Kite
Dir Yasuomi Umetsu / 1998 / Japan
This was rated R18+ (High Level Animated Violence) in August 2005. It was released on DVD the following month.
Thanks to James C for sending in this detailed look at this release.
In the U.S.; KITE has been released in three different versions. An excellent comparison between them can be found at www.animeprime.com/reports/kite. After reading these reports, I can only conclude that Madman has released a fourth cut of the DVD in Australia. Essentially we have the heavily cut AnimeWorks version, with a few extended scenes from the Kitty Media uncut/original version.
The report at animeprime.com lists six cut scenes from the AnimeWorks. More details can be found in their report, but they are essentially as follows. I’ve quoted from their report, but updated the times to indicate where these should appear in the Madman DVD.
Scene 1 at 5m 37s
AnimeWorks [Madman] version: Sawa turns down Akai's request for sex
and the scene cuts immediately to the bench scene with Kanie and Oburi.
Scene 2 at 16m approx
AnimeWorks version: Many edits to remove any nudity involving Young Sawa
and any sexual contact between her and Akai.
This is interesting as the Madman version initially cuts the scene the same as AnimeWorks, then goes on to include some footage from the uncut version. Some of these scenes were not even shown in the less cut Kitty Media release.
The extra scenes are:
15m 57s: Young naked Sawa against wall
15m 59s: Pan up young naked Sawa's body
16m 09s: Young naked Sawa in bed
16m 11s: Akai touches breast
16m 20s: Young naked Sawa in bed, bouncing from unseen Akai
Scene 3 at 26m 30s approx
AnimeWorks [Madman] version Scene is completely missing. When Sawa
is falling from the destroyed bathroom (after her flashback), there is a short
scene of a boss having sex with one of his young female employees on a desk.
Scene 4 at 29m 30s approx
AnimeWorks [Madman] version Scene is completely missing After Akai
scolds Sawa for botching the job, Kanie has sex with a young woman in his
apartment. Various toys can be seen around the room. Kanie draws his gun when
Akai walks in on them. He continues having sex when he realizes who it is.
Scene 5 at 32m 30s approx
AnimeWorks [Madman] version: The scene is edited to remove the
shots that show the young woman servicing Akai. While Akai talks on the phone
and to Kanie, the young woman that Kanie was having sex with gives Akai a blow
job. Although you can really see anything, it's obvious what she's doing.
Scene 6 at 39m 50s approx
After Akai and Kanie thwart Oburi and Sawa's attempts to kill them, Akai
forces Sawa to have sex with him. She resists until kanie threatens Oburi's
life. During the sex, Sawa has flashbacks to when she was raped by Akai as a
young girl. Her expressions change throughout the scene.
Again the Madman version differs slightly from the AnimeWorks print, and contains footage from the uncut version.
The extra scenes are:
39m 57s: Older naked Sawa in bed with cop as
they talk (Sawa facing away from him)
40m 30s: Akai rubs older Sawa's thigh
40m 48s: One close up of older Sawa's face
40m 50s: One close up of Akai's face followed by shadow of Sawa getting up
You may be also be interested to read Madman's take on it all. These comments originally appeared on their message boards in response to queries about the uncut status of MEZZO FORTE and KITE.
12.07.04
"We will be releasing an edited version
of both movies as they would be refused classification if they were to be
submitted uncut."
They also go on to state that they will be releasing the AnimeWorks version:
".....we are releasing this version
www.animecritic.com/kite/anr-kite.html
All you're missing are sex scenes."
When questioned on the possibility of uncut versions being released in the future, this was posted.
14.07.04.
"As I've said it
probably would not get past the OFLC so why take the risk?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
