Admittedly the first half is better, with its orthodox religious theme, lesbian love, extremist feminism, destructive youth rebellion, teenage erection anxiety, cross-dressing gang, pervert martial arts, sinister cult entwined storyline, it makes a deliciously fucked-up soup, nowhere to be seen in western films. Shock to some, hilarious to many. In the second half the soup turned into murky water, became a tear-jerking love story with a hint of 20th Century boy.
The man-hopping female predator Saori, played by high-spirited actress Makiko Watanabe, can give Samantha in Sex and City run for money, first appeared to be a slut but turned to be very likable and liberating when the film went further. Especially when she chased the rigid priest lover off the cliff and gloriously 'raped' him. From what I know, in certain aspects, Japan is still a conservative and suppressed society, I can't help but think that the violence seep through the dizzy stories and images can be rooted somewhere deeper and darker.
Like many manga/anime, the main characters of the story are high school students, they cry, they laugh, falling in love, committing massacre or saving the world. It makes me wonder what happen to them when they grow up, say, after graduating from uni? Perhaps they all become family types and fade into insignificance.
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