"Hadaka no Tenshi" is considered a cult classic in Japan and has gained a following worldwide. The film's themes and portrayal of adolescent struggles continue to resonate with audiences.
Director Kazuyuki Izutsu later admitted in a rare 2008 interview: "I wanted to make a film about a woman who is so naked in her suffering that she becomes holy. The yakuza guns and the money were just distractions. The real film is her face when she looks in the mirror." hadaka no tenshi 1981