Keiko Kishi, who was Gen in Her Brother, played a serial killer in The Devil’s Ballad. She kills (...), and there is a spectacular shot of a hill when she runs down the slope in shock, with dramatic piano music making one think of her as a ball in a pinball machine. This scene is unforgettable. Ichikawa reconstructed the stagnant air of closed communities after the war, in which people were still living under the strong regime of tradition. He visualized decorative—even aesthetic—murder scenes. Like the comicbook influence in Ten Dark Women, this film also features striking graphic influences here seen in layout of credits in various typographic styles. Even in a grim setting, it proves Ichikawa’s sense of fun as an animator at heart. Actually, many Ichikawa's films are playful and avant-garde.