Rewatched it (the uncut version)

...and it was rubbish.

I first saw this when I was twelve - okay - sneaked it out of my brother's collection after making big round eyes at the "18" rating. And I watched it mostly through my fingers and wanted to quit halfway through. Having been raised on the diet of cuddly Disney cartoons I guess I only had myself to blame.

The next few weeks was spent reeling from the graphic images and unexpectedly moved by the tragic love story of the two main human characters. This movie left a queasy (and disturbing) aftertaste.

Yesterday I rewatched it nearly 18 years later and boy did the cracks begin to show. The animation and music dated, the storyline ridiculous. The love story cheesy and the characters two-dimensional. The demons, the giant penises et al. and apocalyptic messianic/antichrist twaddle laughable.

Really? I was scared by this rubbish?

The only take-home message I had was it definitely is an 18/NC-17 experience that some find entertaining.

Oh yeah, and the way women are objectified in this kind of media really offensive.

Honestly, Akira was a lot better in terms of animation and storyline (of a future dystopia).