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Mushi Production's avant-garde anime film Belladonna of Sadness has been beloved by fans for over five decades. Now, just past the film's 50th anniversary, a crowdfunding campaign is underway to restore illustrator Kuni Fukai's iconic artwork for the film. Fukai's art, which makes up approximately 70% of the film, was unfortunately largely lost after Mushi Production went bankrupt. However, with the 2016 4K remaster released here in the United States, fans in Japan saw a new way to approach restoration. This crowdfunded project seeks to restore the artwork from this remaster, supervised by Fukai himself. Related: Tokyo Ghoul 10th Anniversary Box Set and More Join Crunchyroll December 2024 Home Video Lineup The project is planned to proceed in two stages, both of which will be crowdfunded. The first, currently underway on Motion Gallery and halfway to its goal, will focus on restoring the artwork. The second, to be crowdfunded at a later date,...

Quick Links Belladonna of Sadness Plot and History The Stunningly Beautiful Anime Was Overlooked on Release How Belladonna of Sadness Was Ahead of Its Time Should I Watch Belladonna of Sadness?

Very few movies can boldly claim to be completely innovative and original in animation. Looking over the history of animation, there will always be 'firsts,' but to stand out and go against convention to make something entirely new is a rarity. Films like The Red Turtle, Hedgehog in The Fog, and The Triplets of Belleville all exist as a testament to the art form and what it is capable of when creatives challenge themselves to push the boundaries of what the medium is capable of.

One such film to challenge conventions on release is the 1973 anime feature film, Belladonna of Sadness. The movie proved ahead of its time, with a remarkably intricate visual style and approaching taboo themes.

by Rei Yukon

Obscene, disturbing yet undeniably intoxicating, the screenplay of “Belladonna of Sadness” (1973) exhibits extraordinarily breath-taking compositions that offer its viewers an experience skirting the line between sadistic indulgence and heart-wrenching anguish. This enigmatic film is the lovechild of prolific writer Osamu Tezuka’s (creator of the Astro Boy series) vision and director Eichii Yamamoto’s enigmatic conception- the third part of the “Animerama” trilogy; a line-up of adult anime feature films initiated by the former in his studio, Mushi Productions between the 1960s till the late 70s.

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“Belladonna of Sadness” is not a film renowned for its plot- but for its audacity. Centred around the tragic story of a young woman’s life in her feudal village, the film deals with the torture, persecution, and liberation of Jeanne, after she is brutally raped in a ritual “droit du seigneur” by the village baron on her wedding day.