Back in the aughties and early teens, I twice found myself hanging out at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch outside Reno, Nevada. This was the legal brothel that was shown on HBO’s Cathouse series. Why? Purely journalism. I had repeatedly interviewed owner Dennis Hof (as found in my book Lessons From The Pimp). While I’d watched all the episodes of the show, it was interesting to talk to the various women who had become legal prostitutes. How did they end up in the line up? One woman was a licensed doctor who originally worked at the brothel to pay for med school. She kept up working at the brothel since it proved to be more profitable after the upswing in her malpractice insurance premiums. Air Force Amy was all about putting her high libido to work. The thing that struck me about brothel life was how much waiting there was for customers. While Nevada has legal brothels, none are located inside Reno or Las Vegas. The clients had to want to take a long drive outside county limits to have a fun night. Quite a few women weren’t quite making the big bucks as depicted on the TV show. The good news was that at the end of their weeklong shift, they could go home. None of them had been sold to the Bunny Ranch like the main character of Sakuran.
During the Edo era, the very young Kiyoha gets sold to a brothel in the red-light district of Yoshiwara. The job at this young age is not to service the men. She is mainly child labor stuck cleaning the floors and taking care of the working women. She slowly learns the ways of being a prostitute so when she gets old enough, Kiyoha knows what it takes to bring the pleasures to be a top earner. Kiyoha doesn’t want any of this. She runs away and is punished after being caught. Although she is promised her freedom when a dormant cherry tree blossoms. Nobody thinks this will happen, so they don’t really care about making that promise. Kiyoha grows up (Resident Evil: Degeneration‘s Anna Tsuchiya), but her rebellious nature doesn’t leave her. This excites quite a few guests at the brothel and she become rather popular. This makes her a target for the other women working at the house who don’t want to lose their standing. She doesn’t care about making friends with the other girls. Things get even more complicated when she falls hard for a client who seems to promise her a life outside of the brothel. Can she really have a free life before the blossoms appear?
Director Mika Ninagawa (Helter Skelter) adapted Sakuran from the magna created by Moyoco Anno for her first feature film. It’s an astounding debut that gives a sense of Ninagawa’s career as a photographer in advertising. The colorful way of life inside the brothel will dazzle the eye. She brings out the pleasure world that the building wants to present to the visiting customers. This is a pleasure place that Kiyoha rules. Anna Tsuchiya gives her character a rebellious and cunning edge. She doesn’t want to be there yet if stuck inside, she’s going to dominate her fellow prostitutes. Making the pop in your ears is a soundtrack from Sheena Ringo. Even though the songs are contemporary, goes with the visuals of the bygone era. Kiyoha is a spicy rock star as she flaunts herself among the clients. Sakuran is an intense cinematic experience inside the brothel that’s worth the price.
The Video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The high definition transfer brings out the bright colors inside the brothel. The film pops on the screen. The Audio is Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 stereo. You’ll hear all the sounds from inside the brothel.
Audio Commentary by Josh Slater-Williams has him eager to talk about the goldfish fading into Anna Tsuchiya applying makeup in the opening credits. We learn about Mika Ninagawa’s fascination with goldfish that led to their presence in the film. He gets into how the movie differs from the original single volume magna.
Brand New Filmed Introduction by Amber T. (22:58) has her praise the visuals of Mika Ninagawa in her directorial debut. She compares the movie with Memoirs of a Geisha that came out a few years before. These films do contrast the life of women who promise certain pleasures to a paying man. We also get the background of leading actress Anna Tsuchiya.
Stills Gallery (2:02) includes press photos.
Trailers (5:20) includes four teasers and the main trailer. The first teaser is behind the scenes. The second teaser is a press conference from when the film wrapped. The first trailer includes promises of free giveaways on opening weekend in 2007. There’s even the DVD trailer.
Illustrated booklet includes an essay by Jasper Sharp.
88 Films present Sakuran: Limited Edition. Directed by Mika Ninagawa. Screenplay by Yuki Tanada. Starring Anna Tsuchiya, Ayame Koike, Asuka Saito, Kippei Shiina, Yoshino Kimura, Hiroki Narimiya, Miho Kanno and Ai Yoshikawa. Running Time: 111 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: March 24, 2026.
