Rating: 3.5/5
Cult Movie Challenge 2024 | 38/52 | Pinku Violence
Badass biker Ako gives Mei a ride to where Mei’s gang hangs out, the Stray Cats. The Stray Cats face off against another gang in a knife fight. Little do the Stray Cats know, Ako is watching the battle from afar.
The tide turns when the rival gang calls in their boyfriends for help. Ako rides in to help Stray Cats, and they escape with their lives — at least some of them. When Miki shows up bruised and beaten to report that they’ve captured Yuka, the Stray Cats want to give up. But Ako rallies the gang into action.
Aikko Wada, who plays Ako, also did the theme song for the movie. I can’t tell if I want her or want to be her, but she’s cool as hell. Still, the predominantly male audience for this movie favored the more feminine-presenting Mei, played by Meiko Kaji. Mei is the lead in the rest of the Stray Cat Rock series. And to be fair, Meiko Kaji brings far more energy to her scenes.
The counterculture movement soaks the film’s structure and ambiance. The camera is frenetic, and everyone is so stylish. Ako is riding her bike through the city at night, and the vibes are off the charts.
The film loses the most steam when it spends time with the boy gangs and their minutia. Even the camera sits still while they talk, almost as if it is as bored as I am.
Still, this movie is rad — I had a blast.