Kamikaze Girls

Inspired by the cult classic film Kamikaze Girls!Life in the boondocks of rural Ibaraki prefecture is anything but glamorous, and to escape her humdrum existence, Momoko, a "Lolita," fanaticizes about French rococo, dreams of living in the palace of Versailles, and decks herself out in the finest (and frilliest) of 18th century haute couture from an expensive Tokyo specialty store. Her dreams of an idyllic existence are rudely interrupted by the appearance of Ichigo, a tough-talking "Yanki" motorcycle-chick (on a tricked-out moped) who's part of a girls-only biker gang known as the Ponytails. Together, this unlikeliest of duos strikes out on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer, a journey that takes them to back-alley pachinko parlors, chic boutiques, and epic bike-punk battles. Novala Takemoto's hit novel [ital.] Kamikaze Girls [ital.], already a cult-classic in Japan and the inspiration for an internationally acclaimed film of the same name, is more than a quirky coming-of-age tale, it's a new way of life.Momoko is a Lolita, devoted to French Rococo, 18th century fashion, Vivienne Westwood shoes and embroidery. Ichigo is a Yanki whose loyalty to her moped--and her all-girl biker gang--borders on the fanatic. What could possibly bring these two outsiders with incredibly different personalities together amongst the rice paddies of rural Japan? Is it possible for a Yanki and a Lolita to coexist without copious amounts of bloodshed? Or are Ichigo and Momoko fated to form a bond that will transcend the boundaries of fashion and logic?A cult classic in Japan, Novala Takemoto's wildly entertaining Kamikaze Girls is also the inspiration for an internationally acclaimed film of the same name.