Midori

Underground animator Hiroshi Harada directed, wrote, and independently animated this legendary erotic-grotesque cult classic over a five-year period, completing it in 1992. Adapting the controversial 1984 gekiga manga by Suehiro Maruo, Harada hand-painted thousands of animation cels entirely by himself after mainstream studios rejected the project. Due to its disturbing themes and graphic content, Japanese authorities heavily censored the film, leading to confiscated prints and clandestine screenings under carnival tents. Despite its forbidden status, the film remains an internationally renowned masterpiece of Japanese counterculture animation and avant-garde art.