The first 15 or so minutes of the movie is nothing out the ordinary and is exactly as the synopsis says it is. Tsuchiya Tao so far, as Yukina, fits the cast of Every Japanese Shoujo Heroine™. The REAL fun of the movie starts when Yukina and Kei meet Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro's character) and try convincing him to be a pilot in the club again. What ensues is a hilarious scream-off between Yukina and Sakaba, owing to their headstrong personalities and loud voices, which is both extremely cute and displays the incredible chemistry between the two characters that never goes away throughout the duration of the movie.
That said, don't watch this expecting a cute romance; there isn't one. One-sided, sure (I won't say who), but definitely nobody becomes a couple at the end of the movie. I was a little disappointed at first, naturally, but in figured that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter- it didn't matter to the two people involved, anyway. Yet, I hope there is a Part 2 so that my hopeful little heart is in peace.
Tl;dr: If you're a fan of cute comedy and amazing chemistry (that is only sometimes romantic- emphasis on SOMETIMES), you will love this movie just as much as I did.
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I had no real expectations for the story, but was a little hesitant about the genre. I’m not really into sports themed movies because I often find they’re way too bogged down with cheesy tropes. If you’re like me, never fear! This movie strikes a perfect balance between sports and story, and I was completely glued to the screen near the end, holding my breath with excitement. Human-powered aircraft is actually really cool and the movie makes it look very thrilling!
The best thing about this movie is definitely the electric chemistry between Yukina (Tsuchiya Tao) and Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro). They’re both so hot-headed that it felt like a genuine love/hate relationship and I was laughing my head off at their crazy attempts to outdo each other. Their bickering and yelling contrasted so well with their quietly beautiful friendship. It’s not a romance movie, but you will fall in love this couple! Needless to say I definitely fell a little in love with Mamiya Shotaro. This movie brought a really hilarious ensemble cast together and they made everything work. The comedy is top notch!
The music was also awesome! The periodic use of “secret base" was hilarious. I love that song and they made it both a comedic choice and a more emotional choice. I loved it!
Rewatch value for this one is definitely high. I would probably rewatch it tonight! Definitely don’t miss this movie!!
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The chemistry between all the actors and the hilarious situations were on point. I want more of these character.
Without doubt one of the best J-film I've seen recently. Zero angst, zero tension. zero cheesiness. Everything was perfect. Also can I mention that my favorite character here is Kei? He was such a cutie and the end was just perfect.
Definite gem. 10/10. A must watch.
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However, don't expect there to be any romance...there's only friendship..and comedy..:P (spoiler mentioned in the comments) Man, the two leads screaming at each other had me cracking up...especially their bickering when they were flying..xD
SPOILER!!! << And it was hilarious how she just flat out rejected him..xD it was unexpected but I liked that romance wasn't added to the story. It was refreshing to see only friendship for a change. :) >>
For a shoujo manga, this movie wasn't cheesy and it was enjoyable to watch. :) Also the music was spot on! It just adds to the excitement and comedy.
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Tori Girl is a very fun movie to watch.
At first I thought it was a little boring but after the first 15 to 20 minutes, the story starts to build and it gets very funny.
Tao, Shotaro and Mahiro did a very good job with their role. I also am happy to see Elaiza Ikeda in this movie.
The movie is interesting especially the aircraft part of it.
Longer review here: https://elijahmaliksmom.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/tori-girl/
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Tsuchiya Tao & Mamiya Shotaro's chemistry is the best!
The movie is a pretty simple youth/sports-themed story. It tells the story of friends and colleagues working hard together towards a certain goal so expect a lot of energy clashing through the movie.Perhaps the main highlight of this movie in my opinion was the electric chemistry between Tsuchiya Tao and Mamiya Shotaro! Their banters felt natural, their comedic timings match, and watching them together just easily make you root for them. I hope to see them in another project again as they have one of the strongest chemistry in J-ent that I've watched!
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A really fun film about passionate youth!
Let me start with saying that Tori Girl was the film I needed in my life and didn’t even knew about it. Everything about this story is outstanding and here’s why.Japanese films about university students when done well are some of the best and most endearing stories you will ever find. There’s a particular rhythm and feel to this slice of life productions. Usually, in this stories, universities aren’t a place where you study: they’re a place where you join an incredibly interesting club, filled with odd and good hearted characters. Perhaps you will even find love or at the very least a crush. And Tori Girl has all this elements… with a twist. A twist so refreshing that makes the film stand out from al others.
Drifter Yukina (Tsuchiya Tao) has no aim in life and hates her university, where there are mostly male student and almost none of them is as cute as the usual leading man. Everything changes when she meets cute Kazumi (Ikeda Elaiza) and smooth talker Kei (Takasugi Mahiro) who is captain of the Team Birdman Trial, the Human-powered Aircraft Society. Convinced she will be teaming up with him, she gives her all to the team until her path crosses with apparent delinquent Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro), with whom she develops an antagonistic relationship and must learn to bond with in order to win the competition.
Yukina is an incredibly amusing and gutsy protagonist in a journey to find her calling, who demands to be respected by her peers. This is only emphasised by her first meeting with Sakaba, who changes up the entire tone of the film. Mamiya introduces Sakaba in the most hilarious way, pushing the film to a heightened level and it leaves an impression.
The rest of the cast is equally great and while I would have love to see more of them, I am satisfied with what we got. I know these kids will keep on getting on each others’ nerves and grow stronger as friend long after the closing credits end.
Heavy on team-building with a team captain who is a cheeky bastard that knows exactly how to play his cards, but most importantly a fun dynamic with two leads that will keep you entretened until the final minute, Tori Girl is literally an uplifting film you can’t miss out on!
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What fun!
I decided to watch this so I could see Mamiya Shotaro in a lead role, and he was completely different than in other roles in which I've seen. Loud, mean, uncouth, brash, driven, set-apart - these are words you could use to drive his character. And you would, at the beginning. Wait until you are further into the movie, and you'll think caring, hidden depths and thoughtful, not only in his outward actions, but in the way he he was going through life.He and the FL had such a fun relationship. This would NOT be a healthy relationship in the real world, but when played for laughs it absolutely worked. Never have two people been more in sync than when they are screaming at each other! I'm going to do some research to see if the two actors have worked together before. I would love to see them together in something else to see if the chemistry is still there.
I loved how this movie focused on the main couple and everyone else pretty much faded into the background. They were there solely to bring the spotlight to the main couple.
I'll be honest, I don't remember the music. I was too busy laughing and enjoying the movie.
I will definitely re-watch this movie when I just need an hour or so of fun.
I would recommend this movie, absolutely!
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