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The second installment in the “Xx” series, “Xx: Beautiful Hunter” is based on the novel “Shion” by Banjin Hanamura and directed by cult auteur Masaru Konuma, known for controversial Sm-themed works such as “Flower and Snake” and “Wife to Be Sacrificed”.

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Shion is a product of the Magnificat, a fictional crime syndicate operating under the guise of a Catholic convent. Trained in isolation to be the ultimate assassin, she has grown up with the sole purpose of killing, never allowed to watch television, go on dates, or enjoy any of the experiences typical of other young women. One fateful night, while a pair of journalists are investigating the cult, Shion is photographed during one of her missions by one of them, Ito, who manages to escape. As she pursues him in an attempt to destroy the photographic evidence, her feelings begin to shift.

Whenever the word hebi (snake) pops up in Japanese film titles chances are you can expect something situated in the margins of society. Notorious examples are Shinya Tsukamoto's Rokugatsu No Hebi and Takashi Ishii's Hana To Hebi (beware!). Compared to these two films Hebi Ni Piasu is actually quite tame, though unsuspecting film fans may still be surprised by what they find behind the warm exteriors of this unusual drama.Yukio Ninagawa never backed away from adding some controversial themes to his films. His comeback title Ao No Hono-o treaded around some delicate issues, Hebi Ni Piasu takes a very similar road. The difference is that the setting of Hebi Ni Piasu may alienate people enough to ease the blow a little. By society's standards the...