<\/span><\/em><span> Miike\u2019s answer to Kinji Fukasaku\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Battles Without Honour and Humanity <\/span><\/em><span>series.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Agitator <\/span><\/em><span>depicts a turbulent world of cigars, double-breasted suits and stretch limos, where gang leaders sip wine and smoke cigars in fancy cars before a peroxide-haired loose cannon (played by Miike himself) kicks off a chain of events that leads to all-out war. \u201cIt was basically all shot guerrilla style. The police didn\u2019t give [us] permission for any of it,\u201d he tells Radiance Films. \u201cIf we wrecked a car, we\u2019d just rent another one. But if the actor got arrested, we couldn\u2019t shoot the next day.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI knew I was pushing my luck,\u201d Miike concludes. \u201cBut it was fun filming while looking over my shoulder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As sure as VHS has given way to DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming apps, times have changed in Japanese filmmaking, too. Today, the industry cares more about compliance and working conditions than it did during the wild west of 90s video-making. But when Miike steps onto a new set, he still channels the same essence:<\/span><span>\u201cWhether I\u2019m making a low-budget film or an international production,\u201d he tells Dazed, \u201cmy attitude and approach remain the same. And [because of that,] I can enjoy making film in my own way without fear of failure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>V-Cinema\u2019s influence is put to good use in <\/span><em><span>Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, <\/span><\/em><span>Miike confirms, remaining tight-lipped about both this latest thriller and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/02\/charli-xcx-horror-milly-alcock-norman-reedus-kiko-mizuhara-1236711521\/\"><span>an upcoming Charli xcx-produced slasher<\/span><\/a><span>starring Charli, Milly Alcock and Norman Reedus.<\/span><span>\u201cBut if I do fail, I can return to the world of low-budget filmmaking and gain even greater freedom,\u201d he concludes. \u201cIt might make me seem like a risky director, but don\u2019t worry \u2013 I\u2019m surprisingly flexible and understanding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiancefilms.co.uk\/products\/underworld-chronicles-le?srsltid=AfmBOoq33z0UO7iHb2fpjcoy8TSXUFeDjwfRFzWxOiX5dsU7zI3rHfjx\">Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike<\/a><em>\u00a0is released via Radiance Films on March 23<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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class=\"card-latest__title\">Casting is finally getting its flowers at the 2026 Oscars<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69895\/1\/resurrection-bi-gan-interview-epic-cannes-y2k-romance-gangsters-vampires\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"LI Gengxi 2#\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441389.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The story behind Resurrection, Bi Gan\u2019s dreamy cinematic epic<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69889\/1\/the-sound-of-falling-mascha-schilinksi-director-interview-film-2026\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Sound of Falling\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441345.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\"> Sound of Falling is the most experimental teen drama of all time<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69864\/1\/everyone-needs-to-leave-timothee-chalamet-alone-opera-ballet-cinema\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Timoth&#233;e Chalamet\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/371-58-2584-1719\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441141.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Everyone needs to calm down about Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69817\/1\/should-northern-roles-go-to-northern-actors-beatles-biopic-wuthering-heights\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Beatles\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/123-0-1342-893\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440240.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Northern roles should go to northern actors<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Few names in contemporary Japanese cinema carry as loaded a reputation as<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/47956\/1\/the-relentless-cinema-of-takashi-miike-10-films-to-watch-after-first-love\"><span>Takashi Miike<\/span><\/a><span>. A rare cinema centurion with over 100 productions to his name, Miike has polarised global audiences with everything from brutal psychological horror classics (<\/span><em><span>Audition<\/span><\/em><span>) and Lynchian gangster parables (<\/span><em><span>Gozu<\/span><\/em><span>) to big-budget samurai epics (<\/span><em><span>13 Assassins<\/span><\/em><span>).<\/span><span>But in the mid-90s and early 00s, amidst the first murmurings of his international notoriety, Miike was still churning out violent and neurotic crime thrillers in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/59967\/1\/an-introduction-to-japanese-v-cinema-lady-battle-cop-direct-to-video\"><span>Japan\u2019s legendary straight-to-video market<\/span><\/a><span>, o<\/span><span>ften at a rate of six or seven features a year. So dominant was his presence in the gaudy field of this \u2018V-Cinema\u2019 that a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/letterboxd.com\/film\/takashi-miike-the-v-emperor\/\"><span>Belgian documentary<\/span><\/a><span>crowned him the \u2018V-Emperor\u2019 in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Now, Radiance Films has packaged a lesser-seen trio of highlights from Miike\u2019s gruesome, video-focused early career for their first-ever HD editions in the West. <\/span><span>This includes his unhinged 1996 high school gangster drama <\/span><em><span>Fudoh: The New Generation, <\/span><\/em><span>a film that transformed Miike\u2019s career trajectory after it was unexpectedly screened in cinemas and at film festivals, as well as two video-rooted works from one of the director\u2019s most celebrated years: 2002\u2019s gangster epic <\/span><em><span>Agitator <\/span><\/em><span>and <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m delighted that the spotlight is being shone on these works,\u201d Miike tells Dazed during downtime on an unnamed new production. \u201cThey are like treasures to me.