Midori (1992)

AKA: Shojo Tsubaki: Chika Gento Gekiga
Directed by: Hiroshi Harada
Country: Japan; Effed Up Asian Movies
Language: Japanese (Eng Subs); Effed Up Japanese Films
Runtime: 00:48:39
Genres: Anime-Animation, Childhood, Malformed Humans, Violence Against Animals, Sexual-Violence against Women, Old-Young Relationships, Dwarf, CrossDressing

Plot – Spoilers:
In pre-war Japan, a recently-orphaned girl, Midori, is lured by a kindly stranger she meets on the streets while selling flowers. He runs a type of traveling theater featuring malformed performers among others. None of them give a shit about Midori’s age and instead abuse her vulnerability with cruelty. Her few moments of happiness in a day are shared with some puppies she hides away. When a sadistic trap finds them, he kills and cooks them. With the bottom of the pit she was tricked into, having fallen out, Midori is surprised when a dwarf magician-hypnotist who joins the troupe takes a romantic interest in her while also protecting her.

Based on a Suehiro Maruo manga, Midori was banned pretty much everywhere for years and the experience seemed to have put the director (also the animator) off so much, he moved from film to video games. A shame for movie fans because of the artistry on display here, even if some of the stills were replications from the manga.