Takashi Ishii strikes gold again with this dark-noir style thriller which takes us deeper into the world of the Black Angel Mayo, this time portrayed by Yuki Amami. I have to say that after watching this movie I was greatly impressed at Ishii's style of storytelling and the nitty gritty feeling that he adds to this movie. From start to finish, the film is gripping and it never lets go with its violent look at the Yakuza lifestyle in modern day Japan.On the streets of Shinjuku, Yakuza gangs are vying for power and the only way to sit at the top of the class is to remove the crime bosses that are currently in power from their seat at the table. That's where Mayo (Yuki Amami), the Black Angel comes in. Hired by her reputation alone, the Black Angel is an assassin who has never missed a target and always honors her end of the business deal and expects her employers to do the same. However, her years of contract killing have really taken a toll on her spirit and now Mayo has turned to booze as a means of dealing with her guilt. On her latest assignment though, Mayo finds herself on a collision course with Yamabe, the bodyguard of the current boss of a yakuza outfit in the Shinjuku prefecture. Yamabe has his own inner-demons to deal with, especially since he made vow to the new boss' father that he would protect the son no matter what. When Mayo is tasked with killing the son, a simply contract turns into a total disaster when a rival hit-team get in the way and a pregnant woman named Suzu gets caught in the crossfire. From that point on, Mayo, Yamabe and Suzu's paths will intertwine as they find themselves in the crosshairs of each others guns, as well as the Yakuza that is trying to stamp the three of them out.Don't wanna give away too much, but this film has cult-classic written all over it and if some people think this is a sequel to the first, it's really not. It's more of a prequel that tells more about Mayo and her life as a gun for hire. Ishii's directing with the use of flashbacks combined with a dark and ominous atmosphere really adds tension to the movie and the characterization for Mayo, Yamabe and Suzu is really good. Also, Ishii doesn't pull any punches when he shows the abuse that the women go through in this movie (particularly for Suzu and she gets the worst treatment in this movie). At one point, you have to wonder if the protagonists in this film will even survive or if anyone can truly be trusted, but then again, this is a sort of gangster flick, so loyalty is totally overrated when it comes to fighting for power in the criminal underground. But overall, Ishii certainly kicks things up with Black Angel 2 and there are times that I wish he'd make a third.Definitely recommend this film for those who love Japanese girls with guns style flicks. Be warned though: the violence is extreme and the brutality shown is not for the faint of heart.

Takashi Ishii's Black Angel 2 follows a beautiful hit-woman on her descent into alcoholism and self-loathing. The first act is an unsurprising retread of numerous assassin/gangster flicks. When Ishii changes gears some will find themselves engaged; others will find it a deeply uncomfortable watch. The depiction of rape is potentially troubling but Ishii's women are ultimately shown to be more powerful than their aggressors. It's an uneven film but occasionally it borders on truly bravura film-making, with a handful of masterful scenes. Challenging, little seen and sharing only it's title with the inferior original. 8/10

I first came across Takashi Ishii through the masterpiece "Gonin," and it was a film that totally changed my perspective of action cinema. I was pleased with the sequel to Gonin, yet Black Angel Vol 1 never really impressed me. The story and direction were both excellently executed, but a lack of characterisation made it rather tedious at times. What made Gonin so brilliant were the different motivations and emotions of the main characters. Thankfully, with Black Angel 2, Ishii returns to creating good, solid characters. The main three protagonists in this film are each well designed characters that make this an superior film to its predecessor. What starts out as a rather simple film builds up to an excellent finish that will definitely satisfy fans of Yakuza thrillers. As with most of his films, Ishii is not afraid to include graphic scenes of rape and violence, but he is able to counter these with scenes featuring touching displays of love and humanity. While Ishii has a way to go before equaling the brilliant Takeshi Kitano or Miike Takashi, with this film he is returning to the form of Gonin, that could open him up to being amongst the best directors in Japan.

Beauty, emptiness, sorrow, absence - there is no way to describe this wonderful film. Just look and you will see. I have always liked films which images get into consciousness without need of thinking. Pure meditation. This film is all that I expected and will always expect from Japanese cinema. And there is always rain in my heart too.