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.

The story has a lot of funny moments, but still manages to effectively convey the ‘friendship’ part without going too sickly sweet or overly dramatic, as many friendship-themed movies and doramas lean towards.

Likewise, this movie has a fantastic cast, and Fukada Kyoko and Tsuchiya Anna have such great chemistry together. I am not really a Kyoko fan, and I wasn’t really excited to go to the Eiga Sai just to see her, but I’m glad I did. It’s not surprising to see Kyoko in such a role since dorama fans like me are used to seeing her in “sweet, naive girl” roles before, but it is refreshing to see the comedic side of

her. Very good acting from her in this movie. I just wished she practiced more at swinging that bat (the scene where Ichigo is surrounded by the other gangsters). She looked a bit awkward, swinging the bat aimlessly, not even coming close to hitting anyone. Kind of reminded me of Matsu Takako smoking a ciggie in Love Generation. Who would know that she is one of the heaviest smokers in J-entertainment? But anyway, moving on…

Now, Tsuchiya Anna is a big revelation. Who knew she was THAT good an actress? Anna makes for a beautiful punk with an indecent tongue and a deadly flying kick (at the receiving end of which is her good friend Momoko). She easily makes the transition to foul-mouthed punk to this vulnerable girl who just had her first heart break. Why, she’d be the perfect girlfriend for Sakaki Makio (Nagase Tomoya/My Boss, My Hero)!

“Kamikaze Girls” is an exceptional story of youth and frienship, with a talented cast, to boot.  Certainly worth your time to visit the Eiga Sai and see this refreshing movie (or DL it, if you happen to miss the JFM film fest…and nope, I won’t tell you where to get it ^_~). Spit, peroxide and lace never looked this good in a movie. Yep, baby, the Lolita and the Punk shone so bright!

Rating: 7/10

Starring:
Fukada Kyoko – Ryugasaki Momoko
Tsuchiya Anna – Shirayuri Ichigo
Miyasako Hiroyuki – Momoko’s father
Shinohara Ryoko – Momoko’s mother
Ki ki Kirin – Momoko’s grandmother

Related Threads:
Fukada Kyoko
Tsuchiya Anna
Kamikaze Girls / Shimotsuma Monogatari
2007 Eiga Sai – Japan Foundation, Manila