Sawa, orphaned as a child by murderous thugs, now targets the scourge of society as a trained killer for a mercenary syndicate. Coquettish and capable of unimaginable violence, she's grown into the perfect weapon — but doubt takes hold in Sawa's mind when her fellow assassin, Oburi, decides he wants out.
Direction
Umetsu's fluid action choreography vs. his sleazy gaze.
Editing
Ruthless 50-minute runtime with no room to breathe.
Director
Yasuomi Umetsu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Banned in multiple countries and heavily edited for US release; remains a flashpoint for debates about anime, censorship, and artistic intent.
Umetsu later directed Mezzo Forte and Kite Liberator, neither capturing the same raw, queasy tension—suggesting this lightning was partly accidental.
JP
