Requiem from the Darkness - Turmoil of the Flesh (Vol. 1)

Amazon.com Based on a novel by Natsuniko Kyogoku, Requiem from the Darkness follows the wanderings of Momosuke, a novice writer who hopes to compile an anthology of ghost stories. His travels provide more material than he expected. In a ruined shop, he uncovers the details of a murder and encounters the Mataichi Gang. Ogin is a lovely succubus; Nagamimi, an intimidating giant; Mataichi, who looks like an unraveling mummy, poses as a charm seller. This sinister trio wanders 19th-century Japan, exacting retribution for past crimes, with Momosuke as an increasingly reluctant witness. The owner of an inn killed a succession of wives and blamed their deaths on a supernatural being; shape-shifting fox spirits pursue a murderous hunter. The animation is minimal, but director Hideki Tonokatsu uses color and shifting graphic styles to generate suspense. (Rated 16 and older: violence, nudity, grotesque imagery, sexual situations including incest, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon