Arrow Video has announced the release of Toshio Masuda’s Outlaw: Gangster VIP, a gritty yakuza yarn based on the writings of real life ex-gangster Goro Fujita. Packed with a wealth of bonus content, this exclusive box-set, limited to only 3,000 copies, will be released on 18th April 2016.

In 1968, acclaimed director Toshio Masuda (Rusty Knife, Tora! Tora! Tora!) and rising star Tetsuya Watari (Tokyo Drifter) teamed up for Outlaw: Gangster VIP. The series offers up a depiction of the Japanese underworld that was unprecedented in its realism and its sympathetic portrayal of its protagonist as a man haunted by his past, unable to escape a life of crime.

The success of the initial instalment spawned five sequels, continuing the story of the lone wolf "Slasher" Goro and his quest for redemption. The films presented a new kind of realism and violence that would prefigure Kinji Fukasaku's Battles Without Honor and Humanity series, with their winning combination of brutal violence, gang warfare and sweeping romance, these films make for a unique and unforgettable viewing experience. The set includes six films in the Outlaw series released for the first time in the west: Gangster VIP, Gangster VIP 2, Heartless, Goro the Assassin, Black Dagger, and Kill!

Outlaw: Gangster VIP will be released on UK Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) on 18th April by Arrow Video at the RRP of £49.99.

Box set specifications:

• Limited Edition Box Set (3000 copies) containing all six films in the Outlaw series, available with English subtitles for the first time on any home video format

• High Definition digital transfers of all six films, from original film elements by Nikkatsu Corporation

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations

• Original uncompressed mono audio

• Newly translated English subtitles

Special features:

• Audio commentary on Outlaw: Gangster VIP by Jasper Sharp

• Visual essay covering the entire series by Kevin Gilvear

• Original trailers for all six films

• Extensive promotional image galleries for all six films

• Exclusive gatefold packaging featuring brand new artwork by Tonci Zonjic

• Booklet featuring an interview with director Toshio Masuda by Mark Schilling, plus new writing by Schilling, Chris D and Kevin Gilvear