Senya Ichiya Monogatari

The first in a trilogy of movies adult animation films by Tezuka's Mushi Production known as Animerama, it is very loosely based on One Thousand and One Arabian Nights and features Aladdin as its main character. This version of Aladdin is cowardly and perverted, but also ambitious, adventureous, and unflappable. The film focuses on his adventures, starting when he finds the beautiful slave girl Miriam. Like the other films in the Animerama, it prides itself as "adult animation," and features plenty of female nudity and sexual content, but nothing explicit is ever shown. In place of traditional sex scenes there are some wonderful ... dreamlike psychedelic scenes that would be used to full effect in Belladona of Sadness. There is a large admixture of irreverent humor mixed alongside the serious plot, but unlike in Cleopatra it does not clash with the tone. The heart of the film seems to be in this mix of humor with a serious adventure film, and the film does a decent job with that. It's not an amazing film and it's a little long for what it is, but it's still a good film for what it is. Serious themes, especially rape, torture, and murder, are depicted in the film. The protagonist Aladdin is generally amoral and self-serving, but he still contrasts to the villain, Badli, who is a heartless murder and rapist. The animation is generally good for the time period, and stands up rather well. Overall a decent film, and much better, balanced, and coherent than the later Cleopatra, though not up to the level of Belladona of Sadness.

The first hour I was in love with this movie, I still in love, but with its art only. This movie lost me around the half and almost the end. I liked the end. But I do not think it's worth watching a really long feeling movie. Perhaps I recommend it and want to watch again soon, because I feel this movie is one of that kind you like or don't like that much, but after watching it a second time you are in love and I'm already in love with the art style. Better watch it when you had slept well and while eating ... something.

I don't know what is weirder, a tiny female genie rubbing her breasts for magic purposes or Tezuka's fetishistic side blatantly displayed in the sensual pink panther sequence. For better or worse, the movie is littered with moments that defy common sense and beg the question “why” at every turn. The problem is however that a supposedly adult movie that does have various sequences of clearly adult content is littered with such misplaced bullshit. If his intention was to make something lighthearted and ultimately devoid of pretense, there shouldn't be entire dramatic segments that are far from self-aware, let alone subverted. He can't focus, his ... tone and pacing are always all over the place. Les Réusltats du Féminisme from fucking 1906 managed to be both absurdist, thoughtful, and the most ahead of its time film in history, which believe it or not, can be done. What this movie represents is basically utter waste of talent on a project that sucks from its very conception. Considering Belladonna came just a bit later, this is just inexcusably lame even for the period it came out.