Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[After news report of first killing]
		"Come here, Sawa." "I'm not in the mood."
	Akai (cop) on couch	Akai on couch
		-fade out-
5:26	Older Sawa (could be 18-19) sex scene with Akai	-edited out-
6:26	Bench scene	Bench scene

Removing this scene completely misrepresented the relationship between Sawa and Akai.

In the original, she apparently declines (unless AW changed that dialog) the sex and then he forces her into bed regardless. That (and the events that follow) indicate to me that he has a firm grip on her actions.

In the Anime Works version, she says "I'm not in the mood." and then the scene fades out to the bench scene with Kanie and Oburi. The only conclusion most people could have to that is that she declined and he didn't force her. Hence, she is in control of herself and has the free will and capacity to deny his affections to some extent.

The original made it clear that this was not true and that Sawa pretty much is his sex plaything. Quite a difference in how the original and AW's hacked version appear to the viewer, IMHO.

Since Sawa does not appear to under 18-19 in it, this scene could easily have been left alone in a Kitty release.

Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[When Sawa is telling Oburi about her past]
16:52	Shot of wall	Longer shot of wall
16:53	Young naked Sawa against wall	-edited out-
16:54	Pan up young naked Sawa's body	Showed Akai just touching young Sawa's shoulder
17:00	Shot of floor	Longer shot of floor
17:03	Young naked Sawa in bed	-edited out-
	Akai touches breast	-edited out-
17:09	Young Sawa moans/shot of earring	Young Sawa moans/shot of earring
17:10	Akai having intercourse with young naked Sawa	-edited out-
17:11	Hand on sill	Hand on sill
17:14	Young naked Sawa in bed, bouncing from unseen Akai	-edited out-
17:18	Collage of images	Collage of images

Okay, I understand this scene being removed. It is disturbing and wpould likely be conciudered child pornography by most people (although it is unclear if current U.S laws would consider animated child pornography illegal).

Unfortunately, it is also very relevant to the plot and story line. The first time I saw the edited version I barely had any sense of what was going on here. Only after someone in the newsgroups mentioned that the scene (back when I still thought of it as a single edit) removed was of a young Sawa being raped did Sawa's motivations become clearer in my mind with the brief flashes in the AW version.

The expressions on young Sawa's face also spoke volumes as to her state of mind at the time. When she was leaning against the wall, her shock and dismay over her parent's deaths was clearly evident on her face. At that moment she was at the most vulnerable and that's exactly how Akai managed to bend her to his will.

Later her expressions as Akai rapes her show that on a certain level she enjoyed the sensations, which seems to be what kept her from running away from him in the years that follows. It's a very poignant moment in the story that was ruined by MB's edits.

It was a rape of the mind to bend her to Akai's will more than a violent rape of the body (although it was that too). Again, an image and part of the plot/story that was absent in AWs version.

Although, there was penetration (mosaiced, of course). The rape was not violent or forced. It was the rape of her mind more than anything else. Again, something that the edits did not allow the viewer to see and understand the torment of Sawa's life.

Now I understand that MB couldn't show the penetration of young Sawa (on their Kitty or AW labels).

What I would recommend for an unedited version is this:

Put an unaltered circle around her face showing as much of the scene as possible. Then blur (or black out) the rest of the scene. Even mosaiced I had trouble watching those scenes and see no reason the penetration has to be shown for the plot/story to be left intact, but her expressions do
need to be there... they make the story whole.

They could even zoom in on her face (the loss of resolution would be acceptable in this instance).

Since the dialog never spoke of these events, the true power of them is lost in the AW version.

Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[After Sawa and the goon fall out of the building]
27:43	Unknown couple having intercourse in office as Sawa falls by window	-edited out-

Okay... this cut proves (at least to me) that MB intentionally cut Kite up to sell it as a general release title on their AW label and make more money. There is no question these two people are adults. The man and girl are both adults, and looked to be a boss and secretary having some noontime fun. Graphic, yes. Gratuitous, yes, Important to the story, no. Illegal, no.

Editing this scene indicates to me that the other scenes were removed for the sole purpose to make Kite sell better to the general anime market (although why graphic violence and murder are acceptable and not sex is beyond me).

Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[After Akai searches destroyed bathroom for gun]
30:49	Shot of game building	Shot of game building
30:50	Kanie (fat guy) raping young woman (could be 18-19, no age given). Interrupted by Akai.	-edited out-
31:40	Akai talks to Sawa about botched job	Akai talks to Sawa about botched job

Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[Sawa goes to Oburi for tea]
34:08	Kanie picks up ringing cell phone	-edited out-
34:11	Akai gets BJ from young woman from 30:50	-edited out-
34:15	Close up of Kanie on cell phone	Close up of Kanie on cell phone
34:17	Close up Akai	Close up Akai
34:21	Close up of Oburi	Close up of Oburi

Again, disturbing that they are so calm about this... and maybe gratuitous, but still a part of the story. It actually makes the young girl who shoots Oburi at the end seem all the more tragic, because the implication is that she probably has had similar treatment at some point.

Time in original version	Original uncut version	Anime Works version
*********	[After Oburi and Akai fight, Sawa interrupts, Akai and Kanie defeat them]
		"Sawa, you should thank me."
		-fade to black-
41:36	Akai thrusts against older Sawa (fully clothed/at least nothing is visible) while Oburi is forced to watch by Kanie at gun point. Sawa resists until Akai threatens to kill Oburi.	-edited out-
42:23	Brief flashback of young Sawa (not naked) having her breasts fondled by Akai through her shirt.	-edited out-
42:24	Nude sex scene between older Sawa and Akai	-edited out-
43:03	Brief flashback panty shot of young Sawa	-edited out-
43:04	Nude sex scene between older Sawa and Akai	-edited out-
43:09	Akai's hand rubs young Sawa's panties	-edited out-
43:09	Akai has intercourse with partially clothed young Sawa	-edited out-
43:10	Akai removes young Sawa's panties	-edited out-
43:15	Young Sawa lowers her nude buttocks onto Akai's lap	-edited out-
43:16	Akai has intercourse with older Sawa while Kanie looks on.	-edited out-
43:22	Young nude Sawa on top of Akai	-edited out-
43:23	Akai has intercourse with older Sawa	-edited out-
43:25	Akai sucks young Sawa's breast	-edited out-
43:25	Akai has intercourse with young nude Sawa	-edited out-
43:26	Akai has intercourse with older Sawa while Oburi looks on	-edited out-
43:53	Boy is dragged away by Kanie	Boy is dragged away by Kanie
43:54	Older naked Sawa in bed with cop as they talk (Sawa facing away from him)	Closeup of older Sawa's face Close up of Akai's face
	Akai rubs older Sawa's thigh	-repeat above close ups until Sawa gets up
44:44	One close up of older Sawa's face	Actual close up Sawa scene used above to cover the time edited out
	One close up of Akai's face followed by shadow of Sawa getting up	Actual close up scene used above plus the shadow of Sawa getting up.
45:48	Sawa gets up	Sawa gets up
		College exam comment from Sawa (meaning she is at least 17, but could be 18-19).

Any the final cut scene.

The removal of this scene totally destroyed the story. How could anyone who considers anime art even think of releasing an edited version of Kite without this pivotal scene?

This scene is where it's clear Kite makes her choice about what she is going to do and is going to betray Akai (to the viewer), but towards the end, she keeps Akai under the impression that she is still her 'toy'. In other words... SHE starts to use HIM.

She starts by directly resisting him (quite a change for her due to the years of abuse he has visited on her) and only relents to him when he threatens to kill Oburi. The fact that Kanei and Oburi look on as Akai has sex with her is all the more reinforcement to her later decision to kill Akai and Kanie.

And the flashbacks to Akai raping her as a young girl clearly shows the change in her then and now.

Her expressions "then" showed she was dazed and confused and unable to resist Akai.

Her expressions "now" showed she was actually in control at the end of the sex scene. At least that's how I saw it in the original and not the edited version.

Granted they would have to do something about the young Sawa sex scenes, but as I suggested above, KEEP the expressions on her face! It's those expressions that the animators used to convey a good deal of this story and their removal ruins the story completely IMO.

In the AW version, the scene cuts after Sawa and Oburi are captured and then showed Oburi being dragged away. Then the edited version showed the faces of Sawa and Akai in bed after sex. The viewer has no way of knowing how that sex happened and why Sawa is being so casual about it. The original shows to me that she is planning to get away from Akai and Kanei and is instilling Akai with a false sense of security. The edited version makes it seem like Sawa has no qualms about abandoning Oburi to his fate and even had sex with Akai despite what just happened.

The scene AW removed of Sawa in bed with Akai was not even graphic... no genitals in sight. It could have been in the general release version (they did show Sawa naked a split second later). This edit shows me that they seemed to be making a moral decision about showing a man and a woman in bed together and not making a legal decision to cut this particular scene due to it being 'too graphic', because it's not any more graphic that the shot of Sawa that follows.

IMO, this last cut is a total reversal of the intended imagery and intent of the original animators' story.