FLY ME TO THE SAITAMA

Mymovies Award, 2019 Udine Far East Film Festival
Nippon Cinema Award, 2019 Nippon Connection

“Saitama is wack!”

In an alternative reality where Tokyo is divided into social classes based on neighborhood, the worst of the worst places to live would be Saitama prefecture. But when all hope of coolness is lost, a blue-haired, popped-collar hero arrives fresh from the US, with a villainous look hiding a warm heart. Posing as a chic Tokyo socialite, Rei Asami (GACKT) hides his true identity as a member of STM (Saitamese Revolutionary Liberation Front) with a mission to liberate his hometown. When the son of the Tokyo governor unexpectedly falls for Rei, the fight for Saitama’s vindication and the crushing of the urban index system is on, leading us to the ultimate question: will he step on the rice cracker or will he crumble under the pressure?

Wacky battles, opulent costumes, gender-bending characters and a universally fervent disgust of the Saitamese, FLY ME TO SAITAMA is a punchy, inside joke-filled whirlwind that will leave you wanting more than ever to move to a Tokyo prefecture. With more wigs than you thought possible, director Hideki Takeuchi (Therma Romae, Spotlight Screening ‘12) answers the age-old question, “What would royalty during the Victorian era look like in a retro-futuristic Japan?” Based on a 1980s manga of the same name, FLY ME TO SAITAMA reminds us that country folk are not to be underestimated!

–Aleya Zenieris