One of Japanese Cult Cinema's Bloodiest Samurai Tales Hits 4K This September
By Lio Renwick
Eureka, as part of their The Masters of Cinema series, is releasing Cruel Tales of the Bohachi as a 4K UHD and Blu-ray 2-disc set this September. The set pairs two ero guro jidaigeki adapted from the manga by Lone Wolf and Cub creators Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. It collects Teruo Ishii's 1973 Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight and Takashi Harada's 1974 follow-up Bohachi Bushido: The Villain as Masters of Cinema Series #368–369, extending the label's catalog of Japanese period cinema that includes Tadashi Imai's Cruel Tale of Bushido. This release marks the first time on UK home video for both films, with Code of the Forgotten Eight newly restored in 4K.
Synopsis
Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (1973)
A nihilistic ronin, Shino Ashita (Tetsuro Tanba, Three Outlaw Samurai), joins the sadistic Bohachi clan, a group of corrupt samurai who operate a prostitution ring. With nothing else to live for, he acts as their assassin in a war with a rival clan that poses a threat to their business.
Bohachi Bushido: The Villain (1974)
The condemned criminal Kyushi Issho (Goro Ibuki, Hokuriku Proxy War) falls in with the infamous Bohachi samurai — and he too is drawn into a world of wanton violence and sexual sadism.
Technical Specifications
| Format | 4K UHD + Blu-ray (2-disc set) |
| Edition | The Masters of Cinema Series #368–369 |
| Video | 2160p UHD (Disc 1) · 1080p HD (Disc 2) |
| Aspect ratio | 2.35:1 |
| Audio | Original Japanese mono |
| Runtime | 164 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese (optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release) |
| Colour | Colour |
| Region | Region Free (4K), B (Blu-ray) |
| Release date | September 21, 2026 |
The discs
- Disc 1 — 4K UHD: Code of the Forgotten Eight, in 4K (2160p) UHD from a 4K digital restoration
- Disc 2 — Blu-ray: Code of the Forgotten Eight & The Villain, in 1080p HD presentations
Special Features
- Audio commentary on Code of the Forgotten Eight by East Asian film expert and Midnight Eye co-founder Tom Mes
- New audio commentary on The Villain by genre cinema expert Arne Venema and film writer Stefan Hammond
- From Codes to Chaos — new video essay on the Bohachi Bushido films and Toei's evolving production strategies in the 1970s by Japanese cinema expert Joe Hickinbottom
- Remembering Teruo Ishii — interview with director Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) about working with director Teruo Ishii
- Archival interview with actress Yuriko Hishimi
- Archival audio interview with Japanese filmmakers J-Taro Sugisaki and Takao Nakano
- Original theatrical trailer for Code of the Forgotten Eight
- Original Japanese mono audio tracks
- Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
Cruel Tales of the Bohachi is available to pre-order now and releases September 21, 2026.
Physical media enthusiast covering Blu-ray & 4K UHD releases.