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Kamikaze Girls
Meet Momoko, a "Lolita" decked out to the nines in the finest (and frilliest) of Victorian haute couture. The only scion of a drunken interlude between a cowardly yakuza and an inebriated bar-hostess, Momoko's mom has since split the scene, and, after various ill-fated scams that involve imitation brand name merchandise, Momoko's dad relocates them to the boondocks of rural Ibaraki prefecture. To escape her humdrum existence, Momoko fanaticizes about French rococo, dreams of living in the palace of Versailles, and buys all her extremely lacy clothes from an expensive Tokyo boutique.
Meet Ichiko, a tough-talking motorcycle grrrl (on a tricked-out moped) who leads a ladies-only biker gang known as the Ponytails. Together, this unlikeliest of duos strike out on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer, a journey on which they encounter conniving pachinko parlor managers, legendary street-punks, and anemic costumers. Who knows, they might just make it big...if only Ichiko would stop head butting Momoko in the forehead. Novala Takemoto's break-though novel KAMIKAZE GIRLS, already a cult-classic in Japan, is more than a wry coming-of-age picaresque, it's a new way of life.
Meet Ichiko, a tough-talking motorcycle grrrl (on a tricked-out moped) who leads a ladies-only biker gang known as the Ponytails. Together, this unlikeliest of duos strike out on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer, a journey on which they encounter conniving pachinko parlor managers, legendary street-punks, and anemic costumers. Who knows, they might just make it big...if only Ichiko would stop head butting Momoko in the forehead. Novala Takemoto's break-though novel KAMIKAZE GIRLS, already a cult-classic in Japan, is more than a wry coming-of-age picaresque, it's a new way of life.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
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218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 4, 2021
Mannnn they coulda tried a bit harder with this, don’t get me wrong I adoreeeeee kamikaze girls (the novella and the movie that is…) but it was just so so condensed!! Idk, I know it’s only 1 volume but I’m sure they coulda have made it 2 or even 4 to really tell the story properly. Atleast the art was really good I’ll give it that!!
November 17, 2014
Tough women.
Tough femmes.
Strong male ballerina.
Motorbikes.
Butches.
Butches in dresses.
Awesome outfits.
Girl-crushes.
And heaps more.
Tough femmes.
Strong male ballerina.
Motorbikes.
Butches.
Butches in dresses.
Awesome outfits.
Girl-crushes.
And heaps more.
November 23, 2016
Nope, still not over the terrible choice of title! The original "Shimotsuma Story" is very mundane which was exactly the point! (the tiny peach & strawberry worked into the embroidery-styled font is cute tho)
Anyways, the first 3rd of this book is a very condensed, and very cliff's notes/blunt, summary of the original novel. The art isn't much to look at & lacks elegance. All the guys drawn in most generic fashion doesn't help either! The insane pompadour in the movie communicated everything about a certain character in 5 seconds, the manga failed this completely
Then there's a very clumsy Ichigo follow up shot and 2 origi-chara one-shots (that have nothing to do with lolita, just artist's original works)
The one-shots were the most interesting bit of the page count, and even that isn't very good! Seriously, even by shoujo standards a high school girl [?] half-blackmailing an older married [?] guy for an expensive date to "feel like a real adult" is terrible
Anyways, the first 3rd of this book is a very condensed, and very cliff's notes/blunt, summary of the original novel. The art isn't much to look at & lacks elegance. All the guys drawn in most generic fashion doesn't help either! The insane pompadour in the movie communicated everything about a certain character in 5 seconds, the manga failed this completely
Then there's a very clumsy Ichigo follow up shot and 2 origi-chara one-shots (that have nothing to do with lolita, just artist's original works)
The one-shots were the most interesting bit of the page count, and even that isn't very good! Seriously, even by shoujo standards a high school girl [?] half-blackmailing an older married [?] guy for an expensive date to "feel like a real adult" is terrible
May 14, 2018
Kamikaze Girls
is one of my favourite movies. I also really like the original novel, though I do rate the movie higher, and when I was aware there was a manga adaptation, I was really interested to see and read it. After all, I quite enjoy manga and the fact that the original novel has a lot of reference to visual styles that I've seen work well in other manga made me think that it was bound to be a great thing. It was a single volume which I did have some apprehension on, but at the same time was a bit glad of because manga can be pricey.
