NYAFF XX Review: Yu Irie’s NINJA GIRL, Dispensing Ninja Justice One Dart And Dance Move At A Time
When Yu Irie isn’t thrilling audiences with works like Joker Game, his Memoirs Of A Murderer and A.I. Amok, he’ll also dive a bit into different grades of comedy like with Hibi Rock: Puke Afro and the Pop Star or 2018’s beat ’em up romp, Gangoose. His latest, Ninja Girl, takes a more artful approach boasting the occasional lively and upbeat dance track throughout the more cerebral, quiet tone. The slow-burn notwithstanding, however, it’s rabblerousing shenanigans of Fukuya City’s Mayor and his campaign, running high on a platform of xenophobia with an ordinance underway to signage that bans foreigners, and some of the constituents aren’t having it. This especially includes Goro (Shohei Uno), a former journalist and grandfather to city hall employee, Miu (Saki Fukuda), a quaint, unassuming paper pusher who largely goes unnoticeable by her staff. Goro’s refusal to agree to the ordinance only adds to the discomfort for […]