A self-absorbed University graduate runs for political office in this saccharine romantic drama. After winning a University pageant, Miki Takaraishi’s (Mirei Kiritani) ungracious acceptance speech marks her out as an arrogant airhead, concerned solely with her looks and her own popularity. When she bumps into the handsome Hiromasa (Sho Kiyohara) she is for the first time vulnerable, falling instantly in love. This is short lived however when she discovers that Hiromasa, heir to a political dynasty, is a womanizer carrying on countless affairs, paying off many of his lovers when they become pregnant or tiresome. Miki decides to take revenge by running for office herself against Hiromasa, who appears to be a shoe-in for the local parliamentary seat. With the help of campaign manager Kisuragi (Yuki Saito) and political secretary Toshiya Kadowaki (Suzuki Nobuyuki), Miki starts to learn that earning the love of the people is not as easy as it seems.
Based on a novel by Erikia Yoshida and directed by Koichiro Miki, “Revenge Girl” is a predictable romantic drama as our protagonist falls in love, out of love, and eventually discovers true love with the only other man she comes into contact with throughout the film. The film’s comedy is largely based around the social niceties of Japanese society and the political system. We get to see what goes into a political campaign: the public speeches; backroom deals; and attempts to bring down your opponents with scandals. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the film rarely takes major chances in castigating politicians or the crooked electoral system, instead focussing more on the relationships between Miki, Toshiya, and Mariko Nakategawa (Fumika Baba), a runner-up in one of the University pageants who has gone on to success as a weather girl. The performances are theatrical, working hard to make something of the often lacklustre material in the script. The characters act in furtherance of the plot, with Miki’s personality entirely shifting without much prompting or explanation, becoming a selfless spokesperson for the people. We see her interactions with her younger sister Misaki (Aisa Takeuchi), which would have been a good place to include some background on why Miki behaves the way she does (or why Misaki doesn’t appear to have inherited the same narcissism). It is clear early on the direction the film will take and there are no surprises in how things conclude. The film would have benefitted from a little more bite, and certainly had the opportunity given the subject matter.
“Revenge Girl” gives us a look at the political campaign system in Japan and some of the wackiness that goes along with a democractic system. In one enjoyable montage we see Miki attempting to become the candidate for a variety of different parties (each with a peculiar single-issue platform). It is an indication of how broken the system is that someone with no knowledge of politics and little interest in the parties’ prospectus could even contemplate running as their candidate, but again the film brushes over this. Perhaps to avoid confrontation with Japan’s current governing party, the film shies away from making overt political points, with the party Miki eventually stands for being a bland shell that we learn nothing about. Overall, fans of romantic dramas may find something to enjoy here, with a straightforward plot, cute leads, and bright, colourful tone; but it’s hard not to feel that “Revenge Girl” wastes its potential.