... The problem is the actual movie adaptation is a very short part of the overall volume, and heavily truncated, leaving good parts of the story out. The art is quite nice, though there's a tendency to make any male under a certain age look ridiculously handsome, which admittedly may just be a thing to me - I quite liked that there wasn't an entire pretty boy cast in the film. The volume also contains a manga adaptation of the sequel which has never really been translated to English as far as I know. It features Ichigo falling for the twin brother of the guy she fell for in the original story. Said twin brother happens to be a ballet dancer. I will give credit, they take the time to point out that ballet dancers have to be strong and very in shape, but overall I felt this sequel story a little lacking.
There's also a bonus story by the artist that... I was not into. Had it been excluded I wouldn't have been bothered.
Overall? ... It was okay. I didn't feel as into it as I did in the way of the film or the actual novel. I'm still glad to have it and to say I've read it, but I don't think it's going to be one that will be often re-read, and my main go to when someone mentions this title is always going to be the film.
... I really would like the see the whole sequel novel translated to English, though...
... The problem is the actual movie adaptation is a very short part of the overall volume, and heavily truncated, leaving good parts of the story out. The art is quite nice, though there's a tendency to make any male under a certain age look ridiculously handsome, which admittedly may just be a thing to me - I quite liked that there wasn't an entire pretty boy cast in the film. The volume also contains a manga adaptation of the sequel which has never really been translated to English as far as I know. It features Ichigo falling for the twin brother of the guy she fell for in the original story. Said twin brother happens to be a ballet dancer. I will give credit, they take the time to point out that ballet dancers have to be strong and very in shape, but overall I felt this sequel story a little lacking.
There's also a bonus story by the artist that... I was not into. Had it been excluded I wouldn't have been bothered.
Overall? ... It was okay. I didn't feel as into it as I did in the way of the film or the actual novel. I'm still glad to have it and to say I've read it, but I don't think it's going to be one that will be often re-read, and my main go to when someone mentions this title is always going to be the film.
... I really would like the see the whole sequel novel translated to English, though...
April 30, 2023
The manga and the hardback version of Kamikaze Girls are quite different from each other. In the movie it takes a while before Momoko meets Ichigo but in the manga the two meet on page 4. Almost all the stuff about her father and his get-rich-quick schemes is left out.
The parts about Ichigo wanting to find Emma and the visits to Baby the Stars Shine Bright are both in the story. In one spot, though, there's a sudden very brief visit to the pachinko parlor.
The parts about Momoko doing embroidery work for the store is in this version and it also ends with the biker fight.
However, there are extra, stories in the manga. Ichigo's Case takes placed after Kamikaze Girls events where she sees a billboard of herself in a Lolita outfit. Also, Ichigo gets invited to a wedding of a guy she had feelings for.
Koyubi, the Pinky-Ring Princess is the third story and is about a young girl having feelings for a adult man. The last story is Nakayubi Hime or the Middle Finger princess.
The last two are sort of interesting. There's also a few pages from the actual hardback book.
The graphics are typical manga style. I'm not sure if I like drawings of Ichigo, though.
The parts about Ichigo wanting to find Emma and the visits to Baby the Stars Shine Bright are both in the story. In one spot, though, there's a sudden very brief visit to the pachinko parlor.
The parts about Momoko doing embroidery work for the store is in this version and it also ends with the biker fight.
However, there are extra, stories in the manga. Ichigo's Case takes placed after Kamikaze Girls events where she sees a billboard of herself in a Lolita outfit. Also, Ichigo gets invited to a wedding of a guy she had feelings for.
Koyubi, the Pinky-Ring Princess is the third story and is about a young girl having feelings for a adult man. The last story is Nakayubi Hime or the Middle Finger princess.
The last two are sort of interesting. There's also a few pages from the actual hardback book.
The graphics are typical manga style. I'm not sure if I like drawings of Ichigo, though.
June 11, 2023
I was sorting out our manga shelves, putting the series in the right order (very satisfying) and selecting stuff to donate to my local library. And here was a manga I didn’t even know we had (does this tell you something about the state of our manga shelves… ahem?). Me: “My goodness, is this based on that movie?” The “Kamikaze Girls” movie (I don’t understand why they had to transform the Japanese title in such a stupid manner) from 2004 is extremely nice, following quirky, crazy, misfit characters and their friendship. I can recommend it, but unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the manga.
