Let me tell you, popping this 4K disc in was like rediscovering a dangerous old friend. The colors in Kitano's classroom scenes now have this eerie saturation - that blood-red sweater one student wears practically glows against the bleak school setting.

What surprised me most rewatching in 4K? The little details I'd missed before - like how Mitsuko's knife reflects light differently as her moral compass deteriorates, or the way rain droplets look almost surreal during the forest chase scenes. That famous 'collars exploding' sequence? Let's just say my surround system made my dog hide under the couch.

I showed this to friends who only knew Hunger Games, and their jaws dropped at how much darker (and funnier!) this original is. That training video scene? We had to pause because we were laughing so hard at the cheerful narrator explaining murder mechanics like it's a cooking show.

The extended cut adds fascinating character moments - there's a whole subplot about crushes between classmates that makes their eventual confrontations even more heartbreaking. Though fair warning: some of the new scenes are so intense I actually preferred the theatrical cut for first-time viewers.

Special shoutout to the booklet included - it helped me appreciate how they cast actual teenagers (unlike most Hollywood films), which makes their panicked performances feel terrifyingly real. That beach scene with Noriko hits completely different when you realize the actress was only 15.

Is it problematic by 2023 standards? Absolutely. Is it still one of the most electrifying social satires ever put to film? Also absolutely. Just maybe don't watch it right before parent-teacher conferences.