Learn Several Japanese Subcultures In Kamikaze Girls

2004 girl power film by Tetsuya Nakashima - Kamikaze Girls.

Excuse the horribly dated trailer voice-over guy:


Momoko is a Lolita. That means she dresses like she is from 18th century France. Ichiko, later Ichigo, is a Yankii. That means she is the Japanese equivalent of white trash. They meet, and both being kind of strange, they form a bond and become friends.

This is a Japanese coming-of-age story for two Japanese girls. They both begin as loners. They are both secretly unhappy. These girls don't fit into societal norms, and they don't want to. But they know that one day they have to grow up, and that their is no place for them in the grown up world. Through their adventures together they find a way through the difficulties of not fitting in, and they find some peace and happiness.

I will say it again (I mentioned this before in my Yatterman review) Fukada Kyoko is seriously good looking. It is kind of hard to get past the strange way she dresses in this one, though.

Both of the main actresses did a great job. They were over-the-top, but in a fun way. It was fun to watch. The film occasionally broke from reality into Momoko's frilly fantasy, which lent a lightheartedness to the movie. That could also explain why the characters were slightly exaggerated. We might have just been seeing Momoko's view of those people.

There is a really funny moment that centers on Momoko's father. The actor that played him did a great job, and was funny throughout, but there was one scene in particular that had me laughing out loud. I won't spoil it, but suffice it to say it involves him watching his ex-wife take part in a beauty contest on TV. Every man that has ever been left has been this guy, even if they don't want to admit it. I think every girl that has been dumped has been there, too.

I really enjoyed this movie, because it was accessible for an outside audience to see a lot of the subcultures of Japan. You have the Lolitas, the Yankiis, the Yakuza, and the Banchou all represented here. I give this movie 4 stars ****.