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Reviewed by:
Ian Jane on November 4, 2007.

Never before released on home video in North America (or on DVD in Japan), the third and final film in the Legends Of The Poisonous Seductress trilogy sees Junko Miyazono as character once again named Okatsu.

Once again directed by Nobuo Nakagawa (the same man who directed Snake Woman's Curse and Jigoku), the film starts off with a fantastic, stylish introduction where Okatsu wields her sword against multiple opponents which segues into a wild, colorful scene of torture. We see some of the local officials terrorize the local workers, and then we learn how Okatsu's father has attempted to bring the actions of the local officials to the government in hopes of bringing a stop to their abusive ways and their contraband tobacco scheme.

Just before Okatsu is to be wed, her parents are abducted and tortured and eventually murdered by Judayu, the local magistrate, and his men. Making matters worse for the poor girl is the fact that her fiancé has sided with the bad guys, leaving her alone against their tyranny. Or so she thinks! Soon Okatsu meets a mysterious stranger (Tatsuo Umemiya) who was once a master swordsman. They hit if off and he aids her in her quest for revenge as does a gang of orphan (one of whom is played by Reiko Oshida of Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless To Confess). Okatsu and her rag tag band of friends carve their way through corrupt law enforcement officials and government types on their way to the final showdown with Judayu.

The plot for Okatsu The Fugitive differs very little from the plot for Quick-Draw Okatsu but that doesn't mean the film is really any less entertaining even if it at times it feels like a rehash of what came before. The reason for Okatsu's mission of revenge are basically the same and the way she winds up getting a few stragglers on her side in her war against a corrupt official are very similar to those employed in the second film in the series. That said, where the film also succeeds in the same way that the first two films did - action, carnage and atmosphere!

From the fantastic opening credits to the scene where Okatsu's father is tied to a cross which rotates and submerges him under water while her mother is gang raped in a prison cell, there's no shortage of bloodshed or nastiness in the film. Nakagawa directs all of this with skill and the cinematography from Yoshikazu Yamasawa is slick and stylish ensuring that things look good from start to finish. Again, the combination of studio sets and location shooting gives the film an interesting mix of backdrops. 

Junko Miyazono once again provides a great lead performance, providing the pathos we require to sympathize with her character as well as the stone faced coldness she needs to pull off the harder edged action scenes in the last half of the film. One particularly bloody fight scene on a stair case stands out, where Okatsu takes out a man's eye with her blade. A later scene in a bath house also stands out as we see Okatsu deal with a setup that finds her squaring off against a horde of attackers.

While the final film in the trilogy doesn't differ much from the film that came before it, Junko Miyazono is still impressive in the lead role and while the plot might feel like a rehash, at least Okatsu The Fugitive is still a fast paced, entertaining and well made swordplay film. Plenty of action and carnage keep things moving nicely and Okatsu The Fugitive is just as enjoyable as the two films in the series that precede it.

Junko Miyazono, Tatsuo Umemiya, Reiko Oshida, Yoichi Numata