With BLACK ROSE MANSION, I was kinda hoping for a strong 60s era pinku film, maybe something like BLIND BEAST or even MANJI or something of the sort - unfortunately - I got nothing like that. Though a relatively watchable films style-wise - the subject matter is pretty much the same thing that I've seen in tons of other 60s/70s era Japanese films - minus the "fun stuff" that makes pinku films so enjoyable.Ryuko (played by female impersonator Akihiro Miwa) is a hit at a private men's club at Black Rose Mansion. Ryuko's songs and manner entice pretty much all men that come into contact with her, causing inexplicable feelings of obsession. Ryuko's ex-lovers begin showing up and causing problems, until the owner of the mansion professes his love for her and agrees to take care of her. When the owner's son comes home after a long hiatus, he also falls for Ryuko, causing problems between father and son...BLACK ROSE MANSION is basically another Japanese film of obsessive love, mixed with a bit of a "prodigal son" tale, and some kabuki-style elements. The use of a female impersonator for a woman's role is interesting but somewhat distracting. There are no sleaze elements for us pinku lovers out there - so if you grab this one thinking it'll be a typical pinku entry - forget it. The storyline is decent, but is the same subject-matter that I've seen in dozens of better films. If you want better films about similar themes, try the above-mentioned BLIND BEAST, MANJI, or perhaps EMPIRE OF THE SENSES and skip this one...6/10

This movie is basically a gorgeous showpiece for Akihiro Miwa, a famous female impersonator in Japan. Akihiro is actually a very interesting person who has written several mind-opening books about his own life and philosophies. He definitely has a stage presence and even if he doesn't fully pass as a woman physically, he has the mannerism down to a believability and he wears gorgeous clothes.The plot is negligible and the whole movie really was thrown together to showcase Akihiro and that really is it. The cinematography is good and the colors are beautiful along with the set pieces. I would lump this movie in with other 60's/early 70's foreign movies that mixed Poe with erotica and camp, like Vampiros Lesbos, Daughters of Darkness, and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Its less a movie and more a well-choreographed documentation of a unique performer and a wild time-period.

Shochiku stylized melodrama, with Kabuki influence in that the female lead is played by a female impersonator. The unspoken irony is that this object of male desire and obsession is played by a man with a very male face, height, hands. His studied precision at mimicking traditional Japanese female characteristics makes the response of the male characters seem appropriately pathetic. Fukasaku's studied use of visual metaphor has a distancing effect. An odd, but fascinating film. Don't watch it for the plot. Watch it for the complex point of view and the lead's tour de force performance. It doesn't belong to the same category as the John Waters' films. There's no mockery here, self or other.

I hate to disagree with the first review, but I think this is a pretty good film. While it doesn't hold up to the first film in the series (Black Lizard), this is an impressive sequel. If only Black Lizard were available on DVD, the 2 films would make great bookends to the story. Kinji Fukasaku (of Battle Royale fame) has a writing style that many can't follow easily & has a tendency to be abrasive to some, but this film stands high in my book in the psychedelic 60's film genre. Also, not much is made of the fact that the leading lady is actually a leading man, which disturbs some, but in my opinion only enhances the camp factor. A Fun, weird caper from a time & place that no longer exists.