DVD released: october 31st, 2006
Approximate running time: 63 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
DVD Release: Artsmagic
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.95

Alisa is young woman who has never seen the outside world outside of the remote island that she lives on with her incestuous father. Wanting to break free from her perverted father Alisa jumps into the ocean and swims to shore where she is discovered by a trio of homeless men who think she is a mermaid. Harumi and her husband Yoshio are having problems conceiving a child and to make matters worse they live her oversexed mother who can’t keep her hands off of Yoshio.

Unknown to Harumi her mother is a madam who has recently employed Alisa who was rescued from the clutches of three horny homeless men before they had there way with her. Alisa soon turns of her new employer taking off with a bag full of money and video tape that could be incriminating in the wrong hands. On the run Alisa hooks up with Harumi who is looking to turn a few tricks herself. Alisa and Harumi decide to run away together in search of a place where the Rafureshia flower grows. Will Alisa’s per perverted father or Harumi’s mother and her Yakuza sidekick find them before they find Rafureshia?

Rafureshia is not an easy film to describe and writing the above synopsis of the plot was not an easy task since the plot is all over the place and lacks any linear structure. Despite the chaotic structure of the story the film moves along quickly with never a moment where the film drags. Having previously seen director Hisayasu Sato’s Love – Zero + Infinity and Survey Map of a Paradise Lost I had good idea of what to expect from him. Rafureshia is Sato at his craziest as he pushes everything little thing in the film to end of good taste.

From the films opening moments where father treats Alisa as a sex slave or later in the film when Harumi’s husband Yoshio gets amnesia and thinks that he is a woman. Alisa’s father looking for her replacement falls in love with Yoshio who is dressed in drag. One of the most memorable moments is when Alisa chases around a man in a diaper with a chainsaw. The sex scenes are not exactly erotic since in most of them one of the participants always seems to be uninterested and acts lifeless. Ultimately Rafureshia is one of most entertaining and interesting Pinku films that I have seen to date.

The DVD:

Rafureshia is presented in an anamorphic widescreen that preserves the films original aspect ratio. Colors and flesh tones are faithfully reproduced. The source material sued is in great shape and besides some noticeable cigarette burns there is no major print damage.

This release comes with one audio option a Japanese language track which is presented in a Dolby Digital Stereo. The dialog, music and effects sound evenly balanced and robust. There are no problems with hiss, distortion or any other sound defects. Removable English sub titles have been include that are easy to follow and understand.

Extras include bios for Hisayasu Sato, Koichi Imaizumi, Kinako, Kiyomi Ito and Yumi Yoshiyuki. Other extras include a seventeen minute interview with director Hisayasu Sato who discusses working with screenwriter Taketoshi Watari, location shooting, Manga, influences and working on the film Rafureshia. Rounding out the extras is an audio commentary with film critic Jasper Sharp who discusses the films of Hisayasu Sato, Pinku Films, Gay Pinku cinema, and Sato changing up his direction style for Rafureshia.

Rafureshia is the most whacked out Pinku Film currently available on DVD in America. Once again another first rate DVD release from Artsmagic.