The movie plot takes up about a third of the volume – things are rushed through, compressed, and are sometimes incomprehensible. The art is barely adequate and I did not enjoy it at all. The rest of the book is a kind of fanfic :( The last short story has different characters and is really disgusting and creepy – it’s about a high school student having an affair with an older man. Gaah. Why was this included? Excuse me for a moment while I go wash my eyes.
The movie plot takes up about a third of the volume – things are rushed through, compressed, and are sometimes incomprehensible. The art is barely adequate and I did not enjoy it at all. The rest of the book is a kind of fanfic :( The last short story has different characters and is really disgusting and creepy – it’s about a high school student having an affair with an older man. Gaah. Why was this included? Excuse me for a moment while I go wash my eyes.
September 28, 2021
The main story was great, if a little short. And I liked the sequel short story about Momoko and Ichigo.
I did NOT like that short story with completely different characters. It had hella creepy undertones (not in a good, spooky way...) which I did not care for. Just how much older than Ririka is that dude?!?! Just...no. No no no. It comes off like Kashiwagi is taking advantage of Ririka’s utter immature stupidity, and the reader is supposed to root for them. Absolutely not. Anyways.
Read for the main story and sequel, not the rest.
I did NOT like that short story with completely different characters. It had hella creepy undertones (not in a good, spooky way...) which I did not care for. Just how much older than Ririka is that dude?!?! Just...no. No no no. It comes off like Kashiwagi is taking advantage of Ririka’s utter immature stupidity, and the reader is supposed to root for them. Absolutely not. Anyways.
Read for the main story and sequel, not the rest.
February 11, 2020
I am new to the Manga world so I have been reading different styles to get a taste of whats out there. This was my first experience with Lolita's and Yankis in a shojo genre. It was different, hard to follow at times, but entertaining. I did not understand the third story with a completely different set of characters and how it fits in with the first two stories.
September 24, 2023
i enjoyed the first story. the second one felt a little unnecessary in the overall narrative of kamikaze girls but it did introduce a new character that is willing to break gender norms.
unfortunately, reading the third story in this book led me to give this book a 2 star rating. that story should just be skipped because it deals with a minor getting into a relationship with a much older, recently divorced man.
unfortunately, reading the third story in this book led me to give this book a 2 star rating. that story should just be skipped because it deals with a minor getting into a relationship with a much older, recently divorced man.
June 25, 2020
Mostly good.
Gave a third experience of the Kamikaze Girls after the movie and the book itself. But I knocked off a star because the final manga was creepy and NOT kamikaze girls! Waste of story space. No thanks.
Gave a third experience of the Kamikaze Girls after the movie and the book itself. But I knocked off a star because the final manga was creepy and NOT kamikaze girls! Waste of story space. No thanks.
January 2, 2018
2.5 stars, ok book, not a keeper.
September 16, 2018
Was not a fan of the bonus stories.
January 9, 2019
Not bad
Read
July 10, 2021Momoko and Ichigo friendship story - 5/5!
One shot of young girl with older man - not sure I liked this part.
One shot of young girl with older man - not sure I liked this part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2021
Cerita Momoko dengan Ichigo menarik - mengenai persahabatan. Cuma The Pinky Ring Princess tu agak kurang
May 31, 2023
I loved the first two stories, but the third one about the highschool student and businessman made me uncomfortable. I have no strong feelings about the fourth. It was so short.
January 7, 2024
this was cute. i could dig it.
Read
April 2, 2024so cutee!! the unrelated side story was 😟..tho.. I need to read the novel soon 💓💓
July 5, 2024
The movie is more worth your time.
November 25, 2024
I am only disappointed that this wasn't longer. Most of it is a filler of a secondary story completely unrelated to Momoko and Ichigo.
June 5, 2025
2,5/5 ⭐️ Personally, i believe that the movie is better. Most things seemed rushed here, it may be because it is an one volume manga.
September 13, 2012
~2/5
[Also available at my blog.]
