Touches You

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Kite is an orphaned girl who kills for her controller, who supposedly saved her. Filled with some real gore, super violent content and a decent story line, avoid the lame live action movie and see this instead.

NOTE: This review is based on the chopped-to-sh!t U.S. release...KITE is basically an all-filler, little-substance anime with some semi-twisted pedophiliac undertones. Unfortunately, the copy that I have has all the hardcore hentai material cut out of it, which is extremely disappointing and knocks it down a few notches in my book.Sawa is young female assassin being "pimped" by a sleazy police-detective named Akai and his partner. Along the way, Sawa meets another young assassin, a boy named Obury, who is also being exploited by Akai. The two decide after a few encounters together that they wanna leave "the life" - but find that it's not as easy as it may seem...KITE has a good bit of action packed into it's (U.S. release) 45-minute run-time. Some of it is well-done and "exciting" - some is over-the-top and ridiculous. Regardless, there's plenty of gun-play, explosions, and bloodshed to keep the more hardcore anime fans happy. The exclusion of the hardcore sex material, like I mentioned before - is a huge disappointment to me, but personally - I can't say I liked this one enough to bother seeking out the uncut version. The storyline seemed (as other reviewers have rightly noted...) a bit rushed and the ending was abrupt. The pedo undertones will probably bother some (apparently, in the uncut release there are several graphic sex-scenes involving Sawa - who looks about 13 except for her big-ass titties and is often referred to as "young" - often meaning under 18...) - but being that it's a cartoon, it didn't bother me in this case. Worth a look to violent-anime fans - I SERIOUSLY suggest tracking down an uncut version...6/10 (probably would have been an 8/10 had the hentai material been intact)

Director and storyboarder Yasuomi Umetsu's high octane visuals hang from KITE's basic, unoriginal storyline, but don't let that put you off this pleasing document.An assassin forced to kill and driven into occasional sexual servitude by perverted bosses is the basic set-up of this excuse for subversion (nothing wrong with that).That the assassin looks twelve (despite her concessionary breasts) is why KITE is questionable material in more conservative circles.The shoot-outs are beautifully realized and the sound effects are sharp and effective. Umetsu has a passion for the domino effect of violence as one grisly atrocity begets another until the Tokyo streets and subways resemble a hellish inferno.The erotic sequences, cut or softened in some versions, are as explicit as you can possibly get and gorgeously drawn.The 2004 Kitty Media DVD (the only one to get) is totally uncut, as is a German disc released a couple of year's ago (sans English subs).KITE is juvenile in spots, slow in others, but it's a good animated co-feature if you're thinking of screening Luc Besson's THE PROFESSIONAL for your comrades.

ok, this is nuts. now, this is another title where a deep grasp of psychological understanding is necessary. now, in my opinion, going around and blowing peoples heads off for no apparent reason is..well..unorthodox. heh. still, if you understand the story, it is a very well thoughtout process of identity. if you like gore and going crazy, kite is for you