Made in 1973, Belladonna of Sadness is known for its fiercely erotic content and psychedelic images, which do not resemble what was typically seen in anime at the time.
A mixture of the legend of Joan of Arc and Michelet's 1862 book La Sorcière, it tells the story of a young woman in medieval times who is raped by a Baron, after which she turns to money-lending, witchcraft and finally rebellion, to avenge herself.
The film was not a commercial success upon release, but has grown in status over the decades, and is now considered a rarely seen masterpiece by some. To be honest I had never heard of it, until Brussel's Offscreen Festival had it in its program last year, a festival I unfortunately couldn't visit (nor the film's repeat screening in Amsterdam shortly after). I checked out if there were good quality legal English-friendly versions available, but alas.
Therefore I wish Cinelicious Pics the best with their endeavor, and hopefully we'll see the results soon! Including a Blu-ray, please?