Hibari is Fashion Crazy
                                      
Director:  Yasushi Sasaki
Year: 1961
Rating: 6.0
Misora Hibari that is, but she isn't just fashion crazy, she is crazy, wacko. Times are tough in period Japan and the Head Minister has decreed that only cotton can be worn, no gold or silver accessories are allowed and no lavish entertainment. Mitsu (Hibari) walks around in a once-fancy bedraggled kimono gathering dirt off the ground, pulling a long branch behind her, cackling and making a mess. She is called the Fashion Freak by everyone. Her friend Kiyo (Kyôko Aoyama) and Kiyo's brother Nakiya have taken her in. But it wasn't the fashion decree that drove her crazy but the apparent suicide of her father. With the degree many retail businesses went bankrupt and her father lost his business. Her brother Inokichi returns from being away for a few years but she doesn't recognize him. The Head Minister assigns Shinjiro to keep an eye on her and make sure that no harm comes to her. The father of the Shogun wants to make her his mistress. Lord Tanuma is a friend of the Shogun's father and has higher ambitions. Whew. Those are most of the main characters that we have to keep up with. It took me a while to figure out who was who.

 

This isn't the light comedy that one might expect from the title. The first half is sort of sad and depressing watching Mitsu walk around like a homeless crazy lady. But things are amiss. A conspiracy of sorts is going on in the background. The Shogun's father wants to push the Head Minister out of power, Lord Tanuma is ordering his men to kill people and the magistrate is being told to stop interfering. And Mitsu just wanders around - at times singing a song - other times setting a fire. On one occasion the Shogun's father has brought her to his mansion and about ten women in matching kimono's perform for him and Mitsu chases them off the stage and puts on her own show. Well, if you have seen Hibari in her detective series, you can be sure she is as crazy as a fox. Hunting down the murderer of her father. Feels a little slow for one of her films, but a fine finale when justice wins and Hibari wins her man.