Himitsu no hanazono

This is a very funny japanese comedy. Explaining the plot (basically, it's about a young woman's search for a treasure and the extent to what she will go to do it) will not do the movie justice. Specially funny it's the main actress impassive deadpan performance.

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

B-grade Japanese movies of recent years have been influenced quite a bit by manga (Japanese comics) and anime (animation), but I hadn't yet seen a Japanese movie that is, in effect, a live-action manga from beginning to end. Himitsu no Hanazono is one such movie.

The manga aspects mean that everything is over-the-top. Sakiko's single-minded obsession with money, her outlandish and relentless efforts in search of a lost suitcase full of bills, leaving flabbergasted observers in her wake--all are straight out of manga, and retain the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek humor of that medium (the better manga, anyways). And there is a kind of gradual maturation process thrown in as well, as Sakiko comes to realize that she's not drawn to money itself, so much as to the hunt for it.

Not great cinema by any stretch, but this is one of the best Japanese light comedies I've seen, and I've seen a few. Definitely worth a viewing if you like manga/anime or movies in this genre.

A film about a money-loving woman, who is simply lovable !

Sometimes billed as 'My Secret Cache', this hilarious struggle by a young bank teller will really keep you laughing. Excellent production, awesome scenery, and a heartfelt insight into a dreamer and her pursuers. I can't wait until this is out on DVD.