Kamikaze Girls
下妻物語 (Shimotsuma Monogatari)
Genre	Comedy
Movie
Directed by	Tetsuya Nakashima
Studio	—
Released	2004
Runtime	102 minutes
Manga
Authored by	Yukio Kanesada Novala Takemoto
Publisher	Shogakukan VIZ Media
Serialized in	Betsucomi
Original run	11 June 2004 –
No. of volumes	1

Kamikaze Girls (下妻物語, Shimotsuma Monogatari^?, literally Shimotsuma Story or A Tale of Shimotsuma) is a novel, manga, and movie. The original novel was written by Novala Takemoto. Image File history File links Shimotsumamonogatari. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke[[ laughter in general). ... Tetsuya Nakashima (中島哲也) (born 1959) is a Japanese film director. ... Manga )   (pl. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Headquarters of Shogakukan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan Shogakukan ) is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, nonfiction, childrens DVDs, and other media in Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article deals with the American media company. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Betsucomi (ベツコミ), formerly known as Bessatsu Shōjo Comic, is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Shogakukan, originally aimed at young girls, but increasingly marketed to older teens and young women. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tankōbon ) is the Japanese term for a compilation volume of a particular series (such as a manga or a novel series, magazine articles, essays, craft patterns, etc. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Manga )   (pl. ... Novala Takemoto , born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese author and fashion designer. ...

Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki (Kyoko Fukada) and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri (Anna Tsuchiya), who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other a Yankī. The story showcases their special bond. The movie was filmed in the town of Shimotsuma, in the Ibaraki Prefecture in Eastern Japan. The movie was produced in 2004. Kyoko Fukada (深田 恭子; Fukada Kyōko) born November 2, 1982, in Tokyo, Japan, is an actress, model and singer. ... Anna Tsuchiya , born March 11, 1984 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, model, and actress. ... A Shirololi and punk in Harajuku, Tokyo. ... Shimotsuma (下妻市; -shi) is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. ... Ibaraki Prefecture ) is located in the Kantō region on HonshÅ« island, Japan. ...

The movie is based on a popular light novel of the same name, written by Novala Takemoto and published in October 2002. It was released on DVD in the United States in January 2006 under the title Kamikaze Girls. The U.S. DVD has English subtitles (which can not be disabled) and the original Japanese vocals and musical score. The DVD extras include the original Japanese movie trailers and an interview with each of the movie's two stars. Novala Takemoto , born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese author and fashion designer. ...

A manga based on the book was also created by Yukio Kanesada. It was published in English by Viz. It is one of Viz's newer releases to be part of their Shōjo Beat line. A preview of the manga was in the November 2005 issue of Shojo Beat. Manga )   (pl. ... This article deals with the American media company. ... Shojo Beat is a shōjo manga magazine published in North America by VIZ Media. ...

Plot

The movie begins with a flashforward of Momoko getting hit by a car while driving a moped, then shifts to the past to introduce her background and early life.

Momoko, who was born near Kobe, wishes that she had been born in Rococo-era France. Her father, a former small-time gangster, was involved in selling fake brand name clothing. After making a fake "double-brand" he finds himself in trouble with Universal Studios, Versace, and the mob, and so he and Momoko move to his mother's house in the rural town of Shimotsuma. Kobe ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1. ... North side of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo - carriage courtyard: all the stucco details sparkled with gold until 1773, when Catherine II had gilding replaced with olive drab paint. ... Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios), a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the major American film studios that has production studios and offices located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County between Los Angeles... Gianni Versace S.p. ... Shimotsuma (下妻市; -shi) is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. ...

Momoko must go to Tokyo to shop for her clothes, but constantly finds herself short of money for the expensive trip and the pricey clothes she wants to buy. She decides to sell some of her father's fake Versace products, and meets Ichigo (prefers to be called Ichiko), who answers an advertisement she has placed.   , literally Eastern capital) is a unique subnational administrative region of Japan with characteristics of both a prefecture and a city. ...

Ichigo is a racy, boyish yanki-type who belongs to an all-girl bōsōzoku (motorcycle gang). Gradually, the unlikely pair become friends. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Soon Ichigo needs Momoko's help. Akimi, the leader of Ichigo's gang, is leaving, and as a tribute Ichigo plans to have her coat embroidered. She has heard that there is a particularly skilled embroiderer in Tokyo named Emma and she persuades Momoko to go there with her.

Although they never find the embroiderer, they do stop at Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, the shop where Momoko buys her frilly lolita dresses. An assistant notices the beautiful embroidery Momoko has stiched on one of her garments and calls the designer himself to come to look at it. The designer asks Momoko to make the embroidery for his new creation. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (Shortened to Baby or BTSSB) is the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. ...

Later, after an argument, Momoko offers to stich the embroidery on Ichigo's coat, which she does with great skill.