\u201d<\/span><span>With the director fresh from completing work on a thriller that nods back to those heady, low-budget days \u2013 <\/span><em><span>Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, <\/span><\/em><span>a loose sequel to Abel Ferrara\u2019s 1992 gritty neo-noir, hits <\/span><span>cinemas later this year<\/span><span>\u00a0\u2013 it feels a fitting moment to revisit his heyday in the trenches. Miike looks back on it all with tantalising enthusiasm.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Ar24hx9v5n8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ar24hx9v5n8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cThe freedom gained in exchange for working with a low budget is something irreplaceable to me,\u201d says Miike, pointing to the halcyon days of V-Cinema when he was churning out full features in two or three weeks for the same cost as a TV drama. \u201cEven if the films didn\u2019t reach wide audiences, being able to feel first-hand how I was able to bring shock and joy to the hearts of unconventional film fans has been a great asset.\u201d<\/span><span>Few films embody that sentiment as much as <\/span><em><span>Fudoh: The New Generation,<\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0a wildly entertaining, violent 1996 manga adaptation that remains one of the director\u2019s personal favourite works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>follows a motley crew of school-aged delinquents who juggle homework with the management of a major <\/span><em><span>yakuza<\/span><\/em><span> operation, and it opens with one of the most OTT gangland killing montages ever put to film. Shotgun pellets plough through toilet cubicle doors. Pre-pubescent kids commit parking lot whackings. A severed head turns up in a box of dry ice. And a mob lord is reduced to a geyser of blood after being poisoned with a chalice of instant coffee. The protagonists include a giant, musclebound exchange student with a \u201chuge eggplant dick\u201d, and a hermaphrodite stripper who conceals a dartgun between her legs. And the cast features an ex-rock star and two champion kickboxers, among others.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cIt was anything goes,\u201d the director told Radiance Films in a new interview for the release. \u201cThere were no limits. And no sense of wondering if something was OK or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You might question the sanity of a filmmaker who shoots scenes of literal children playing football with a decapitated head, but if it hadn\u2019t been for such balls-to-the-wall absurdity, <\/span><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>might have never escaped the video market it was originally destined for. \u201cThese films were made for men living outside Tokyo who would pick something from a video store rental shelf,\u201d Miike told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newwavevideo.myshopify.com\/\"><span>New Wave Video<\/span><\/a><span> in 2026. (The Australian label release 2001 chamber drama <\/span><em><span>Visitor Q <\/span><\/em><span>in 2026; further Miike titles are expected to follow.) \u201cBut when we assembled the first cut, the producer said \u2018this should be in theatres\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>\u201cThe freedom gained in exchange for working with a low budget is something irreplaceable to me\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Toronto [Film Festival\u2019s] programmers discovered the film thereafter and invited the director over for what was one of his first-ever international festival appearances. \u201cI had almost no promotional materials. I had to go alone. And I couldn\u2019t speak the language,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut when the film played in a huge theatre with the volume blasted, the audience erupted. And that experience meant a lot to me.\u201d In subsequent years, Miike productions of a similar ilk would reach the big screen with increasing frequency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Like <em>Fudoh,<\/em> 2002\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka <\/span><\/em><span>also received a small cinema release in Japan, and screened at Rotterdam International Film Festival in Europe. <\/span><span>The movie announces itself with the image of a man struggling to remove a pair of severed hands from his neck, and builds towards a finale involving a giant rocket launcher, with almost the entire journey set to the <\/span><em><span>Black Sabbath<\/span><\/em><span>-esque guitar riffs of legendary Japanese heavy rock group <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.anothermag.com\/design-living\/14448\/b-s-zoku-the-rebellious-film-legacy-of-japan-s-unruly-biker-gangs\"><em><span>Flower Travellin\u2019 Band<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>. At its centre is an excess of heavy sneering and grimacing from the cartoonishly enjoyable Riki Takeuchi, a man widely considered \u201cthe king of V-Cinema\u201d at the time, returning after his mullet-haired appearance in <\/span><em><span>Fudoh <\/span><\/em><span>and in Miike\u2019s extroverted <\/span><em><span>Dead or Alive <\/span><\/em><span>trilogy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWhen the young Riki Takeuchi first aspired to become an actor, he was discovered by a major talent agency [and given] his debut in a romantic television drama,\u201d Miike recalls of the maverick performer. \u201cHis role was that of a handsome and wealthy young man who played the violin. But as soon as the drama ended, he left the agency, declaring, \u2018I didn\u2019t come all the way to Tokyo to play some flashy guy messing with a fiddle!