In 1989, Toei launched their V-Cinema line of direct-to-video genre features, inspired by the money that Akira made when it became an OAV. Now, Arrow Video has released V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal, which has nine of those films, “representing some of the best the Japanese crime film has to offer.”

Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage: Detective Joe Kawamura is out for revenge against the men who gunned down his partner, teaming up with a pistol-packing nun who wants the five million dollars stolen from her church.

Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet: Wannabe yakuza Junko gets more than he bargained for when he is given the job of avenging the murder of a fellow gang member.

Stranger: A late-night taxi driver is stalked by the unseen driver of an SUV, who just might have a connection to her shady past.

Carlos: A Brazilian-Japanese petty criminal sees an opportunity to play rival yakuza gangs against each other, but bites off much more than he can chew.

Burning Dog is a heist film about a gang of thieves who plot to rob a US military base in Okinawa, but rising tensions in the group threaten to put the plan in jeopardy.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat: A female assassin is trained to infiltrate a women’s prison and search for Scorpion, a legendary rebellious prisoner hiding in the bowels of the building.

The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses: After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible.

Danger Point: The Road to Hell: Two contract killers’ fragile partnership is tested when their most recent hit starts to have unforeseen consequences.

XX: Beautiful Hunter: Assassin Shion rebels against the fanatical religious order that trained her to be the perfect killer from birth.

In addition to high-definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all nine films, there are nine postcard-sized cards and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao and Hayley Scanlon. The limited edition packaging features reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon.

To learn more about each of the films, click on the title.

This is a perfect release, filled with movies I never knew I needed. Now, I can’t wait for another collection of these films. Arrow Video is to be thanked for this unexpected masterwork.

To order, visit MVD.