ACF 1502: SULTRY ASSASSIN – THE APHRODISIAC KILL streets today

Sultry Assassin - the Aphrodisiac Kill

Written and directed by Kunichi Fujiwara

Japan, 2010, 68 minutes

Rin Saejima, played by Akiho Yoshizawa (Maidroid 1 & 2 and The 33D Invader), is master of the Shin Kage Itto-ryo dojo. She's also a secret guard of The Inner Garden, which means she's one of those who must handle matters that can't be allowed to become public knowledge. When a powerful forbidden aphrodisiac is passed around the Inner Palace, resulting in the deaths of three ladies so far, Rin goes undercover as a courtesan, but she's recognized and her infiltration fails.

Yasaburo, left, and Rin

She then enlists the aide of Yasaburo (Yohoshihiro Sato), a young man who has come to Edo from his remote village to study the sword arts. His investigation leads him first to Onami (Rin Kawai, in her first film role), who left the inner palace, and then to Miyuki (former U.S. adult film star Asami), an "intimate" friend of Onami's.

Onami and Yasaburo

Make no bones about it, this is a soft-core, sexploitation V-Cinema. As such, it works nicely. There are a sufficient number of sex scenes featuring bare breasts and simulated intercourse (no penetration here; remember, it's soft, not hard, core). These scenes are grafted on to a better-than-one-would-expect story line. And the action scenes, though a bit clumsy, are not bad considering this is sexploitation, not action.

Miyuki and Yasaburo

The one thing that is bothersome -- or humorous, depending on your opinion -- is the film's obviously bare-bones budget. For example, consider the fake top-knot headpiece worn by Kageyama (Ryoichi Inaba), a family friend of Rin's. You can see the line of it across the forehead of actor Ryoichi Inaba's forehead. (See image below.)

Actor Ryoichi Inaba could use some blending makeup on his forehead.

 
Directed by Kenichi Fujiwara (Zombie Hunter Rika, Zeroman R and Grafreeter Toki), Sultry Assassin - the Aphrodisiac Kill is based a line of “eroninja” novels by Junichi Yagami. It's release is part of Switchblade Pictures expansion of its line of live action features. The next film in the series will be Sultry Assassin 2 – Ninja Brainwash, due to be released on subtitled DVD on August 14th, 2012.

Sultry Assassin: the Aphrodisiac Kill is -- no surprise here-- unrated. It contains Violence, Nudity & Adult Situations, three of my favorite things. It's sexy fun for everyone (of appropriate age, that is). The disc's "Special Features" consist of trailers for other films available from Switchblade Pictures and DVD credits.