calibear_todd It's a surprising tearjerker, with good acting and strong characters you would expect who originated in the Iwaki coal mine, but it whitewashes the fact that much of that mine's wealth was as a result of WW2 slave labor. This is a problem the Japanese seem to have in confronting their history. Unfortunately, it wasn't only Japanese who suffered in the coal mines!

SailingSwanee Sat down with my daughter to watch this movie, not really sure what to expect. I am a fan of foreign movies, particularly Korean, Chinese, and Japanese, but also other parts of the world, so I don't mind watching with subtitles. In fact, I find foreign films much more realistic than a lot of the tripe out of Hollywood.This movie is very emotional, bringing tears (mostly happy ones) to both me and my daughter. The story is well told and the acting brilliant, and some of the gorgeous Japanese girls certainly helped to light up the screen, especially Yu Aoi who won "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role" in the Japan Academy Prize.Realising at the end that this movie was based on an actually true story added much more realism to the story, and the plight of the girls and their families.A very inspirational movie, and a delight to watch. Why this only has 7 out of 10 on IMDb (at time of writing) surprises me. We loved it!!! Do yourself a favour and watch it.

BanBan My impression of the hula dance - random wave movement of the hands by tanned girls wearing straw skirts with a big flower on the head. That was before this movie.The Hula Girls, a heartwarming comedy from Japan, tells about the craft, emotions and passion behind this dance. Being Hawaii has almost nothing to do with a depressed and cold mining town, almost devoid of colours and warmth. However, a group of girls from the conservatives to bespectacled obasan, decided to learn the dance to develop this declining town into a Hawaiian Village.This is a daunting task to a Tokyo dance teacher (wonderfully played by Yasuko Matsuyuki) and a demoralizing act to the conservative skeptics in the small village.A story about going against all odds may remind you of another Japanese comedy, The Swing Girls. Both movies boost great energy, lovely music and can put a smile on your face.As Japan official's entry to the 2007 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film, The Hula Girls is not only entertaining, but motivational. It may be small in ambition, but big in what in can achieve – to inspire people to chance, accept, fall and rise again.It is funny and touching at the small time, pushing your heartstrings (and tear ducts) with the girls' triumph over people who do not believe in them, which includes themselves.With its infectious energy and stirring movements, this hula dance deserves a round of applause and bouquets.http://themovieclub.blogspot.com

Makiko Makiko Hula Girl is based on a true story, which a female coach from Tokyo teaches Hula dance( Hawaiian dance) to girls living in a rural area to make them professional dancers for the Hawaiian Center. It is set in Fukushima Prefecture in Tohoku area about in 1965.The place, Iwaki was famous for coal mines. At that time, coal was replaced by oil, so the coal mines were almost closed down and workers lost their job. So, some people decided to make a Hawaiian center for a new business. The main feature was a Hula dance show. They hired a coach (Matsuyuki Yasuko) to teach local girls professional Hula dance. The local girls were very naive and spoke in strong Tohoku accent (not stylish ). Their dance performance was terrible,whereas the coach from Tokyo was very cool, fashionable and confident, and her Hula dance was amazing and breath taking.Interestingly, local people were prejudiced against Hula dancers like strippers. One of the students said in the interview, "My tits are small. is it OK? It's very embarrassing, but I don't care because my father was fired, so I have to make money." The coach said," you don't have to be naked." When one girl put on her costume and showed her brothers and sisters at home and her father found them, he got really mad saying " what a shame! you are almost naked" and hit her many times and cut off her costume and hair. Local men were a sexist. That made the coach really angry and she went to a men's public bath and hit that father bathing in a bath saying "you don't have the right to do such a terrible thing." She was very strong.The coach was not a kind person and very strict, and sometimes critical to her students. But, she liked her students very much. They influenced each other. Their parents didn't accept that their daughters danced Hula, but in the end, they were re-conciliated and cheered them up. One mother said, " I thought working means to make money doing something tough or hard like to live or to die as your father has done. But after I saw you dance in front of people, what entertains people is also a job. This is also a feel-good movie where you can see relationship between the coach and her students, daughters and their parents.The ending was an excellent Hula dance show by local girls. It was amazing! But, I personally think the girl who danced solo (Aoi Yu) shouldn't have been that too slim. Hawaiian dance doesn't look great if the dancer is too slim.