written by SION SONO

    

original Japanese title: REDDO BUREIDDO [Red Blade]

Director: Takahiro Ishihara           written by Sion Sono and Toshiki Kimura
Starring Yûka Ogura · Kanon Hanakage · Himena Tsukimiya · Tak Sakaguchi

      

Things are not going well for teenage girl Mako (Yuka Ogura). Her parents fight constantly over money troubles. She’s bullied at school. And her father gets mixed up with a ruthless gang and is arrested for racketeering. But then, when her life seems to be at its lowest point, she gets a paper-cut [yes, a paper-cut]. This opens a portal into a fantasy storybook world. Here, she becomes a ninja trainee, learning the martial arts skills from master ninja Saizo (Tak Sakaguchi), along with fellow students Hiro (Himena Tsukimiya) and Yu (Kanon Hanakage). Soon, she learns how to handle school bullies and help her father against the gangsters.

Many genre fans will remember Tak Sakaguchi from his stunning debut film VERSUS in 2000. The leading actress here, Yuka Ogura, is best known for her incredible stunt work in Sion Sono's PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND (2021) which resulted in Sono's work here. He wrote this movie to highlight her fighting skills. His co-writer, Toshiki Kimura, is the scripter for Taskashi Miike, most notable for penning ICHI THE KILLER.