I believe I have stated this before, but I love VIZ Media. More specifically, Shojo Beat. They are, by far, my favorite manga provider. I have read most of their releases, save for, probably, a handful, and you could probably see that I’ve reviewed more of their books than any other companies.
I realized, somewhat recently, that I’d missed some of their older one-shots. At the time, I guess I just had little interest in them, and then had mostly forgotten about them. Upon seeing this volume at the bookstore, though, I decided to pick it up. And was a bit disappointed.
The main reason I hadn’t picked this one up before, I think, was because of the artwork. I’m usually very picky about this; if I don’t like the art, I don’t want to read it. For this one, I thought, I’ll give it a try anyway; it’s only one book.
The art style didn’t really get any better. It wasn’t bad, and I guess I kind of got used to it, but it was definitely not my favorite.
The storyline I also didn’t particularly care for. The main storyline, two chapters, was about Momoko, a Lolita girl, who decides to help Ichigo, a yanki girl, find this certain store. On the way, they go to this Lolita store, where Momoko drags Ichigo into helping the owner with this modeling thing. And then in the second chapter, Ichigo has to face this crush she has on a boy that’s marrying a friend of hers, while forming a relationship with the boy’s brother.
None of this sounds too bad, but the whole thing just jumped much too quickly. Their friendship formed at a reasonable pace, and I can look past the two girls helping with the modeling thing because, even if it annoys me, it’s a typical thing to happen. But the love thing I did not like.
Momoko has reason to like the guy who owns the Lolita shop, but that didn’t really seem to go anywhere; at least, it didn’t show us if it did. But Ichigo fell in love with this yanki guy upon first sight and after having a very tiny conversation, in what was the most unbelievable bout of insta-love I have ever seen. And of course Momoko can tell, and then Ichigo has a hard time getting over it when she finds out that he’s marrying her yanki friend, a girl who she looks up to. And then she starts getting close with the guys brother, and I didn’t really believe their relationship either.
The general plot didn’t bother me, and it could have been good, but it just wasn’t done very well.
After that, there was another short story, one chapter plus a tiny extra. I had hoped it would be better, but it really wasn’t.
Titled Koyubi Hime (The Pinky-Ring Princess), it’s about a high school girl who ends up forcing this older guy into a date with her, and then falls for him. My biggest problem with this, is how the girl forced the date. She kept something of his to force him into it, claiming to want to be an adult, act like an adult, be treated like an adult, when she was obviously very childish. And then her ending resolution on that just didn’t fit or resolve anything on that matter. Not for me, at least.
At first it bothered me that he’d agreed to the date, and did some stuff with her, when he was supposed to be married, and why she would do this with a married man. But then it turns out he’s actually divorced, which I’d expected, and then that makes me wonder why he agreed to go out with this high school girl when he didn't care about the ring. It was just… dumb. It was all just dumb and I didn’t enjoy it.
The extra story, only a few pages long, was about their relationship later, and it was rather cute. It was probably my favorite part of the book. Didn’t really make up for the rest of it, but, you know, was still pretty good.
I probably wouldn't read another of Kanesada's works, and don't really have much interest in the novel this was based on, even though I'm sure it's better. I do plan on getting another of Shojo Beat's one-shots if I find one like I did this one, though.
[Also available at my blog.]
I believe I have stated this before, but I love VIZ Media. More specifically, Shojo Beat. They are, by far, my favorite manga provider. I have read most of their releases, save for, probably, a handful, and you could probably see that I’ve reviewed more of their books than any other companies.
I realized, somewhat recently, that I’d missed some of their older one-shots. At the time, I guess I just had little interest in them, and then had mostly forgotten about them. Upon seeing this volume at the bookstore, though, I decided to pick it up. And was a bit disappointed.
The main reason I hadn’t picked this one up before, I think, was because of the artwork. I’m usually very picky about this; if I don’t like the art, I don’t want to read it. For this one, I thought, I’ll give it a try anyway; it’s only one book.
The art style didn’t really get any better. It wasn’t bad, and I guess I kind of got used to it, but it was definitely not my favorite.
The storyline I also didn’t particularly care for. The main storyline, two chapters, was about Momoko, a Lolita girl, who decides to help Ichigo, a yanki girl, find this certain store. On the way, they go to this Lolita store, where Momoko drags Ichigo into helping the owner with this modeling thing. And then in the second chapter, Ichigo has to face this crush she has on a boy that’s marrying a friend of hers, while forming a relationship with the boy’s brother.
