"Humans are cowards in the face of happiness. It takes courage to hold on to happiness."
The story of a couple of 17-year-old girls who couldn't be more different, charmingly played by Fukuda Kyoko and Anna Tsuchiya, and told in dazzling variety of styles by Tetsuya Nakashima.
Momoko ("Peaches") wishes she had been born in the Rococo period of 18th century France, and wears an adorable array of frilly clothes throughout the movie. She shops at Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (an actual store), is reading up on how to be a Lolita, and is very handy at embroidery.
Ichiko (or really Ichigo, "Strawberry") is a tough biker girl, a yanki (counterculture delinquent) who shows up one day to buy some brand-name knockoff clothing that Momoko's father produced (some of which humorously feature two brands that have nothing to do with one another). She normally shops at Jusco (also a real store, known for cheap, bland clothes), and has a tendency to spit or dole out a headbutt when annoyed by someone. She works in a garage.
Ironically, it's Momoko who is more aloof about making friends with Ichiko, or anyone for that matter. "Humans are born alone," she says, "we think alone and die alone," a sentiment perhaps formed in the wake of her parents' divorce when she was 6. Meanwhile, Ichiko is warmer under her gruff exterior, and gets her heart broken when the guy she loves betrays her, a greaser type humorously wielding wild looks under a giant quiff (Sadao Abe, "the unicorn").
The film mixes themes of coming-of-age, finding friendship, poking fun at crass consumerism, and simply having fun with these wild subcultures in Japan. The pace and editing are brisk, and the quirky aesthetic make it a joy to watch.
The story of a couple of 17-year-old girls who couldn't be more different, charmingly played by Fukuda Kyoko and Anna Tsuchiya, and told in dazzling variety of styles by Tetsuya Nakashima.
Momoko ("Peaches") wishes she had been born in the Rococo period of 18th century France, and wears an adorable array of frilly clothes throughout the movie. She shops at Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (an actual store), is reading up on how to be a Lolita, and is very handy at embroidery.
Ichiko (or really Ichigo, "Strawberry") is a tough biker girl, a yanki (counterculture delinquent) who shows up one day to buy some brand-name knockoff clothing that Momoko's father produced (some of which humorously feature two brands that have nothing to do with one another). She normally shops at Jusco (also a real store, known for cheap, bland clothes), and has a tendency to spit or dole out a headbutt when annoyed by someone. She works in a garage.
Ironically, it's Momoko who is more aloof about making friends with Ichiko, or anyone for that matter. "Humans are born alone," she says, "we think alone and die alone," a sentiment perhaps formed in the wake of her parents' divorce when she was 6. Meanwhile, Ichiko is warmer under her gruff exterior, and gets her heart broken when the guy she loves betrays her, a greaser type humorously wielding wild looks under a giant quiff (Sadao Abe, "the unicorn").
The film mixes themes of coming-of-age, finding friendship, poking fun at crass consumerism, and simply having fun with these wild subcultures in Japan. The pace and editing are brisk, and the quirky aesthetic make it a joy to watch.