Himitsu no hanazono

As the title suggests Shinobu Yaguchi's "The Secret Garden" is a fun romp from start to finish. As y'all may have gathered from my reviews I'm a huge Shinobu Yaguchi fan I love his movies Swing Girls and Water Boys they have a certain brand of humour that's just so funny- people act in the craziest of ways like no human would and that heightens the whole experience, there's no real antagonist- only accumulated craziness and fun that's not only from the protagonist but the surrounding cast as well- it's as if the world Shinobu Yaguchi directs is a cartoonish version of the real world which I do appreciate since reality is seldom fun.

The Secret Garden follows Sakiko a girl that is obsessed with money since childhood, that obsession leads her to do such funny and actually great (?) things that normal people would get commended for if they did, many people usually talk about being particularly inspired by noble things such as knowledge, strength etc... but in Sakiko's case her sole driving motive is only money which is so funny because movies usually depict money-hungry people as people doomed and immoral so it's funny to see how the other extreme looks like and it's funny as heck.

The comedy is tightly packed in this 1 hr 23 min movie giving you almost no place to rest, if it would've been longer then it wouldn't have made sense so I really appreciate that it's short!

The cinematography is also simple and effective, very great shots throughout the movie, it looks gorgeous even if it was made 1997- also the soundtrack with Irish motifs (perhaps a hint on the luck of the Irish/leprechauns with money?) is so funny, it gives the movie a jolly tone throughout.

Check this movie out for a fun romp that'll tickle your funny bone. Shinobu Yaguchi is such a talented director!

This would be my first Japanese movie other than monster classics like "Rodan". It will likely be my last Japanese comedy. Although the cast is game, the humor is somewhat lame. A few sight gags, but for the most part it seems very repetitive and the use of "stunt dolls" is another glaring negative. I'm sure Woody Allen doesn't play big in Japan, so my missing the Japanese humor here in the United States really isn't surprising. "My Secret Cache" is not a bad movie for the right audience, and I am certainly not trashing it, but as comedic entertainment the movie failed to impress................................MERK

Japanese uber-model Naomi Nishida makes her starring debut in

Shinobu Yaguchi's semi-legendary comedy.

A girl (Nishida) has been abnormally fascinated with money since

childhood -- so much so that she becomes the employee of a

bank. She realizes quickly that it's not as much fun handling

money that you don't own....

And that begins her hilarious odyssey that takes her through

armed robbery, and wins her a geology degree, a swimming

championshiip, a mountain-climbing contest, and injuries along

the way to her pursuit of a suitcase full of cash.

Director Yaguchi employs his usual deadpan humor in a story that

has you rooting for a hero who's often too funny for words. Finally

available on subtitled DVD, there's now no reason to put off your

responsibility to see this delight.

Last night I saw the 1996 movie: Himitsu no hanazono . It was a simple yet fun movie. Fun for the whole family and something everyone could relate to. James xoxo.

This film has ever been a favourite of mine since I've seen him. I like its kind of humour which made me laugh for the entire movie. I have to admit that I like watching japanese films but this one should be very funny to everyone. For those who liked this film I recommend 'Postman Blues' another very good japanese film of similar quality. Too bad that 'Himitsu no hanazono' is only available on VHS to this day. I really hope this changes some day... You just have to see what a woman might do to get a case full of money!