Shôjo tsubaki: Chika gentô gekiga

"Midori: The Girl in the Freak Show" is an anime film that is not for the faint of heart. It delves into the depths of human cruelty, the grotesque, and the macabre, creating a nightmarish world that is as captivating as it is repulsive.

The film follows the tragic journey of Midori, a young girl who is thrust into a nightmarish circus after a series of unfortunate events. The imagery and storytelling are surreal, dark, and unapologetically disturbing. The animation is both beautiful and grotesque, creating a sense of visual dissonance that perfectly complements the grim narrative.

The film doesn't shy away from exploring the darkest aspects of human nature, highlighting the cruelty and exploitation that can exist in the world. While it's not a film for everyone due to its graphic content, it serves as a stark reminder of the capacity for both evil and resilience in the human spirit.

"Midori" is a thought-provoking and challenging piece of art that pushes the boundaries of what anime can achieve. It's a film that will leave a lasting impact on those willing to explore its unsettling depths.

In conclusion, "Midori: The Girl in the Freak Show" is a masterpiece of the disturbing and grotesque, and it's a must-watch for fans of dark and unconventional anime. Just be prepared to be taken on a journey that is both visually stunning and emotionally harrowing.

So I decided to watch this as a stupid human being at 3am in the morning because it was considered as one of the messed up animes out there and boy, they are not wrong thanks to my curiosity. There is a lot of severe rape, child slavery, disability shaming, revenge killing, animal killing, you name it!

I strongly advise you to avoid this if you are sensitive on the topics I just mentioned there, especially if you are an animal lover. I'm not gonna say what was killed because it was very upsetting since they were only babies. I honestly had to block the scene with my hand until they were done and like the cries man, omg I should've turned the volume down urghhhhhh.....

Im giving it a 7/10 since the art was very well done, the Japanese voice actors were very good but it got rid of a star because the ending was rather abrupt and not clear on what happened next to the little girl. I honestly would love to see a happy ending like anyone would but I just didnt know what the hell was going on at the end. ._.

Luckily I got a good sleep afterwards but it is god wrenching to say the least.....

There isn't much to be said about Midori that hasn't already been said about it. We know what happens in this film. Sure, there isn't a sea of blood, and the Kill count is low so the surface level gore hounds will scoff, but that's not why this film is disturbing. Midori's reputation comes from its completely un-restrained misanthropy. This film will make you loathe your humanity. It takes real life horror and does what anime on celluloid does best, elevates it and shoves it right in your face. You can hate it and turn your face away from it but these things ARE real. They exist in humanity. I'm glad this never was funded and that it was made the way it was. It's brutal and the low budget makes it feel personal Like Harada would stab you with his paint brush if he could. For 90s anime and it being of the horror genre It's about as challenging of a thing an artist can make and it is Art for better or worse. Take it or leave it.

I loved the art style used though the content was a bit depressing. But I've got to admit that this work is a masterpiece in its own ways given that the director/animator, Hiroshi Harada had to work on it for five years and alone. I am happy I learned something from it, that we can find solace even in a place similar to hell.

One of the things that most people comment on when reading on Midori is that it was actually banned originally for depicting graphic violence to animals. Now, what is on display here is rather shocking but certainly not enough to be considered obscene, especially considering the psychopathic nature of the character which performs the act. If anything, the act featured is only detrimental to children and as anyone with a brain has figured out, this isn't for children at all.

Personally, I was quite surprised by Midori. It was mostly animated and directed by the one man and it shows: mouths don't move often, backgrounds suddenly disappear, zooming in of a single picture is common etc. If anything, these shortcuts only add to the charm of the movie and how intricately personal it is to it's creator. There was apparently 5000 paintings handpainted by Hiroshi Harada to complete the film over a course of 5 years. It was also funded by Hiroshi's life savings; if that's not dedication to a piece of art then I don't know what is.

So the animation is charming, the characters are gut wrenching and the script is full of profound reflections. Another point is the music; most of the soundtrack is created by a keyboard and the dark melancholy keyboard noodlings really add to the circus freakshow setting in the movie.

This is a very dark and unsettling anime movie, so it's only best to watch this if you're looking for something that's profound and will make you think. It will hurt you emotionally and upset you but it will stick in your mind for days on end.