\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>He set up his own agency and produced straight-to-video <\/span><em><span>yakuza<\/span><\/em><span> films thereafter, declaring, \u2018I want to be a real man\u2019s man!\u2019, says Miike. Since then, Takeuchi has almost exclusively taken roles portraying violent outlaws of \u201cindomitable spirit\u201d. He isn\u2019t merely acting, the director concludes. \u201cThis is a way of life for Riki Takeuchi.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"a9e6c59b-31d2-47a6-af9c-b41700bc6f83\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1920\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442331.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.78\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Agitator 16\" class=\"img\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442331.jpg\" width=\"1920\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Agitator<\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Film Still) <span class=\"nowrap\">Radiance Films<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The writer of <\/span><em><span>Deadly Outlaw: Rekka <\/span><\/em><span>is similarly fascinating. According to a new Miike interview on the Radiance Films disc, Shigenori Takechi was a real-life former yakuza boss who wrote the script while jailed and in solitary confinement.<\/span><span>\u201cHe was a scary guy,\u201d Miike says. \u201c[But] he was full of energy and passion.\u201d The director worked with him on films like the time-travelling vampire samurai movie <\/span><em><span>Izo <\/span><\/em><span>in 2004, as well as <\/span><em><span>Agitator,<\/span><\/em><span> Miike\u2019s answer to Kinji Fukasaku\u2019s <\/span><em><span>Battles Without Honour and Humanity <\/span><\/em><span>series.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Agitator <\/span><\/em><span>depicts a turbulent world of cigars, double-breasted suits and stretch limos, where gang leaders sip wine and smoke cigars in fancy cars before a peroxide-haired loose cannon (played by Miike himself) kicks off a chain of events that leads to all-out war. \u201cIt was basically all shot guerrilla style. The police didn\u2019t give [us] permission for any of it,\u201d he tells Radiance Films. \u201cIf we wrecked a car, we\u2019d just rent another one. But if the actor got arrested, we couldn\u2019t shoot the next day.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI knew I was pushing my luck,\u201d Miike concludes. \u201cBut it was fun filming while looking over my shoulder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As sure as VHS has given way to DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming apps, times have changed in Japanese filmmaking, too. Today, the industry cares more about compliance and working conditions than it did during the wild west of 90s video-making. But when Miike steps onto a new set, he still channels the same essence:<\/span><span>\u201cWhether I\u2019m making a low-budget film or an international production,\u201d he tells Dazed, \u201cmy attitude and approach remain the same. And [because of that,] I can enjoy making film in my own way without fear of failure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>V-Cinema\u2019s influence is put to good use in <\/span><em><span>Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo, <\/span><\/em><span>Miike confirms, remaining tight-lipped about both this latest thriller and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/02\/charli-xcx-horror-milly-alcock-norman-reedus-kiko-mizuhara-1236711521\/\"><span>an upcoming Charli xcx-produced slasher<\/span><\/a><span>starring Charli, Milly Alcock and Norman Reedus.<\/span><span>\u201cBut if I do fail, I can return to the world of low-budget filmmaking and gain even greater freedom,\u201d he concludes. \u201cIt might make me seem like a risky director, but don\u2019t worry \u2013 I\u2019m surprisingly flexible and understanding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.radiancefilms.co.uk\/products\/underworld-chronicles-le?srsltid=AfmBOoq33z0UO7iHb2fpjcoy8TSXUFeDjwfRFzWxOiX5dsU7zI3rHfjx\">Underworld Chronicles: Three Yakuza Fables by Takashi Miike<\/a><em>\u00a0is released via Radiance Films on March 23<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/film-tv\/article\/69957\/1\/introduction-takashi-miike-japan-cinema-cult-provocateur&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/212-0-1465-976\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/2\/1442330.jpg&#8221;] March\u00a0 25,\u00a0 2026 Film &amp; TV \/ Feature Film &amp; TV \/ Feature Who is Takashi Miike? An intro to Japanese cinema\u2019s cult provocateur The filmmaker speaks to Dazed about the wild west of 90s video-making, the \u2018irreplaceable freedom\u2019 of low budgets, and his upcoming film with Charli xcx March\u00a0 25,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1845623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1845623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845623\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1845623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1845623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1845623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}