None of this sounds too bad, but the whole thing just jumped much too quickly. Their friendship formed at a reasonable pace, and I can look past the two girls helping with the modeling thing because, even if it annoys me, it’s a typical thing to happen. But the love thing I did not like.
Momoko has reason to like the guy who owns the Lolita shop, but that didn’t really seem to go anywhere; at least, it didn’t show us if it did. But Ichigo fell in love with this yanki guy upon first sight and after having a very tiny conversation, in what was the most unbelievable bout of insta-love I have ever seen. And of course Momoko can tell, and then Ichigo has a hard time getting over it when she finds out that he’s marrying her yanki friend, a girl who she looks up to. And then she starts getting close with the guys brother, and I didn’t really believe their relationship either.
The general plot didn’t bother me, and it could have been good, but it just wasn’t done very well.
After that, there was another short story, one chapter plus a tiny extra. I had hoped it would be better, but it really wasn’t.
Titled Koyubi Hime (The Pinky-Ring Princess), it’s about a high school girl who ends up forcing this older guy into a date with her, and then falls for him. My biggest problem with this, is how the girl forced the date. She kept something of his to force him into it, claiming to want to be an adult, act like an adult, be treated like an adult, when she was obviously very childish. And then her ending resolution on that just didn’t fit or resolve anything on that matter. Not for me, at least.
At first it bothered me that he’d agreed to the date, and did some stuff with her, when he was supposed to be married, and why she would do this with a married man. But then it turns out he’s actually divorced, which I’d expected, and then that makes me wonder why he agreed to go out with this high school girl when he didn't care about the ring. It was just… dumb. It was all just dumb and I didn’t enjoy it.
The extra story, only a few pages long, was about their relationship later, and it was rather cute. It was probably my favorite part of the book. Didn’t really make up for the rest of it, but, you know, was still pretty good.
I probably wouldn't read another of Kanesada's works, and don't really have much interest in the novel this was based on, even though I'm sure it's better. I do plan on getting another of Shojo Beat's one-shots if I find one like I did this one, though.
March 9, 2016
This is a review on the manga. Since this story has 3 different versions, a novel, a manga and a movie book (?)
there is one other book by this name, by Stefan Gesell? But it is a totally different story
I first heard about this story online. On a movie site called 'Flixster'. I really like Lolita fashion and also I love old fashioned French fashion, I think it is really pretty. So I had a look to check out the book. Decided on the manga. The front cover Was really attractive to me
The manga is split up into 4 stories. The main kamikaze girls story, a short sequel to that and 2 stories not about the Kamikaze girls, hut about a young girl who wants to feel like an adult and starts dating and living with a married man. Plus a small extract at the back about the novel version of this book. All the art in this manga is done by one person entirely. The two kamikaze girls stories are just written by the author. The two other stories are by the illustrator. The illustrater done everything in this manga, apart from the Kamikaze story (they turned it into art, which I just explained). Hope that makes sense!
I got the book in November last year. But decided on taking a read finally now. It is ok I guess. I liked the art. But I just couldn't really follow it. Remembering all the characters names I found quite difficult being Japanese and all the guys looked the same to me. The masculine main girl character (not Momoko) looked too much like a man I got her confused with male characters. She has no eyelashes, so it got confusing. I also had no attachment to any characters. Momoko is completely...strange. She is so obsessed with Lolita fashion! And I found her quite selfish at times. It is not known how she pays for the fashion in the manga, But I believe it is explained in the novel she steals off her parents. In one point of the manga, I think she says she has never bought from 'baby the stars shine bright', but it seems like she does. The story is very hard to follow in my opinion. It is also gets a little violent in one point and one particular scene creeped me out. People who have read this manga might know what I mean. (blooding dripping side of lip scene!!! Argh!!). Eventually Momoko and the other lead character become pretty close and Momoko learns to be less selfish. But i was still very disappointed in this story. I might pick up the novel and see if I can follow, like and understand it better. The sequel story to the main I sort of enjoyed more. But I still didn't like it too much.
The final two stories...well. Completely random ones. They have nothing to do with the 'Kamikaze Girl's story. The manga back cover and front mentions nothing of them at all too! Strange!
