In the mid-1960s Japan witnessed a rush of artistically ambitious soft-porn pink films inspired by the gradual liberalization of Japan's censorship regulations and the audacity of rebellious young auteurs who found a creative haven within the popular genre such as Koji Wakamatsu, Takechi Tesuji and, briefly, Oshima, with Pleasures of the Flesh. Centered around a man's decision to dedicate the last year of his life and a cache of embezzled money to the unbridled pursuit of his sexual fantasies, Oshima's sole foray into the pink film clearly anticipates In the Realm of the Senses' exploration of relationships bonded by sexual intensity. Pleasures of the Flesh also marks a more controlled and restrained visual and narrative style, hereby restricting his signature sequence-shots to the extended erotic scenes.