School in the Crosshairs

Another Ôbayashi that mixes fantasy with coming of age drama. He made quite a few of these films and while none are true masterpieces, they are sure to entertain. The finale in particular is vintage Ôbayashi madness, it's just a shame that the rest of it isn't all that special.

Yuka is a high school student with mysterious powers. While she is trying to figure out the reason behind these powers, a transfer student joins her class and displays similar powers. It's clear from the start that she's willing to use her powers against Yuka, who will need to fight her off if she wants to protect her friends and family.

Performances are decent, and the fantasy elements are interesting enough. It takes a while before the film gets up to steam though, and it isn't until the finale that Ôbayashi goes full out. The visual effects may not be very advanced, but they're very charming. Not Ôbayashi's best, but an entertaining little diversion nonetheless.