Amazon.com: Kooky, kinetic, and colorful, 2004's Kamikaze Girls is a delight, and one that could only have come from Japan. Our principal character and narrator is Momoko (Kyoko Fukada), the 17-year-old product of a highly dysfunctional marriage who wishes she'd lived in 18th Century France, during the Rococo age; instead, she and her bonnets and frilly dresses are stuck in Japan's rural outback, where she abides by a philosophy that claims, "If I can't live independently, I'd rather be a water flea." Enter Ichigo (Anna Tsuchiya), a tough-talking, head-butting, scooter-riding thug who doesn't know rococo from rock & roll, and whom the haughty Momoko deplores and mostly ignores--at least until they're brought together by, of all things, embroidery (Momoko's good at it, Ichigo needs some for her biker threads). Suffice it to say that these two oddballs form a union of sorts, and Kamikaze Girls (entitled Shimotsuma Monogatari in Japanese) ultimately delivers a fairly straightforward message about independence, loneliness, and friendship. But getting there is quite a trip. Director and co-writer Tetsuya Nakashima combines live action, animation, special effects, fourth-wall asides, fantasy sequences, and more in a dazzling onslaught of images; in that way, as well as in its overall outlook ("Humans are cowards in the face of happiness," says one character), the film is somewhat reminiscent of Amelie. True, Kamikaze Girls lacks the full measure of that French film's grace, heart, and charm. But for sheer imaginativeness and cinematic virtuosity, this one's hard to beat. --Sam Graham
I Love this Movie This was the first movie I had ever watched with subtitles and I have to say, it was great. I had always thought that having to read the dialog myself would be distracting or take away from the movie but it did nothing of the sort. It is extremely funny at times and a movie that I have seen many times since purchasing the DVD.
Way better than the book For anyone who read the book and was dissapointed by its lack of actual storyline until at least half way through the novel should give the movie a try. I was soooo excited when I rented it because it's one of those movies that is just plain out fun to watch.
Great movie! Before I start, I have to sa that the subtitels are FINE. and you can READ THEM. A lot of people b--- about it, but I could read them just fine!
For the movie, it was great. Cute, funny, and even brought a tear to my eye. The movie really showed me how great Japanses movies can be (that are not based on Anime) I hope to find more like this. I really injoy the Lolita look, and might protray it now.
All in all this is a great movie.
Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls) This is a very fun, and cute movie that also has some morals in it. I recommend it to anyone who is curious or a lover of the Lolita style in Japan. Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya are both very good actresses!
Frills & Flowers "Kamikaze Girls" is wildly inventive. Japanese pop star Kyoko Fukada plays Momoko, a girl whose heart and style are attached to the Rococo period in France where dresses bloomed frills & flowers, beautiful and ornate. The visual look of this film is a key element. Stylistically, ABC's TV series "Pushing Daisies" is kin with its larger than life settings. Fukada does a great job with wide-eyed innocence. Ichigo is played by Anna Tsuchiya as a motorcycle girl whose hard edges and constant spitting are the polar opposites of Momoko. Tetsuya Nakashima does a good job directing this wildly improbably but thoroughly entertaining piece.
Many of the supporting cast are also excellent. Hiroyuki Miyasako who was in Casshern: Director's Cut plays Momoko's heartbroken father. His zany antics are over-the-top as he parades around in his boxers and has a flatulence episode. Kirin Kiki who has been in over 60 films plays Momoko's grandmother who seems a bit touched in the head, but who can pull a dragonfly out of the air. Ryoko Shinohara plays Momoko's mother who abandoned the family to pursue her dream of happiness. Yoshinori Okada's cameo as the owner of the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright clothing store is somewhere between Elvis Presley and Liberace in style. With cabbages flying unpredictably, this is a delightfully brainy piece of Japanese cinema. Enjoy!
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