Kite4xvhsdvddub,sub
kiteShe may be cute, she may be young. She may seem innocent and naive, but don't be fooled. She's a cold-blooded killer, and if you're on the wrong side of the law, you may be her next target.
After being orphaned at a young age, her parents victims of a brutal double murder, Sawa was taken in by the detective assigned to her case. Not content to just watch as the imperfect justice system lets more and more criminals go loose every day, he's decided to train her to be his instrument of justice. After all, who'd suspect a pretty college student of being a deadly vigilante!
Now she must decide between her allegiance to her guardian and her loyalty to her one and only friend, a fellow sword of justice.
Watch as this brutal story unfolds with stunning animation from the lethal mind of Yasuomi Umetsu, the character designer of such anime classics as MegaZone 23 Part 2, Robot Carnival (Presence) and the New Gatchaman (Battle of the Planets/G-Force).
Details
Directed by Yasuomi Umetsu (MegaZone 23 Part 2, Gatchaman (1994), Robot Carnival - "Presence")
The original Japanese version of Kite was released in Japan on two VHS and laserdisc volumes in 1998, followed later by a two volume DVD release. This original Japanese version was uncut but digitally censored in accordance with Japanese law.
The original American DVD release of Kite (DVD SKU number AWDVD-0082) excises all of the sex from the original hour long Japanese release and combines the remaining footage into a single 45 minute long episode.
The so-called "Director’s Cut" (DVD SKU number KVDVD-0202) contains edits to six scenes from the two episodes, totaling about 20 seconds of footage cut from the original Japanese release.
Kite Uncut (DVD SKU number KVDVD-0416), also commonly known as the "Kite Special Edition" is the only fully unedited and uncensored version of Kite available on American DVD.
In his "Animerica" interview, Umetsu speaks of admiration for the films of Martin Scorsese (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas). If Kite resembles any film from Scorsese, it is Taxi Driver. Akia and Sawa's relationship, one of master and puppet, tenderness and terrible exploitation, recalls Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster's scenes together in the 1976 film. There is also disturbing small-scale mayhem, familiar to Taxi Driver's final scenes.
Animerica Volume 7; Number 6 (July 1999), ISSN 1067-0831 (page 12)
Commentary
We've got blood and gore (exploding limbs and heads), guns, and lots of action. There are lots of nice visuals. Assassinations are up-close and very personal and you'll want to check out the stunning (almost unbelievable) bathroom fight sequence.
I used to have the subtitled VHS version and I enjoyed this title so much that I repurchased it on DVD.