Obayashi basically thumbs his nose at Oshima right off the bat by stating there's more to Sada's story than slicing off a penis. And although the erotic obsession isn't the main point of the movie, it isn't overlooked, either. It manages to be much sexier than Oshima's telling. There's a dazzling array of cinematic techniques being used to inject the tale with humor and vitality. Some of the comedy is a little slapsticky, but it's better than watching people fucking and chatting all the time.