Baby, the ‘Kamikaze’ Stars Shine Bright – A “Kamikaze Girls” JMovie Review

Kamikaze Girls (original Japanese title: Shimotsuma Monogatari) is the story of two girls living in the sticks. The two protagonists are as different as the clothes they wear:

Ryugasaki Momoko is a stubbornly independent Sweet Lolita with a talent for embroidery. The yards of lace and ribbons she wears hide the spunky personality within.

Shirayuri Ichigo is a bike-riding punk with a penchant for fake ‘Versach’ (sic) shirts. Her scary makeup and punk attire cover up the childhood insecurities and her desperate need for authority figures – or a real friend.

I was a bit intrigued why the two main characters were named after fruits: momo (peach) and ichigo (strawberry); so I did a little “fructology” search on Google to see if the names had bearing on the personality (or writer Takemoto Novala just liked the names).

• Momo – a ‘peach’ person is frank and outspoken. She is highly independent, a real go-getter with an ambitious streak. Ryugasaki Momoko = perfect match.
• Ichigo – a ’strawberry’ person makes friends quickly, caring and loyal to friends. She is well loved, trusted and has a bubbly personality. Shirayuri Ichigo = perfect match.

This unlikely pair first meet when Ichigo responds to an ad Momoko put out to sell her father’s fake Versach and Universal Studios shirts (of course, with the intention to earn more money to buy Lolita dresses from ‘Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, her favorite Lolita boutique).With only 2 things in common (they are both girls, and they both live in Shimotsuma), this unlikely pair disagreed on almost everything…but eventually became good friends, and developed a strong bond, despite their obvious differences.

The story is unique, as it deals not with the usual high school kids and their problematic lives, but of “social outcasts” (so to speak), of people who stand out in a society of conformity. Certainly, being a Lolita and a Yankee is something out of the ordinary, but being a Lolita and a Yankee in the province takes ‘outcast’ to a whole new level. While it also deals with youth and friendship (as with many other dorama and movies), what I liked about this is the kind of characterization you don’t see regularly.