The World of Kanako (2014)

The World of Kanako: Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. With Kôji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hiroya Shimizu. As former detective Akikazu searches for his missing daughter, Kanako, he soon learns she has a mysterious secret life.

“This is one of those films that you need to pay attention to. It is about Kanako Fujishima who is a bright and beautiful high school student. She is u0026#39;the cool setu0026#39; all by herself and everyone wants to know her. Then one day she goes missing with no trace and no apparent reason for having done so. She lives with her mum who has divorced her father due to his atrocious behaviour.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHe was a cop who quit the force around the same time and has become a drug and drink dependant security guard ever since – a state of affairs which has done little to improve his behaviour. However, when their daughter goes missing he is called by his estranged wife to find her. Thus begins a search in which he wants to find his daughter, but in doing so he uncovers a whole side to her that he had never imagined.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow this is a film that I completely loved and was a bit bowled over by to be honest. It starts a bit full on with plenty of blood splatter – a theme that is repeated rather a lot throughout the 114 minute run time. Ex cop Akikazu is a real u0026#39;piece of worku0026#39;, brutish, violent, paradoxical and about as likable as a bout of gangrene.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHe explodes onto the screen is a flurry of abuse which he sort of maintains throughout. He drives a 1970u0026#39;s Nissan Gloria which is in keeping with a lot of the styling here. That being the opening sequences are very seventies and full of Batman like words imposed in cartoon on the screen – mainly violent or profane. There is animation throughout too. It is violent, it is bonkers in places and to my amazement I actually laughed a couple of times. There are a few minor issues with continuity but nothing that could possibly detract from the overall impact of this great piece of Japanese movie making.”