The final scenes of the film concern a fight between Ichigo and the members of several all-girl motorbike gangs. It is revealed that the crash at the start of the movie occurred when Momoko was rushing to help Ichigo. Momoko does not die, but instead challenges the entire motorbike gang and wins, rescuing Ichigo.

Credits

Cast

• Momoko Ryugasaki (竜ヶ崎桃子 Ryūgasaki Momoko) - Kyoko Fukada
• Ichigo Shirayuri (白百合イチゴ Shirayuri Ichigo) - Anna Tsuchiya
• Dame Oyaji (Momoko's father) - Hiroyuki Miyasako
• Momoko's mother - Ryoko Shinohara
• "Unicorn" Ryuji - Sadao Abe
• Momoko's grandmother - Kirin Kiki
• Akimi (亜樹美) - Eiko Koike
• Miko - Shin Yazawa
• Akinori Isobe (磯部明徳 Isobe Akinori) - Yoshinori Okada
• Yakuza boss - Hirotaro Honda
• Grocery store manager - Yoshiyoshi Arakawa
• Pachinko Parlor manager - Katsuhisa Namase

Kyoko Fukada (深田 恭子; Fukada Kyōko) born November 2, 1982, in Tokyo, Japan, is an actress, model and singer. ... Anna Tsuchiya , born March 11, 1984 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, model, and actress. ... Ryoko Shinohara (篠原涼子 Shinohara Ryoko, b. ... Eiko Koike on the cover of G-taste DVD Eiko Koike (小池栄子 Koike Eiko, born November 20, 1980 in Tokyo) is a Japanese idol. ... Katsuhisa Namase , born 13 October 1960) is a Japanese actor. ...

Staff

• Director - Tetsuya Nakashima
• Director of Photography - Shoichi Ato
• Production Designer - Towako Kuwashima
• Animation - Yojiro Nishimura (Studio 4°C)
• Music - Yōko Kanno

Tetsuya Nakashima (中島哲也) (born 1959) is a Japanese film director. ... Studio 4°C is a Japanese animation studio founded by Koji Morimoto, Eiko Tanaka, and Yoshiharu Sato in 1986. ... Yoko Kanno , born March 18, 1964 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) is a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many seminal anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements. ...

Trivia

• The song Ichigo sings in the movie is the same song on her cellphone - Yutaka Ozaki's 15 no Yoru.
• BTSSB clothing (and Lolita clothing in general) usually is as expensive as it appears in the movie.
• There is a sequel to the original Shimotsuma Monogatari novel, titled Shimotsuma Story End - Yanki-chan and Lolita-chan and the Murder Case (下妻物語・完―ヤンキーちゃんとロリータちゃんと殺人事件, Shimotsuma Monogatari Kan - Yankii-chan to Lolita-chan to Satsujinjiken^?)
• The movie's soundtracks was composed by Yōko Kanno, more famous for her scores of anime series and movies
• The opening and ending theme songs of the movie were the A- and B-sides of Tommy heavenly⁶'s single "Hey My Friend"
• Ichigo's scooter is a customized 1985-86 Honda Lead 50cc, most likely the SS or R version. This scooter line was briefly available in the USA as the Aero, of which the Aero 80 bears the closest resemblance. The Lead line of scooters has changed over time and is still widely ridden worldwide.
• In American advertisments, reviews, etc., Momoko is often incorrectly referred to as a Gothic Lolita, when she is in fact a Sweet Lolita. As Goth-loli is the most common subset of Lolita Fashion in the U.S., it is mistakenly used to refer to all of Lolita culture.

Yutaka Ozaki(尾崎豊 Yutaka Ozaki (November 29, 1965 - April 25, 1992) was a popular Japanese musician. ... Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (Shortened to Baby or BTSSB) is the name of a Japanese clothing boutique chain created in 1988 by Akinori Isobe and his wife, Fumiyo. ... The term Yankee currently refers to people from or in New England; by extension it is applied to any resident of the Northeast (New England, Mid-Atlantic, and upper Great Lakes states), to any Northerner during and after the American Civil War, or to other citizens of the United States. ... A Shirololi and punk in Harajuku, Tokyo. ... Yoko Kanno , born March 18, 1964 in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) is a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many seminal anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see Animé (oleo-resin). ... Tomoko Kawase , born February 6, 1975) is a Japanese female singer and also a member of a musical group called the brilliant green, and, sometimes acting both Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6. ... Hey My Friend is Tomoko Kawases second single under Tommy Heavenly6, and the eight overall single from her solo career. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sweet Lolita or amaloli - (あまロリ) is a subcategory of Lolita fashion that takes its main inspiration from Victorian girls fashion, but is also influenced by Rococo and Shōjo manga. ... A Shirololi and punk in Harajuku, Tokyo. ...

External links

• (Japanese) Official website
• (English) Official website
• IMDb entry