Description
Title: Flower and Snake (1974)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot Synopsis:
Shizuko, the aristocratic wife of a company’s president, seeks a divorce from her domineering husband, Senzô Tôyama. In response, Tôyama instructs his employee, Makoto Katagiri—a 30-year-old man living with his mother, who operates an adult novelty store—to kidnap and train Shizuko to become s&xually submissive. This leads to a series of events exploring themes of dominance, submission, and psychological transformation.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Masaru Konuma
- Writers: Oniroku Dan (novel), Yôzô Tanaka (screenplay)
- Cast:
- Naomi Tani as Shizuko Tôyama
- Nagatoshi Sakamoto as Senzô Tôyama
- Yasuhiko Ishizu as Makoto Katagiri
- Hiroko Fuji as Miyo Katagiri
- Hijiri Abe as Haru
IMDb Link:
Flower and Snake (1974)
YouTube Trailer:
Flower and Snake | Trailer
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Gregor Kreyca – ★★★★☆
“Flower & Snake is the mother of all Nikkatsu Roman P0rn0. It was not the first but along with ‘Wife to Be Sacrificed’ from the same year, it defined the genre and started a boom that would last until the end of the 1980s.” -
Bob McCully – ★★★★☆
“Another episode of Split Your Head has dropped and this is a wild one with a fellow Letterboxder that I’ve been slowly becoming obsessed with—Dakota Noot! Dakota has been diving so deep into Pink Films that his account has become an exhilarating travelogue for this bizarre/unique/shocking genre.”
Meta Description:
“Flower and Snake” (1974), directed by Masaru Konuma, is a Japanese drama-thriller that delves into the story of Shizuko, an aristocratic wife subjected to a harrowing journey of submission orchestrated by her husband. The film explores intense themes of dominance, psychological transformation, and the complexities of human desire.
Title: Flower and Snake 2: Sketch of Hell (1985)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi: Jigoku-hen
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Plot Synopsis:
Following her father’s remarriage, a wealthy family’s daughter rebels by leading a girl gang. She devises a scheme to extract money from her stepmother by faking a kidnapping. However, events take a dark turn when real gangsters intervene, capturing both her and her stepmother, subjecting them to various humiliations and perverse acts.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Shōgorō Nishimura
- Writers: Oniroku Dan (novel), Chiho Katsura (screenplay)
- Cast:
- Kaori Asô as Shizuko Tôyama
- Mami Fujimura as Kyôko Tôyama
- Mari Somei as Akemi
- Akemi Nagisa as Mari
IMDb Link:
Flower and Snake 2: Sketch of Hell (1985)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Lou (rhymes with wow!) – ★★★½
“Just your typical story of a girl and her stepmom not getting along. The girl has debts and fakes being kidnapped. The stepmom brings the ransom money. The girl takes the money and makes her girlfriends restrain and undress her stepmom. Then the heavy petting and tongue action starts. A gangster suddenly drops by and kidnaps both the stepmom and the girl (for real this time) and makes them act out all kinds of kinky stuff on each other (bndage, shaves, enemas, candle wax play, and strp-on s&x among other things.) Like I said, it’s all just your typical pinku stuff! This one is not as strong as the original, but it makes up for it in its over-the-top execution.” -
Dakota Noot – ★★
“Nikkatsu’s ‘Not Without My Daughter.’ So I guess…Happy Mother’s Day! But the weather forecast expects heavy showers! 🌧️ 💛 This was a chore for me to watch. I love Nikkatsu for just how warped and excessive they can get. I put this off for a long time because I wasn’t sure if I could watch these without Naomi Tani, who has star power. You’re in awe of her with every film—and can see why she saved Nikkatsu. And this needed Naomi Tani. Neither mother (Kaori Asô) nor daughter (Mami Fujimura) have that ‘it factor’ like Tani does. They’re not developed well in the beginning—and it becomes so sloppy that I didn’t care what happened to them.” -
Gregor Kreyca – ★★★
“Belated sequel to the Naomi Tani Roman P0rn0 classic from 1974. Tani herself does not appear here since she had already retired from the industry at that point. Her replacement, Kaori Asô, naturally had some big shoes to fill. And even though she can’t match Tani’s charisma, sensuality, and screen presence, Asô does a decent enough job here to make the scenarios work. Plot-wise, this is very standard Nikkatsu Roman P0rn0 stuff. It’s not the boldest, most grotesque, or sensual Nikkatsu ever made. And it’s not as exquisitely shot as some other movies of the genre. But the pacing is good and offers pretty much nonstop b*ndage, nudity, and debauchery. The finale is also pretty wild, and the ending itself is oddly conciliatory. It’s always nice to see a young woman bonding with her stepmother… Flower and Snake 2: Sketch of Hell is an ideal way to kill an hour after midnight. Sweet dreams!”
