Chōshōjo Reiko
1991 Japanese film
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Chōshōjo Reiko (Japanese: 超少女REIKO) (lit. 'Supernatural Power Girl REIKO') is a 1991 Japanese film written and directed by Takao Okawara.[1]
- Arisa Mizuki
- Ken Osawa
- Wakako Shimazaki
- Koichi Sato
| Chōshōjo Reiko | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Takao Okawara |
| Screenplay by | Takao Okawara[1] |
| Produced by | Shōgo Tomiyama[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Kenichi Yamada[1] |
| Edited by | Chizuko Osada |
| Music by | Tomoyuki Asakawa |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Production
Prior to working on Chōshōjo Reiko, director Takao Okawara worked as an assistant director at Toho, often pitching ideas for a script that were ignored.[2] Okawara decided to develop a story and enter it into a competition; he hoped that if he won, the story would get better attention from upper staff at Toho.[2] Okawara developed a story that he stated had a "sellable script" aimed at teenage audiences, which persuaded him to include a fantasy element of extrasensory perception.[2] He submitted his story to the Kido Awards, where it won second place.[2] This influenced Toho to allow Okawara to direct it.[2]
The film's cast included Arisa Mizuki, who was an unknown actress at the time and would be known as a supermodel by 2000.[2] Okawara described the shooting of the film as difficult, stating that the film's low budget did not allow him to have a special effects director, making him perform both duties himself.[2]
Release
Chōshōjo Reiko was distributed theatrically in Japan by Toho on November 16, 1991.[1] Norman England of Fangoria stated the film failed to find an audience in Japan, referring to it as a "box-office dud."[2] Producer Shōgo Tomiyama felt that despite the film's failure at the box office, its quality was good enough to allow Okawara to direct later films in the Godzilla film series.[2]
Arisa Mizuki won the "Newcomer of the Year" award at the Japanese Academy Awards for her role in the film.[3]
