Kamikaze Girls, by Novala Takemoto

I hunted down a copy of Novala Takemoto’s 2002 novel Kamikaze Girls after I saw the film adaptation a few months ago, and—for once!—I’m not sure which I recommend picking up first. There are slight differences between the two versions, but they’re both colorful, sweet, and deliciously strange.

Kamikaze Girls is the story of two extremely different girls living in a rural community outside of Tokyo. Self-absorbed Momoko is a “Lolita” (a devotee of Rococo style and 18th-century-inspired fashion), while blunt, artless Ichigo is a scooter-driving member of a girl biker gang. These two misfits seem to have nothing in common, but they fall into friendship despite the clash of their styles and personalities.

In the afterword to the English-language edition, Takemoto sums up his novel’s message: “Let’s all get along while following our own paths and doing whatever the hell we want!” His wording isn’t exactly Hallmark-worthy, but his message is laudable—and perfectly illustrated by the evolution of Momoko and Ichigo’s unlikely friendship, which allows the two girls to truly value one another while maintaining their independence.

The film adaptation of Kamikaze Girls lets readers visually experience the story’s fantastic costumes and settings (both vital parts of the plot), but the novel is a better showcase for Takemoto’s heroines and sharp, fastidious writing style. Happily, both versions are hugely entertaining, so it doesn’t matter which one you start with. The book and movie actually enhance one another, so you’re guaranteed a gloriously weird good time either way.