Meta Description:
“Flower and Snake 2: Sketch of Hell” (1985), directed by Shōgorō Nishimura, is a Japanese thriller-drama-horror film that follows a rebellious daughter and her stepmother who, after a staged kidnapping plot goes awry, are captured by gangsters and subjected to various humiliations and perverse acts.
Title: Flower and Snake 3: Punishment (1986)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi: Shiiku-hen
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Plot Synopsis:
When a successful businessman refuses to assist his former partner’s failing enterprise, the disgruntled partner seeks revenge by kidnapping the businessman’s wife, Shizuko, a private teacher of written arts, along with her student, Chiyo. The captor subjects both women to sexual slavery, coercing them into becoming S&M p0rn stars.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Shôgorô Nishimura
- Writer: Masahiro Kakefuda
- Cast:
- Minako Ogawa as Shizuko Tooyama
- Yuri Yau as Chiyo Fujiwara
- Mariko Kajikawa as Mitsuko Murase
- Sadami Sakamoto as Katsuhiko Sugimoto
- Hideaki Nagai as Takayoshi Tooyama
IMDb Link:
Flower and Snake 3: Punishment (1986)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Dakota Noot – ★★★☆☆
“I’m winding down the Nikkatsu Roman P0rn0 films that are easily available to watch… Nikkatsu is at its best telling ‘women’s stories.’ The crew merely create an environment for its actresses to shine…” -
Gregor Kreyca – ★★☆☆☆
“The third entry in the Flower & Snake series is another step down in quality… it’s not very imaginative and with considerably less visual finesse.” -
Christopher Velasco – ★★★☆☆
“It is a mix of melodrama and S & M… I wasn’t bored. I was intrigued but wanted more.”
Meta Description:
“Flower and Snake 3: Punishment” (1986), directed by Shôgorô Nishimura, is a Japanese drama-thriller exploring themes of revenge and sexual exploitation. The film follows the ordeal of a businessman’s wife and her student, who are kidnapped and coerced into s&xual slavery by his vengeful former partner.
Title: Flower and Snake 4: White Uniform Rope Slave (1986)
Alternate Title: Hana to hebi: hakui nawa dorei
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Plot Synopsis:
Dentist Oba is handsome and successful, but he has remained single over the years. Oba treats his nurse, Naoe, as his s&x slave and also satisfies himself s&xually by anesthetizing his female patients. When he meets Miki, a busty patient involved in a lesbian relationship with her instructor, Mrs. Ito, he becomes obsessed. Oba kidnaps both women, subjecting them to various humiliations and s&xual perversions, often accompanied by classical music.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Shōgorō Nishimura
- Writer: Masahiro Kakefuda
- Based on the Novel by: Oniroku Dan
- Cast:
- Ran Masaki as Miki Yamagiwa
- Minako Ogawa as Naoe Takeuchi
- Kazuyo Ezaki as Mrs. Ito
- Masayoshi Nogami as Dentist Oba
IMDb Link:
Flower and Snake 4: White Uniform Rope Slave (1986)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Philbert Dy – ★★☆☆☆
“I always find it a little weird when a pinku like this one offers up what might pass for a sense of justice. It feels like the filmmaker pretending that they’re making a normal film, in the end just rushing into a retributive conclusion that the movie doesn’t at all warrant. Like they’re trying to atone for their sins in real time.” -
Lissy – ★★★★☆
“Well that’s one way to guarantee you’ll lose your dental license… Also I’ve always been scared of the dentist and now I know I was right to be…”
Meta Description:
“Flower and Snake 4: White Uniform Rope Slave” (1986), directed by Shōgorō Nishimura, is a Japanese drama-horror-thriller that follows Dentist Oba, who exploits his patients and becomes obsessed with Miki, leading to a series of abductions and perverse acts, exploring themes of obsession and s&xual perversion.
