1001 Nights
Synopsis:
Princess Budu sleeps, and dreams. She dreams of whimsical fairies and a wicked, restless beastial spirit. Her dream is one unmoored from identity and self - perhaps she is the fairy, perhaps those other fairies are other persons also. Also moving through her dream, always recurring in her thoughts is her lover Prince Kamar. The beastial spirit desires Budu; Kamar desires Budu, and she only has eyes for Kamar. Through her dream she floats and fades across an Arabian fantasia of minarets and mosques. These flickering moments, fleeting snatches of slumbered thought, are filled with an intoxicating, ethereal beauty.
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Angel's Egg
Alt titles: Tenshi no Tamago
- Movie
- 1985
In a dark and largely abandoned city a little girl wanders in search of something – beneath the folds of her dress she carries a mysterious giant egg. While living on the streets, she encounters a lonesome warrior who has forgotten his past and his purpose and, like the girl, travels aimlessly. Now they journey together, mistrustful of each other whilst sharing in the silence of the city. But who is the little girl? Who is the warrior? And what form of creature lies sleeping inside the egg?
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add recLike 1001 Nights this is an anime which explores the unbounded aesthetic possibilities of animation making it almost central to the work. Whereas 1001 Nights is a fantastic flight of fantasy, Angel's Egg, engages with some deep thoughts and fraught emotions, which is all too understandable, given that the director (Mamoru Oshii) lost his Christian faith shortly before making the film. The work again features the art of Yoshitaka Amano but illustrating his fantastic ability for variety exploring out a brooding, gothic, and alien setting.
Easily my favourite work of animation.
Kanashimi no Belladonna
Alt titles: Belladonna of Sadness
- Movie
- 1973
In medieval Europe, the peasants Jeanne and Jean are in love. But when they finally decide to marry, Jean discovers he is required to pay a tax to the baron; and having insufficient means to pay, Jeanne is raped by the baron instead. After this traumatizing event, Jeanne is drawn by the Devil into a forbidden, occult world of power and lust. Witchcraft, orgies, assaults and surrealism abound in this erotic, psychedelic arthouse film.
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add recBoth anime have stunning beauty in their abstract art styles and have a woman being menaced by devil figures in their lives. Belladonna is more disturbing with the story than 1001 Nights. If you liked one check out the other as they seem to have been made for each other.
Both of these are works of visceral, ethereal beauty which feature in part a woman being menaced by a black, devilish figure. Both are somewhat eclectic in their animation styles, and use sketches on occasion. Belladonna is far more disturbing, twisted, and features 70s rock rather than 1001 Nights' dreamlike classical score. Nonetheless, aesthetically they are appealling for very similar reasons.
Diary of Tortov Roddle, The
Alt titles: Aru Tabibito no Nikki
- Web (6 eps)
- 2003
His name is Tortov Roddle, and he is a traveler from Tortalia. Along with his unusually large companion of a pig, the slender Tortov travels from place to place, always finding a new and beautiful adventure at his destination. From islands carried on the backs of frogs, to delightful cafes, to movie theaters and giant bears, there's a wonderful story to tell in the diary of Tortov Roddle.
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Iblard Jikan
- OVA (1 ep x 30 min)
- 2007
In a lush and detailed fantasy world, magical airships sail amidst floating islands and villas. Luxurious earthly homes lie amidst hillsides of flowers and trees, and a lone pond houses a single shoot of life. Miniature tram cars come and go, ladies’ dresses flutter in the breeze, will o’ wisps dance in the midst of dusk and lights flicker warmly. With a lack of narrative, Iblard Jikan shows us these visions and more alongside a soundtrack of lilting melodies.
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Mononoke
- TV (12 eps x 24 min)
- 2007
- Summer 2007
In feudal Japan, evil spirits known as mononoke plague both households and the countryside, leaving a trail of fear in their wake. One mysterious person has the power to slay the mononoke where they stand; he is known only as the Medicine Seller, and he vanquishes the mononoke using the power of his Exorcism Sword. However, in order to draw his sword he must first understand the Form, Truth and Reason of the mononoke. Armed with a sharp wit and keen intellect, the Medicine Seller wanders from place to place, striking down the mononoke in his wake.
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add recWatching either of these anime, you might think: Is there any other anime quite so wonderfully beautiful, so self-consciously artistic in its appearance? Well, here is another such title. To be fair, 1001 Nights is merely a short and one about a fleeting dream, while Mononoke is a full series with plot and character and so on - but if you enjoyed one, definitely consider watching the other as well.
