Maruhi Gekki Ukiyo-e Senichiya (lost adult anime film; 1969)

This article has been tagged as NSFW due to its adult subject matter/visuals.

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The theatrical poster for the film.

Status: Lost

Maruhi Gekki Ukiyo-e Senichiya ((秘)劇画 浮世絵千一夜, “Secret Picture: 1001 Nights of Ukiyo-e”) is an adult Japanese anime film produced by Leo Productions, and the first anime film to receive an R-18 rating. Released on October 29th, 1969, the film was universally panned by critics and audiences alike. After Leo Productions was forced to censor numerous scenes, the film was quickly pulled from theaters after only a theatrical run of 10 days. Despite being released on home video around the 1970s and 1980s, the film remains lost.

Synopsis

Set during Edo period Japan, an ukiyo-e artist named Shunsai is asked by a kimono dealer named Edoya Kansuke to make an erotic print on a folding screen. Shunsai complies, creating a painting based on the affair between his neighbors Nikichi and Otoyo. Shunsai names the man and the woman in the painting Harunobu and Otama. When Nikichi and Otoyo continue their sexual affair, Harunobu and Otama awaken and begin their killing spree.

One of the few remaining images of the film.

Cast

• Illusionist: Kaoru Taki
• Fukusuke: Shin Okubo
• Ume no Gensai: Ippei Tsumaki
• Ukiyo-e Shunsai: Takuji Yamada
• Saiji Shigefuji: Ryuta Nosaka
• Harunobu: Masao Wakayama
• Otama: Yukiko Miura
• Yuki Edoya: Michiyo Hara
• Onami: Keiko Fujiwara
• Otoyo: Munaga Kimiyo
• Nikichi: Hideo Machida
• Edoya Kansuke: Taro Katsura
• Tonbei: Rensaku Akiyama

Promotional material showing various stills from the movie.

Crew

• Produced by: Leo Productions
• Distributed by Toei Productions
• Director: Ueno Haruraki
• Screenplay: Leo Nishimura
• Audio: Tone Studio
• Editing: Teruo Nakajima
• Music: Yoshinori Kanari and the Five Sons
• Art: Joji Katsumata

Production

Many critics claim that the film is a direct copy of Mushi Productions' A Thousand and One Nights, a film that came out only months prior. However, according to producer Leo Nishimura, this was a complete falsehood, as he would claim that the film took over a year to produce. Although A Thousand and One Nights is considered by many to be one of the first adult anime films ever made, it would not receive an R-18 rating upon theatrical release. This distinction goes to Maruhi Gekki Ukiyo-e Senichiya, and as such many of the film’s taglines would boast heavily of its unique distinction, including one that roughly translates to: "The world's first! Ukiyo-e with voice and motion, a smiling adult manga." A week after its release in theaters, six scenes from the film were cut from future screenings. Scenes including sexual intercourse were omitted, among others. The film was bought by Toei for 20 million yen, and was released theatrically in 53 theaters along with another film titled Horror of a Deformed Man.

Availability

Despite poor reception, the movie was able to make its way to home video. It was released as an open reel film in 1970. In 1981, a movie catalog shows the film made its way to VHS, albeit with a shorter run time of 60 minutes due to previous censorship. Originally with a price tag of ¥55,000, it was marked down later to ¥44,500. It’s unknown how many copies of the film were sold.

External Links

• The Wikipedia page containing a plot synopsis on the film. Retrieved 15 Apr '20
• Wikipedia page on the film that has been translated. Retrieved 16 Apr '20
• The Wikipedia page for Osamu Tezuka's A Thousand and One Nights. Retrieved 16 Apr '20