The story is called 'Pinky Ring Princess'
It is about this girl, who meets a married man and wants to be treated like an adult. She is tired of being called 'cute' etc. Somehow he agrees and they sleep together (ew!! She is so young and he is married!) and he gives her a pinky ring. In the second story they finally 'do it' for real and it seems like at the end he falls for her. I don't really understand what went on in the story. I felt it moved really fast. I don't even know what went on too much. That is why I'm not too huge on manga. The Japanese names and remembering them, following stories...really difficult for me. The only manga I have been able to understand pretty well and enjoy thoroughly is 'stepping on roses'. It is less complicated with how it is set up.
3 stars. 3 because it wasn't an awful story and had pretty art. Just not my cup of tea
I might check out the novel. Depends. But then again, the art is practically the only reason I kept reading this manga! So I don't know. I don't know much about the other version of this story. Pictures of the movie and Japanese writing? Something like that?
there is one other book by this name, by Stefan Gesell? But it is a totally different story
I first heard about this story online. On a movie site called 'Flixster'. I really like Lolita fashion and also I love old fashioned French fashion, I think it is really pretty. So I had a look to check out the book. Decided on the manga. The front cover Was really attractive to me
The manga is split up into 4 stories. The main kamikaze girls story, a short sequel to that and 2 stories not about the Kamikaze girls, hut about a young girl who wants to feel like an adult and starts dating and living with a married man. Plus a small extract at the back about the novel version of this book. All the art in this manga is done by one person entirely. The two kamikaze girls stories are just written by the author. The two other stories are by the illustrator. The illustrater done everything in this manga, apart from the Kamikaze story (they turned it into art, which I just explained). Hope that makes sense!
I got the book in November last year. But decided on taking a read finally now. It is ok I guess. I liked the art. But I just couldn't really follow it. Remembering all the characters names I found quite difficult being Japanese and all the guys looked the same to me. The masculine main girl character (not Momoko) looked too much like a man I got her confused with male characters. She has no eyelashes, so it got confusing. I also had no attachment to any characters. Momoko is completely...strange. She is so obsessed with Lolita fashion! And I found her quite selfish at times. It is not known how she pays for the fashion in the manga, But I believe it is explained in the novel she steals off her parents. In one point of the manga, I think she says she has never bought from 'baby the stars shine bright', but it seems like she does. The story is very hard to follow in my opinion. It is also gets a little violent in one point and one particular scene creeped me out. People who have read this manga might know what I mean. (blooding dripping side of lip scene!!! Argh!!). Eventually Momoko and the other lead character become pretty close and Momoko learns to be less selfish. But i was still very disappointed in this story. I might pick up the novel and see if I can follow, like and understand it better. The sequel story to the main I sort of enjoyed more. But I still didn't like it too much.
The final two stories...well. Completely random ones. They have nothing to do with the 'Kamikaze Girl's story. The manga back cover and front mentions nothing of them at all too! Strange!
The story is called 'Pinky Ring Princess'
It is about this girl, who meets a married man and wants to be treated like an adult. She is tired of being called 'cute' etc. Somehow he agrees and they sleep together (ew!! She is so young and he is married!) and he gives her a pinky ring. In the second story they finally 'do it' for real and it seems like at the end he falls for her. I don't really understand what went on in the story. I felt it moved really fast. I don't even know what went on too much. That is why I'm not too huge on manga. The Japanese names and remembering them, following stories...really difficult for me. The only manga I have been able to understand pretty well and enjoy thoroughly is 'stepping on roses'. It is less complicated with how it is set up.
3 stars. 3 because it wasn't an awful story and had pretty art. Just not my cup of tea
I might check out the novel. Depends. But then again, the art is practically the only reason I kept reading this manga! So I don't know. I don't know much about the other version of this story. Pictures of the movie and Japanese writing? Something like that?
September 20, 2015
Kamikaze Girls is a manga broken into three separate sections: the first part ties in with the movie and novel, the second is a sequel, and the third is a bonus story featuring different characters. The first and second sections are both interesting - they feature a compelling plot, but the story is so rushed that the climax, in which Momoko and Ichiko realize how much they've helped each other, isn't very powerful and the "reward" of their friendship doesn't seem deserved. The story moves too quickly; I've never read the novel or seen the movie, so I'm not sure if those have the same pitfalls as the manga.
