Editing Branded to Kill (section)

===Associated films===
Prior to the release of ''Branded to Kill'', Suzuki and the other members of Hachiro Guryu began developing a [[stand-alone sequel]] to the film, tentatively titled {{nihongo|''Branded to Kill Continued''|続・殺しの烙印|''Zoku koroshi no rakuin''}}. The story would have concerned Noda (set to have been played by Shishido), an unranked member of the assassin's guild Hanada belongs to, being tasked by a woman named Ruiko with killing her husband, a formerly-ranked killer who has since disgraced the organization. Noda would have soon discovered that he and Ruiko's husband share similar killing methods, as both would leave their victims with eerie grins upon their deaths. According to Yamatoya, ''Branded to Kill Continued'' would have "crank[ed] up" the surrealist qualities of the original film, and given meaning to the ''Branded'' of the film's title (with the grins on Noda's victims acting as his "brand"); the film's climax would have taken place on an abandoned island and depicted a shootout against a computer. A full script for ''Branded to Kill Continued'' was never written due to the original film's initial failure.<ref name="Carroll">{{cite book|last=Carroll|first=William|title=Suzuki Seijun and Postwar Japanese Cinema |publisher=Columbia University Press |date=July 2022 |isbn=9780231204378 |page=250}}</ref>

In 1973, Nikkatsu released ''{{Interlanguage link multi|愛欲の罠|ja|3=愛欲の罠|lt=Trapped in Lust}}'', which has been described as a "''[[List of Nikkatsu Roman Porno films|Roman Porno]]'' [[Remake|reimagining]]" of ''Branded to Kill'', as both tell the story of a contract killer forced to lie low after botching an assignment. Directed by Yamatoya from a script by fellow Hachiro Guryu member Yōzō Tanaka, the film was produced independently of Nikkatsu (in contrast to other ''Roman Porno'' films) by [[Genjiro Arato]], who also played the lead role of Hoshi and would later produce the three films comprising Suzuki's Taishō Roman Trilogy, ''[[Zigeunerweisen (film)|Zigeunerweisen]]'' (1980), ''[[Kagero-za]]'' (1981) and ''[[Yumeji]]'' (1991).<ref name="arrow-22">{{Cite AV media notes
| title       = Trapped in Lust, Hachirō Guryū and the Case of the Missing Auteur
| year        = 2014
| page        = 22
| author      = Sharp, Jason
| type        = booklet
| publisher   = Arrow Films
| id          = FCD942
}}</ref> Sharp has described ''Trapped in Lust'' as "a brilliant testament to the fact that, rather than mere cheap exploitation, the [[adult film]] genre was regarded as liberating, daring and anti-authoritarian, and that interesting and intelligent things could be realised with it". He also notes its reflection of the ''gumi'' system of the Japanese film industry (whereby a single director frequently works with the same pool of collaborators), as the film was made by Suzuki's recurring colleagues and thus bears elements of Suzuki's style despite his lack of involvement.<ref name="arrow-23">{{Cite AV media notes
| title       = Trapped in Lust, Hachirō Guryū and the Case of the Missing Auteur
| year        = 2014
| page        = 23
| author      = Sharp, Jason
| type        = booklet
| publisher   = Arrow Films
| id          = FCD942
}}</ref>

Thirty-four years after the original release of ''Branded to Kill'', Suzuki directed ''[[Pistol Opera]]'' (2001), a loose sequel co-produced by [[Shochiku]] and filmed at Nikkatsu.<ref name="Aint">{{cite web
| title = A new Seijun Suzuki film in the works! PISTOL OPERA OF DEATH!!!
| last = Knowles
| first = Harry
| author-link = Harry Knowles
| publisher = [[Ain't It Cool News]]
| date = March 2001
| url = http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/8505
| access-date = 2007-10-05
| archive-date = 2007-12-07
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071207195149/http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node%2F8505
| url-status = live
}}</ref> The character Goro Hanada returns as a mentor figure to the new Number Three, played by [[Makiko Esumi]]. However, Joe Shishido was replaced by [[Mikijiro Hira]] in the role of Hanada. Suzuki has said that the original intention was for Shishido to play the character again but that the film's producer, Satoru Ogura, wanted Hira for the role.<ref name="Midnight Eye">{{cite web
| title = Review: Pistol Opera
| last = Mes
| first = Tom
| publisher = Midnight Eye
| date = October 2001
| url = http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/pistoper.shtml
| access-date = 2007-03-18
| archive-date = 2007-02-05
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205225606/http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/pistoper.shtml
| url-status = live
}}</ref> Reviews were of a favourable nature on par with its predecessor. [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] supposed, "Can I call a film a masterpiece without being sure that I understand it? I think so&nbsp;..."<ref name="Rosenbaum on sequel">{{cite web
| title = Review: Pistol Opera
| last = Rosenbaum
| first = Jonathan
| publisher = Chicago Reader
| date = August 2003
| url = http://www.chicagoreader.com/movies/archives/2003/0803/030822.html
| access-date = 2007-04-16
| archive-date = 2007-09-29
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929104706/http://www.chicagoreader.com/movies/archives/2003/0803/030822.html
| url-status = dead
}}</ref> Although some, such as [[Elvis Mitchell]] for [[The Village Voice]], felt its zeal fell slightly short of the original.<ref name="Mitchell on sequel">{{cite web|title=Assassination Tangos |last=Mitchell |first=Elvis |author-link=Elvis Mitchell |publisher=[[The Village Voice]] |date=June 2003 |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0324,atkinson,44707,20.html |access-date=2007-04-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107053143/http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0324%2Catkinson%2C44707%2C20.html |archive-date=November 7, 2007 }}</ref>