Description

Every high school has its misfits, its square pegs, its rebels. St. Michael’s Academy, nestled on an impossibly pretty and strangely remote Japanese island, is no exception. In fact, given the atmosphere of strictness, propriety and even subtle menace looming over the elite, aristocratic, Catholic boarding school, it’s no wonder Fumio, Kazune and Yuzuko quickly bond over their dislike of the place (and their mutual love of chicken ramen noodles… how déclassé!). With rumours of rich girls being kidnapped in the region, the wards—and even more so, their legal guardians, including the school’s enigmatic headmaster, Mr. Lawrence, and Fumio’s stoic, controlling brother Kazuomi—are suspicious and on alert. Then an accidental and inexplicable unleashing of magic power infuses the girls with spectacular abilities. When the truth about the kidnappings is revealed, they’re going to need them!

With nutty jokes and sight gags, gothic glitter and razzle dazzle, martial-arts mayhem and hallucinatory animation, warped Christian signs and wonders, cool tunes (care of MetalChicks featuring Sugar Yoshinaga of Buffalo Daughter) and a candy-store colour scheme, Arch Angels is the kind of digital confection that tempts your sweet tooth before promptly knocking it out with a roundhouse kick. Based on Izumi Kawahara’s popular manga Warau Mikaeru, and brought to life by acclaimed rock-video director Issei Oda, it makes no bones about being Japan’s own technotronic, psychedelic, glam-rock mash-up of Harry Potter and Charlie’s Angels!

—Rupert Bottenberg

Website

http://www.albatros-film.com/movie/micha

Credits

Director: Issei Oda
Screenplay: Motoki Yoshimura, Issei Oda
Cast: Juri Ueno, Megumi Seki, Airi Taira, Yusuke Iseya
Producers: Dai Miyazaki, Issei Shibata
Distributor: Geneon Entertainment Inc.