Blazing Fists - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Blazing Fists



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
The very first thoughts I had when I saw the press release for Blazing Fists (internationally called Blue Fight: The Breaking Down of Young Blue Warriors) was that we were in for a wild time. Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Blade of the Immortal) is known for his gonzo film making style, complete with over the top gore, insane sexual quirks, and bizarre plots that generally appeal to a certain type of viewer. But when I got about half way into the film all I could think was “wait? Is Takashi Miike chilling out in his old age?, as Blazing Fists was nothing like what I originally envisioned from the description. What we have here is a stylistic buddy/buddy action film, with heaving anime influences throughout, and some amazing fight sequences.

Our story revolves around newly incarcerated juvenile delinquent Ryoma (Kaname Yoshizawa) and repeat offender Ikuto (Danhi Kinoshita). Ryoma is nervous after getting pinched for burglary, while Ikuto is the chill “been there, done that” guy who ironically is back in juvie because he was convicted for a crime that Ryoma did. Bonding over a urinal (seriously?) the two form a pact to get out of juvie together and become professional fighters in order to make something of their lives. Training as best as they can in the joint, the two finally get out and decide to join a local gym to hone their fighting skills for the upcoming auditions for the local Japanese MMA circuit.

There run into Jun (Chikashi Kuon), the ringleader of the fighters at the gym, and the two newbies are instantly at odds with Jun and his goons as egos collide. But while Jun, Ikuto and Ryoma are having their differences, and even greater threat looks. The Krishna Blue gang; a group of professional criminals who beat, steal, and torture those who get in their way. After Jun is caught by the Krishna’s and taken to their leader, a maniacal lunatic named Shizuka (Japanese rock star and martial artist Gackt), Ryoma and Ikuto put aside their differences with Jun and head out to break a foot off in Shizuka and his men.

As I said above, at about the 30 minute mark I started wondering if Takashi Miike was going soft on us, and by the 1 hour mark I started seeing the direction that the film was going. But it was that final 3rd act that sealed the deal for me when Shizuka crops up with his gang. This is simply a live action anime movie. There’s no other way to describe it. While the film has some very typical Takashi Miike tropes, such as some surrealistic elements and little bit of over the top violence, this is a much more structured film that leans directly in the anime direction vs. his normal gonzo insanity. It’s hard to describe, but the dialog, and the way that Ikuto and Ryomo bond together got me suspicious. And the whole sub plot with Jun being an antagonist, while ultimately turning out to be a compatriot at the end had me grinning from ear to ear. But really it’s Gackt as Shizuka that seals the deal for me here. He’s as over the top and anime “end boss” as you can get. That sweeping haircut that covers the eyes, the wild grin as his men get beaten to a pulp, and the way that he basically fights the boys JUST push them to becoming even better fighters is just lifted straight out of 90s and early 2000’s anime productions. In a way it almost feels like a hybrid between Hong Kong’s Dragon Tiger Gate, the anime Getbackers, and bits of One Punch Man. I know that sounds like an odd comparison at times, but if you watch it, you’ll never be able to unsee that again.

Honestly, parts of the story get a bit silly at times. It’s that live action anime thing at work. Anime works well in its own structured little walled off animated world, but in live action, with actual actors interacting and speaking the dialog to each other, it comes across as a bit cheesy. The fights are genuinely pretty cool, but not only stylized and wild. But that last fight with Shizuka coming out to lay waste to everyone is probably the single biggest highlight fight of the entire movie. Kaname and Danhi both work well together as two juvenile delinquents with different pasts going for the same future, and the rest? Well, they do a solid enough job.




Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

As is the case with 90% (or more) of Well Go USA titles, I couldn’t find any information on the filming style, resolution of the master, or what cameras were used to shoot the film online. Like usual, if anyone has any information that I’m not privy too, I’ll be happy to update the review. That being said, this is a very appealing looking image, with a sharp, crisp, look that denotes its obvious digital production. Clarity is strong all the way across the board, and colors pop with visceral sharpness. Especially the strong orange shirt of Ryoma, or the bright blue and red of the gym punching bags. Black levels tend to be great, though I noticed a little bit of crush and some near imperceptible banding in the final confrontation with Shizuka’s men. But all in all this is a great looking picture.








Audio:

The disc comes with 4 audio tracks, with 2 of them in English, and 2 in the original Japanese (5.1 DTS-HD MA and Dolby Digital 2.0). Naturally I tend to lean towards the Japanese audio mix for the much better voice acting, but both mixes are sonically identical to each other outside of the dialog stem. Surround activity is very immersive, with the copious battles and musical score engagements lighting up the non mains. Mains get a good hefty workout as well, and the LFE is nice and punchy. Maybe not overly aggressive, but still good enough (especially in the final Shizuka battle).










Extras:

• Well Go USA Previews
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

Blazing Fists (which is a way better title than the overly long international title) is a fun flick that actually surprised me in more ways than one. I wasn’t expecting this “tame” of a film from Takashi Miike, and I REALLY wasn’t expecting a literal live action anime martial arts film either. But at the end of the day I had a lot more fun than I ever expected, and came out of that third act with a huge nerdy grin all over my face. Well Go USA’s Blu-ray set is really nice, with great video and audio, but the typical nearly nonexistent extras outside of trailers on board. Definitely check it out if my description of this intrigues you, but if you’re a traditional Takashi Miike fan, then be warned. This is a bit different.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Kaname Yoshizawa, Danhi Knioshita, Gackt, Wataru Ichinose, Nobuaki Kaneko, Karuma, Konatsu Kato
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Written by: Shin Kibayashi
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1, English, Japanese DD 2.0
Subtitles: English
Studio: Well Go USA
Rated: NR
Runtime: 120 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 31st, 2026

Recommendation: Fun Watch