Third section with the separate story left me with mixed feelings. I liked the theme of a girl wanting to be treated like an adult; after all, how many times did we feel like this growing up when we wanted our parents to trust us? However, the story offers dating an older man as the solution, and I'm not totally sure this relationship - which might be statutory rape, depending on their undisclosed ages - makes much sense.
Third section with the separate story left me with mixed feelings. I liked the theme of a girl wanting to be treated like an adult; after all, how many times did we feel like this growing up when we wanted our parents to trust us? However, the story offers dating an older man as the solution, and I'm not totally sure this relationship - which might be statutory rape, depending on their undisclosed ages - makes much sense.
February 24, 2014
So, the book this is based on is really good. I remember that when this first came out in the US, out of the book, the manga, and the movie, I likedthe book the best, then the manga, then the movie. Rereading the manga, though, I didn't really like it. It's not a very good adaptation. The art isn't very compelling, in terms of being a graphic novel. The actual drawing style is passable, but the way it's adapted from the novel isn't very compelling. The sample of the novel in the back makes me really want to dig up my hardcover copy of it.
The second story in the manga is sort of a sequel, a romance between a character who was unlucky in love, and the twin of their original interest. I liked it, because I liked this new character and how they interacted with the other character. That part of the story isn't in any of the other versions, but it isn't enough to boost the manga up all that much.
The story itself is good, but I recommend the novel a whole lot more than this.
The second story in the manga is sort of a sequel, a romance between a character who was unlucky in love, and the twin of their original interest. I liked it, because I liked this new character and how they interacted with the other character. That part of the story isn't in any of the other versions, but it isn't enough to boost the manga up all that much.
The story itself is good, but I recommend the novel a whole lot more than this.
February 9, 2015
The manga still had it's funny parts, which I love so much, but it rushed way too fast through the whole story. It's still a nice one and if you know the original story than you can find the similarities. I would recommend everyone to check out the novel. You'll learn so much more about the characters and it'll give you a whole different feeling. You should also
check out the movie. It gives it's own nice touch to the whole story.
If you're already a fan of Kamikaze Girls and you want to add this to your collection, please do so. But don't think the manga will give you the same feeling as the book or movie. It's just a nice little ad on to the whole Kamikaze Girls universe.
check out the movie. It gives it's own nice touch to the whole story.
If you're already a fan of Kamikaze Girls and you want to add this to your collection, please do so. But don't think the manga will give you the same feeling as the book or movie. It's just a nice little ad on to the whole Kamikaze Girls universe.
July 5, 2014
i just watched the movie and decided to reread the manga while i was at it. i have to say, it kind of suffers in comparison. the manga moves too fast to really earn the friendship payoff the movie does, though i will give it props for connecting the storylines a little better (the whole gang challenge comes out of nowhere in the movie). also i am iffy on the side story with the high school girl and host guy. :/ 2.5 stars
August 18, 2010
Significantly more shallow than the novel, although the restructured plot works a bit better in some ways. Over half the book is filled with three other short stories: one a romantic tale focused on Ichigo, and two other short romances with a princess "theme" that mostly comes through in the title. Mostly of interest to Novala Takemoto completists.
August 30, 2024
Kamikaze Girls
Novala Takemoto
Kamikaze Girls o Chicas Kamikaze, originalmente publicada en Japón como Shimotsuma Story–Yankee Girl & Lolita Girl (下妻物語――ヤンキーちゃんとロリータちゃん Shimotsuma Monogatari-Yanki-chan to Rorita-chan), es una novela ligera de 2002 escrita por Novala Takemoto que cuenta con una adaptación manga y una película.
Reseña:
My (lesbian) roman empire.
Novala Takemoto
Kamikaze Girls o Chicas Kamikaze, originalmente publicada en Japón como Shimotsuma Story–Yankee Girl & Lolita Girl (下妻物語――ヤンキーちゃんとロリータちゃん Shimotsuma Monogatari-Yanki-chan to Rorita-chan), es una novela ligera de 2002 escrita por Novala Takemoto que cuenta con una adaptación manga y una película.
Reseña:
My (lesbian) roman empire.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews