Mezzo Forte
Dir Yasuomi Umetsu / 2001 / Japan
MEZZO FORTE (OVA) VOL 1 - PARTS 1 & 2 was rated MA15+ (Strong Animated Violence, Sexual References) in August 2005. It was released on DVD the following month.
Thanks to James C for sending in this detailed look at this release.
This two part OVA was released in two different versions. In Japan, and later the U.S., both uncut and cut versions were released. In Australia, Madman chose to release only the cut version. The total length of the DVD is 56m 29s, with Ep1 running 28min 39s, and Ep2 27m 29s. Although I've never viewed the uncut version, I can hazard a guess to where the scenes are missing from. Note that a search for "mezzo forte" in Google Images (making sure SafeSearch is off), will bring up pictures of what is missing.
The first scene looks like it should appear at the end of Ep1, 25m 11s in the Madman DVD. Here Mikura dreams of Kenichi Kurokawa being in her room. He comes over to the bed, tells her he loves her, then says "Then let's get hot and heavy tonight baby". Mikura then wakes up. It looks like it should go on to show them, as well as Tomohisa Harada, having sex.
The second scene should appear towards the end of Ep2, around 47m 18s in the DVD. Momomi tells the two thugs that they can have Mikura for four hours. They then proceed to rape her.
Note that the sex scenes are fully hardcore, and nothing is left to the imagination. Mikura's rape by the two thugs includes them double-penetrating her. Really it is no surprise that Madman went with the cut version. The violence would have meant that the hardcore couldn't be rated X18+, and the hardcore meant that the violence couldn't be rated MA15+ or R18+.
You may 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."
"......just the sex scenes were removed. It was a pretty random scene that happend at the end of the 2nd OVA anyway and does not add or take away anything from the story."
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?"
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