The tapes gained notoriety in Japan during the late 1980s and early 1990s when the fourth film of the series were found showcased in the 5,763 videotape collection of Japanese Serial Killer Tsutomu Miyazaki but was erroneously reported as the second film of the series. It was widely but mistakenly believe that Miyazaki re-enacted the snuff scene from the second film as a part of his crimes. Because of the initial controversy surrounding the series, the series went out of production in Japan and is a collector's item which command high premium. However, the entire series has since been reissued on DVD in the United States, the Netherlands and in Austria and can be imported to Japan!