Kinbaku · SM · 18-sai

Pretty lame pinky flick. This was the second of a popular series starring Shiro Shimomoto as the S&M Hunter, a super-hero with the special powers of ultimate bondage. He whips his ropes around women and ties them up in complex knots, and can either torture them or bring them to orgasm when they're in his web. The design of this character is pretty cool, with a bowler hat and an eye patch with a skull on it. An easy Japanese Halloween costume. The plot of this one is very weak, and the women aren't especially good looking. I got this and two other pinky movies from a DVD company called Pink Eiga. I must say, I'm very disappointed in their work (luckily they had a nice deal on their website and they didn't cost that much; buy them on Amazon and you'll be spending a lot more). This is the oldest film they offer, and the film just looks awful. Subtitles are non-removable, which doesn't bother me but will surely upset any viewers who can understand the language. The worst offense, though, is that their DVDs aren't in anamorphic widescreen. They are all widescreen, but they will not fit on your widescreen TV (and zooming in will show you just how cruddy their transfers are).

Fabulous pink that defies adequate description. Everything that has been written is accurate but you will still be surprised by this astonishingly individual film. At once, sordid, sexy and sentimental, it plays like a cross between a spaghetti western and a bondage flic. From the first frames we are thrust into the 'pleasure dungeon' and confronted with the explicitly demonstrated options and are then thrown by the considerable gay elements, both female and male. Indeed although partly, like most of this, played with comic intent, the romantic interlude between the two guys is pretty eye popping, coming in the midst of all this sex and sadism. Something for everybody here, except of course those who get their delights exclusively from mainstream cinema. Did I mention the fantastic bondage scenes and the nazi regalia? Must see.

Shuji Kataoka, the man behind "Subway Serial Rape" series, directs yet another vastly entertaining flick. The main themes of pinku eiga genre are all here, mainly bondage, rape and total submission of the females. This time though they're not here only to titillate or offend potential viewers. Their other intention is to make public laugh.

The plot of "S&M Hunter" is very cartoonish, definitely manga-influenced. The character from the title, unbeatable master of the whip, is impossible to be taken seriously. His bondage mastership is so great, that he can do wonders with the rope. He ties up women in a way that makes them utterly excited, and therefore absolutely helpless. No female alive can resist him! Our hero works in the exquisite bordello, that specializes in all kinds of perversion. There's something for everyone - sadism, masochism, even paraphilia! But one of the clients is dissatisfied. It turns out that he's not really a sadist. In fact, he is gay and hates women for just one reason. The girl gang, called The Bombers, has kidnapped his partner to use and abuse as a personal sex toy. S&M Hunter gladly accepts the job to rescue the boy and punish the kidnappers. With the help of always reliable rope this task will be pure pleasure for S&M Hunter. And for all of his female opponents: pleasure mixed with pain!

The movie is traditionally short (around one hour), and filled with attractions typical for Japanese erotic cinema. There's also some Nazi imaginary (swastikas, leather gestapo uniforms, etc.) to please all the fetishists out there. One thing's for sure. We shouldn't take any of this stuff too seriously. It's just plain fun.

One curious detail: Quite probably the true message of "S&M Hunter" is the praise of homosexuality. Just check out the scene of gay lovers' happy reunion. Are we led to believe, that true and pure love can exist only between the two males?!? Or is it just another joke played on us by Shuji Kataoka?

Welcome to the Torture Dungeon, a bordello specifically designed to cater for clientèle interested in exploring the world of sado-masochism. In this unique establishment, one can be master or servant, or even hire the services of Mr. S&M Hunter (Shirô Shimomoto), whose amazing abilities with rope make him master of all women (as one character remarks, "Even if Hulk Hogan were a girl, she'd be his slave!").

A completely bonkers piece of Pinku cinema unlike any I have seen before, S & M Hunter sees the titular rope-master employed by a gay man after his young lover is kidnapped for use as a sex slave by a tough, all female gang known as The Bombers. With some nifty knots and a couple of twangs on some carefully positioned ropes, S & M Hunter teaches The Bombers a few lessons in sexual pleasure that they'll never forget.

Less violent than many a Pinku movie, but just as twisted and blessed with a deliciously wicked sense of humour, S&M Hunter is an absolute riot and highly recommended for anyone looking for sleazy Japanese cinema without the extreme nastiness. The film's good-natured approach to its exploitative content is perfectly illustrated in the opening scene in which the bordello's owner describes the perversions available to his customer, sampling each one personally as he does so. This rich vein of subversive comic-book style humour is present throughout the whole film and makes the entire affair a hugely enjoyable experience.

Of course, that's not to say that S & M Hunter is going to appeal to your average, mainstream cinema-goer: with male and female rape, enemas, gratuitous Nazi imagery, topless arm-wrestling over knives, and excessive nun whipping, this film will still raise eyebrows amongst those not already desensitised to Asian excess.