Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30124 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-01-10
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Live, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

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

Customer Reviews

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!