The Relationship Between Violence And Eroticism In Takashi Ishii's Work
Takashi Ishii (石井隆, 1946–2022) was a Japanese filmmaker, screenwriter, and mangaka whose works left an indelible mark on Japanese visual culture. Born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, he graduated in Commerce from Waseda University, where he began shaping his artistic trajectory. Initially interested in cinema, Takashi Ishii made his debut as a gekiga manga artist under the pseudonym Hideki Deki in the magazine Jaiken Gekiga (事件劇画). However, it was his works focused on erogekiga that caught the public's attention. Angel Guts (Tenshi no Harawata, てんしのはらわた), published in 1972 in the magazine Young Comic, established him as an innovative figure in the field of erotica and violence in Japanese visual art.
Fig.1 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.1
Fig.2 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.1
Fig.3 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.1
Fig.4 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.1
Fig.5 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.1
Cultural Context
Takashi Ishii's debut in the manga world occurred during a significant period of cultural transformation in Japan, marked by the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the country experienced the peak of its economic boom while confronting deep social and political tensions that challenged traditional values. It was during this period that erogekiga, derived from gekiga, found fertile ground to explore dark and controversial themes, such as violence, sexuality, and urban isolation. By addressing these themes, Takashi Ishii created works that delved into the most unsettling complexities of human behavior. His work not only pushed the boundaries between eroticism and the grotesque but also revealed a visceral and disconcerting view of human behavior through visual narratives that laid bare the deepest desires and fears of a rapidly changing society.
The mangas Takashi Ishii published in magazines such as Gekiga Hustler attracted attention not only for his drawing skills but also for his expressiveness as an author, which led him, in 1975, to be invited to collaborate with the first-rate magazine Young Comic Special Issue, boosting its sales. Tatsuhiko Yamagami, a successful mangaka known for Gaki Deka, praised Takashi Ishii for his work published in the Young Comic in August 1975, stating: “Masaru Sakaki is impressive, but Takashi Ishii is even more remarkable.” From 1977, Takashi Ishii began serializing Angel Guts (Tenshi no Harawata) in the regular edition of Young Comic, gaining even more popularity. The following year, it was adapted into the film Angel Guts: High School Co-Ed (女高生 天使のはらわた, Jokousei Tenshi no Harawata).
Fig.6 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.2
Fig.7 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.2
Fig.8 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.2
Fig.9 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.2
Fig.10 Tenshi no Harawata (Angel Guts), Vol.2
Angel Guts
In the Angel Guts manga series, Takashi Ishii introduces a narrative that combines extreme violence and eroticism in an oppressive urban context. As described in the New Criticism Special Issue: The World of Ishii Takashi, published by Shinhyōsha in 1979, Ishii's work attracted not only manga fans but also renowned intellectuals such as Konaka Yōtarō, Tsuzuki Michio, and Matsuda Masao. His ability to integrate sex and violence without resorting to explicit pornography, instead exploring everyday realities on urban outskirts, set him apart from his peers. According to Nagayama Kaoru in his book Erotic Comics in Japan: An Introduction to Eromanga:
"Perhaps the interesting thing about Ishii’s work is not the depictions of sex or the extremity of the sadomasochism, but rather that, despite the intensity of acts, they do not give readers pornographic catharsis. The point here is not story or a return to words such as 'love' and 'heart.' His work could be said to capture the reality of an everyday that includes sex, a common one on the outskirts. Surely Ishii provided many intellectuals with material for multifaceted readings."
In 1977, the Tenshi no Harawata series began publication in Young Comic magazine (by the publisher Shōnen Gahōsha). The following year, in 1978, the first film based on the work, Angel Guts: High School Co-Ed (女高生 天使のはらわた, Jokousei Tenshi no Harawata), was produced as part of Nikkatsu's Roman Porno line. Shortly after, several other films were released: Angel Guts: Red Classroom (天使のはらわた赤い教室, Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Kyoshitsu, 1979), with Takashi Ishii himself as the screenwriter; Angel Guts: Nami (天使のはらわた名美, Tenshi no Harawata: Nami, 1979); Angel Guts: Red Porno (天使のはらわた赤い淫画, Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Inga, 1981); Angel Guts: Red Vertigo (天使のはらわた赤い眩暈, Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Memai, 1988); and Angel Guts: Red Lightning (天使のはらわた赤い閃光, Tenshi no Harawata: Akai Senko, 1994). A total of six films in the Angel Guts series were produced, with Takashi Ishii directing the last two.
In all the Angel Guts series works, the central character is a woman named Nami Tsuchiya, while the male supporting character varies between Tetsuro Kawashima in the first manga and film, and Tetsuro Muraki from the second film onwards. However, the details of their personalities and professions change depending on the work. In Akai Hate Made, the male supporting role is played by Yosuke Nonaka, another recurring character in Takashi Ishii's work, although the spelling of the name Yosuke varies by work.
Fig.11 Blu-Ray cover for the film Angel Guts: Red Classroom (1979)
Fig.12 Angel Guts: Red Classroom (1979)
Fig.13 Angel Guts: Red Classroom (1979)
Fig.14 Angel Guts: Red Classroom (1979)
The extended Premium edition of the article includes more about Ishii's directorial debut with Angel Guts: Red Vertigo, the relationship between eroticism and violence in Angel Guts, his well-crafted neo-noir crime thrillers, the critical reception and legacy of Ishii's art, and 65 exciting images of both his manga and films.
Click HERE for part one of the most arousing films of the Roman Porno genre
What do you think about Ishii's Angel Guts? Leave your reaction in the comment bx below....!!